God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and its Aftermath
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- Create Date：2021-06-19 08:54:24
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：N.T. Wright
- ISBN：0281085110
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Summary
Pandemic， Panic， Pangolin， Pandemonium。。。
What are we supposed to think about the coronavirus crisis？
Some people think they know: ‘This is a sign of the End，’ they say。 ‘It’s all predicted in the book of Revelation。’
Others disagree but are equally clear: ‘This is a call to repent。 God is judging the world and through this disease he’s telling us to change。’
Some join in the chorus of blame and condemnation: ‘It’s the fault of the Chinese， the government， the World Health Organization。 。 。’
Tom Wright examines these reactions to the virus and finds them wanting。 Instead， he invites you to consider a different way of seeing and responding – a way that draws on the teachings and examples of scripture， and above all on the way of living， thinking and praying revealed to us by Jesus。
What are we supposed to think about the coronavirus crisis？
Some people think they know: ‘This is a sign of the End，’ they say。 ‘It’s all predicted in the book of Revelation。’
Others disagree but are equally clear: ‘This is a call to repent。 God is judging the world and through this disease he’s telling us to change。’
Some join in the chorus of blame and condemnation: ‘It’s the fault of the Chinese， the government， the World Health Organization。 。 。’
Tom Wright examines these reactions to the virus and finds them wanting。 Instead， he invites you to consider a different way of seeing and responding – a way that draws on the teachings and examples of scripture， and above all on the way of living， thinking and praying revealed to us by Jesus。
Reviews
john wendleton
，
Good reflection on how to respond to the pandemic Overall a good book on how as Christians should respond to the pandemic。 Nt did a good job connecting he Bible and the crises。
A。J。
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This book has some great points in it。 In a post-covid society， we as the church need to think and act differently。。。with people in mind who need the Gospel that we want to share with them。
Becky Pliego
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Mmm。。。 not sure about Mr。 Wright’s overall take on this issue。 However， I do welcome his encouragement to serve others in this difficult time。
Rodie King
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It was good to read and then discuss with my bible group。
Kurt J。 Manglos
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There is hope in covid！！！What a great summary of where we've and what we can do about it as a Christian。 N。T。 Wright asks some very important questions and gives a very viewpoint than many of our Christian leaders today！ There is hope in covid！！！What a great summary of where we've and what we can do about it as a Christian。 N。T。 Wright asks some very important questions and gives a very viewpoint than many of our Christian leaders today！ 。。。more
mango stallions
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some interesting things to say。
James Klagge
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A solid reliable read on this timely topic。 It was written and published early on， so a lot is about not jumping to conclusions。 The strongest message is to lament and not to interpret this as a "message" from God。 This is well-supported by drawing on material from the Hebrew scriptures， the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament。 If there is a message from God， it is the same as it has always been--be like Jesus and be a healing presence in the world。 There is some hopefulness that people mi A solid reliable read on this timely topic。 It was written and published early on， so a lot is about not jumping to conclusions。 The strongest message is to lament and not to interpret this as a "message" from God。 This is well-supported by drawing on material from the Hebrew scriptures， the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament。 If there is a message from God， it is the same as it has always been--be like Jesus and be a healing presence in the world。 There is some hopefulness that people might draw together because of this tragedy （which has not happened）， but also some realism that that might not happen （indeed）。 We read this book in an adult Sunday School class in April and May 2021， and it made for good discussions， but not great insights。 。。。more
Denise
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I spent a lot of time with this book for a class。 Analyzed it for a presentation。 I would have felt it flighty in a quick read but it was fantastically written， thorough and deep。
Karen
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Intelligent and insightful with good theology。 I used it in two discussion groups and had very different conversations。 There is a lot that can be pulled from this and it is all good。 It can be helpful long after the pandemic as you consider why bad things happen。
Matthew Webb
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Not just a Covid book but a reminder to theChurchA excellent example of a short book deep in meaning。 N。T。 Wright calls the church to remember its historical theology and response to pandemics 。
Chris Kidwell
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It's only okay。 The first 80% of this rather short work uses the pandemic as a pretense to talk about the problem of evil。 Wright handles that well， but it's less focused on the pandemic than I wanted it to be。 The last 20% does a good job of detailing the issues many churches face with regard to handling the pandemic。 I wanted more of the "Aftermath" discussion promised by the title， but what's here is worth reading。 I think a follow-up 2-3 years down the road would be helpful。 It's only okay。 The first 80% of this rather short work uses the pandemic as a pretense to talk about the problem of evil。 Wright handles that well， but it's less focused on the pandemic than I wanted it to be。 The last 20% does a good job of detailing the issues many churches face with regard to handling the pandemic。 I wanted more of the "Aftermath" discussion promised by the title， but what's here is worth reading。 I think a follow-up 2-3 years down the road would be helpful。 。。。more
Adam Muly
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A quick and insightful look at the COVID-19 pandemic from a Christian perspective。 Wright largely emphasizes the role of humanity in caring for the world， especially its poor， weak， and marginalized groups， in such a crisis as the coronavirus pandemic。 He does not attempt to confront the problem of evil （theodicy）。 He asks what we are to do in the face of these uncertain and sometimes tragic times rather than why these unfortunate times have come about in the first place。 Some may consider this A quick and insightful look at the COVID-19 pandemic from a Christian perspective。 Wright largely emphasizes the role of humanity in caring for the world， especially its poor， weak， and marginalized groups， in such a crisis as the coronavirus pandemic。 He does not attempt to confront the problem of evil （theodicy）。 He asks what we are to do in the face of these uncertain and sometimes tragic times rather than why these unfortunate times have come about in the first place。 Some may consider this an avoidance， but I see it as a self-aware undertaking—one that acknowledges a human’s inability to satisfactorily answer the questions of why a pandemic came upon the earth。 Therefore， Wright sticks to the question of “what？，” the question that Christian leaders have focused on in times of crisis even as early as the events of the book of Acts。 。。。more
Libby
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A year into the pandemic， and almost a year since this title was published， I wondered if it would still feel relevant。 It does， partly because we are all still trying to process this virus that has disrupted the whole world and partly because the questions Wright addresses about God and disease are more universal than just related to Covid-19。 While he addresses questions about why God allows deadly plagues， he doesn't give answers。 Rather， he calls Christians to lament and prayer and to action A year into the pandemic， and almost a year since this title was published， I wondered if it would still feel relevant。 It does， partly because we are all still trying to process this virus that has disrupted the whole world and partly because the questions Wright addresses about God and disease are more universal than just related to Covid-19。 While he addresses questions about why God allows deadly plagues， he doesn't give answers。 Rather， he calls Christians to lament and prayer and to action。 A quote I loved: "。。。when the world is going through great convulsions， the followers of Jesus are called to be people of prayer at the place where the world is in pain。" And a question to ponder: "What， in particular， might it mean to say that 'as Jesus was to Israel， so the Church should be for the world'？" A book I could already reread。 。。。more
Henry Kim
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Good meaty book on the theology of God and things beyond our control。
Trindi
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This book was listed as a recommendation so I decided to read it。 Very short， only 87 pages， but lots to ponder。 Interesting perspective from an author who is from the UK instead of America。 The major theme throughout is that God is and will always be God， no matter what （uses Job as an example。 Also， there have been plagues， pandemics， and famines since forever）; instead of finger-pointing and game-blaming and trying to figure out if the pandemic is a "sign"， Christians should harness the energ This book was listed as a recommendation so I decided to read it。 Very short， only 87 pages， but lots to ponder。 Interesting perspective from an author who is from the UK instead of America。 The major theme throughout is that God is and will always be God， no matter what （uses Job as an example。 Also， there have been plagues， pandemics， and famines since forever）; instead of finger-pointing and game-blaming and trying to figure out if the pandemic is a "sign"， Christians should harness the energy to be of service to those who are in grief and mourning， and just overall have the mindset of "What can I do to help？"My personal takeaway， not the author's: The western world （especially America） is so anxious to get back to normal and all of its luxuries and comforts that we will have missed out on opportunities to do kingdom work outside the four walls of the church building （that is a whole 'nother discussion） as well as self-reflection/examination and personal development and growth in Christ。 There are lots of things that should never go back to pre-pandemic "normal"。 Just my half-cent 🤷🏿♀️ 。。。more
Elizabeth
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This book was fleshed out from an article N。T。 Wright wrote for Time Magazine （"Christianity Offers No Answers About the Coronavirus。 It's Not Supposed To"）。 If you're curious about what he has to say， just read the article for free on Time's website。 I am giving this an extra star because of the brass balls the publisher had to take a solidly-written article， fluff it up uselessly （and give it a dramatically different and stupid title）， and then charge people for it。 https://time。com/5808495/co This book was fleshed out from an article N。T。 Wright wrote for Time Magazine （"Christianity Offers No Answers About the Coronavirus。 It's Not Supposed To"）。 If you're curious about what he has to say， just read the article for free on Time's website。 I am giving this an extra star because of the brass balls the publisher had to take a solidly-written article， fluff it up uselessly （and give it a dramatically different and stupid title）， and then charge people for it。 https://time。com/5808495/coronavirus-。。。 。。。more
