The Nature of Pandemics in the perspective of Christian Theology

Abstract

Religious literature and its interpretations have a significant role in the studies of  the nature and history of different pandemics. The present study aims to discuss the  view point of Christianity about pandemic situations. It also tries to analyze the  perceptions about the pandemics in different Christian theological perspectives. The  Bible has mentioned a number of pandemics as heavenly whips and the Bani Israel  adopted the method of quarantine to avoid their spread. The quarantine period  ranged from seven days for some diseases to indefinite period for others. According  to the teachings of Christianity, God is the Superior Being and it is imperative for  human beings to have complete faith in Him in all kinds of circumstances. He has  the power to eliminate all kinds of disasters, including epidemics and pandemics  and does not cause human sufferings unnecessarily. However, it is not correct to say  that every pandemic is the result of human sins and faults. In fact, God’s wisdom  may sometimes not be understandable to human beings. Satan can inflict pandemics  on people, but he cannot go beyond the limits set by God. There are several reasons  for the outbreak of pandemics as per Christian thought: sometimes they are a  punishment for people's sins; sometimes they are just a warning, sometimes they are  a sign for moving towards the Day of Judgment and sometimes they are a test of  human perseverance. They provide an opportunity to man to improve his  relationship with God through forgiveness, repentance, hope and reformation.  Sometimes, they offer a stimulus for the awakening of faith. For Christians, there is  no issue in agreeing to any or all of these options. It is reassuring to know that God 96 has not left human beings alone and helpless in such a situation, but has provided  valuable guidance in the form of His teachings.