From advocating to attending
The shifting role of the South African Council of Churches during the Covid-19 pandemic
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13115010 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thembelani E Jentile (0000-0002-6667-4812, University of South Africa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Issue | 105(1) |
| Publication date | 2023-11-18 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Pharos Journal of Theology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2414-3324 • E-ISSN: 2414-3324 |
| Publisher | FrIcAjOuRnAlS (PUBLISHER • ZA) |
| DOI | 10.46222/pharosjot.10525 |
| OpenAlex | W4388799886 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 19 |
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has been on the receiving end of criticism from scholars since 1994. This article contends that the 2020 national lockdown at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was the pinnacle of the renewal of the SACC. Churches had to contend with the question of “the new normal for churches”, as they grappled with, among other issues, distant communication, social and economic relief, law enforcement brutality against citizens, domestic violence, encouragement of frontline workers, and the place of faith, science, and traditional medicine in combatting the deadly virus. Analysing primarily e-mails to member churches, media coverage, and documents from the SACC between March, 17th and September 2020, this paper undertook a systematic approach to the SACC’s response to the national lockdown. The SACC analysed its context through consultation with external bodies and member churches. It also prayed and reflected on the immediate challenges faced by the country. The paper concludes that the SACC took a more pastoral posture, with a shift from “advocating to attending” reminiscent of the pre-1994 church
Context (archaeology · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Criminology · Criticism · Faith · Pandemic · Political science · Sociology · Theology · Christian Theology and Mission · Contemporary Christian Leadership and Education · Gender Studies · History · Law · Medicine · Religion, Society, and Development
Pastoral Interventions During the Pandemic
Faith and reality
The prophetic voice of the South African Council of Churches
An exegesis of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10
Poverty and the Covid-19 pandemic
The church and the indispensability and fragility of morality revealed by the Covid-19 pandemic
From semiotic exegesis to contextual ecclesiology
Who may heal? A plea from traditional healers to participate in treating Covid-19
Being human in the time of Covid-19
Sanitation, vaccination, and sanctification
Believing in the future Missiology’s future prospects
Facts and Faction
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |