A survey of Judaeo-Christian books initially responding to the Covid-19 pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID20242547
AuthorsNeville Cobbe (0000-0001-9519-890X, Queen's University Belfast, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume15
Issue6
Pages534-554
Publication date2022-11-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePractical Theology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1756-073X • E-ISSN: 1756-0748
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1756073x.2022.2085233
OpenAlexW4288438099
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited26

Various books by Judaeo-Christian authors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic raised the question of what God is doing. Hierarchical clustering based on relative frequencies of keywords reveals how such texts fell into three distinct clusters, whilst use of the F-test permits identification of vocabulary characteristic to each cluster. One cluster containing books by various Roman Catholic authors placed more emphasis on the gospels. Another cluster used terms reflecting socio-political or economic concerns. A third cluster underlined God’s sovereignty and included more frequent citation of Scripture. The Biblical book cited most frequently by various authors was Psalms, especially concerning lament. Meanwhile, the most influential books responding to the pandemic were by authors whose names were well-established beforehand. As most Judaeo-Christian responses to COVID-19 paid scant attention to the underlying virus, constructive engagement with virologists or molecular biologists is recommended. Lastly, those who felt isolated amidst bereavement due to the pandemic are identified as a priority for pastoral care

Citation · Constructive · Fell · Geography · Lament · Linguistics · Pandemic · Political science · Sociology · Theology · Vocabulary · Classics · History · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Medicine · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious studies · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy

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