Dr。Husaim
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Світ охоплений пандемією。 Кожен з нас відчуває переживання і втрати。 Тому， починає шукати відповіді на запитання。 Зазвичай запитають - хто винен？ Хто має відповідати？ Кого варто покарати？Але християни мають задати собі інші запитання。 Запитання які свого часу ставила перед собою молода Антіохійська церква， коли на сході римської імперії панував голод。 Хто в групі ризику？ Чим ми можемо допомогти？ Кого пошлемо？ Саме таким був вектор руху церкви раннього періоду。 Саме такою була реакція церкви на п Світ охоплений пандемією。 Кожен з нас відчуває переживання і втрати。 Тому， починає шукати відповіді на запитання。 Зазвичай запитають - хто винен？ Хто має відповідати？ Кого варто покарати？Але християни мають задати собі інші запитання。 Запитання які свого часу ставила перед собою молода Антіохійська церква， коли на сході римської імперії панував голод。 Хто в групі ризику？ Чим ми можемо допомогти？ Кого пошлемо？ Саме таким був вектор руху церкви раннього періоду。 Саме такою була реакція церкви на пандемії в імперії， коли багачі тікали в гори， до своїх маєтків， а християни лишалися в містах і допомагали хворим， ризикуючи власним життям， чим шокували язичників。Сьогодні， перед кожним з нас， також стоїть вибір。 Які питання собі ставити？ І де нам варто бути？ 。。。more
Phil H。 Herrington
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Hope I chose my rating because N。 T。 Wright goes straight to the heart of the matter。He directs us to where our hope can be found。A voice for our time。
Edie
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Have you always wanted to read N。T。 Wright but felt intimidated by the length and depth of many of his books？ This is a great place to start。 It is short and accessible。 It is timely and compassionate and in the end it is hopeful。 While not required reading， I think most of us could use a bit of encouragement， some pastoral counseling。 Wright wears his pastoral robes instead of his scholarly ones for this book。 It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon or a couple of evenings。 Does he get everyth Have you always wanted to read N。T。 Wright but felt intimidated by the length and depth of many of his books？ This is a great place to start。 It is short and accessible。 It is timely and compassionate and in the end it is hopeful。 While not required reading， I think most of us could use a bit of encouragement， some pastoral counseling。 Wright wears his pastoral robes instead of his scholarly ones for this book。 It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon or a couple of evenings。 Does he get everything exactly right？ I don't think so but I'm willing to be wrong about that。 And there is so much good stuff to reflect on， I am okay with letting a few ideas float away on the wind。 If you have struggled with where is God during the past 12 months， this is a great place to start looking。 。。。more
Richard Wollard
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Very relevant readI wish I had found this book several months earlier， but as we begin relaxing restrictions and continuing our dialogue with others， I would highly recommend this resource to guide our conversations！
Yat Sing Ip
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Essentially a book that clearly explains that the pandemic isn't one that God allowed because we've sinned or done something bad and so we deserved it。 I learnt that we're called to be of practical help to the world out there in the midst of the pandemic。 Good reminder for all of us， to be the Christ in the world for others。 Essentially a book that clearly explains that the pandemic isn't one that God allowed because we've sinned or done something bad and so we deserved it。 I learnt that we're called to be of practical help to the world out there in the midst of the pandemic。 Good reminder for all of us， to be the Christ in the world for others。 。。。more
Virginia
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Excellent Lenten reading for this third wave lockdown， with a great deal of hope and common sense for the present and future。 This is a solid and intelligent perspective on this modern plague， and I came away encouraged and strengthened by the author's mix of theology， bible research， poetry， and humour。 Although I enjoyed looking up the bible references for personal reading ， this is not exactly a workbook for the lay person as I had to reread sections several times to get the author’s point。 W Excellent Lenten reading for this third wave lockdown， with a great deal of hope and common sense for the present and future。 This is a solid and intelligent perspective on this modern plague， and I came away encouraged and strengthened by the author's mix of theology， bible research， poetry， and humour。 Although I enjoyed looking up the bible references for personal reading ， this is not exactly a workbook for the lay person as I had to reread sections several times to get the author’s point。 Worth keeping as a future reference （this won’t be the last virus or lockdown by any means） and will recommend it to others。 。。。more
Bookwoman67
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Mostly I liked his concept of a time of lament。 And the constant reminder to be charitable in our thoughts to others and to "get on with" what we can do rather than bogging down in blame， attribution of God's intention， or silly superstition disguised as religion。 As well he always keeps in mind the situation of those less fortunate than most of his readers。 Mostly I liked his concept of a time of lament。 And the constant reminder to be charitable in our thoughts to others and to "get on with" what we can do rather than bogging down in blame， attribution of God's intention， or silly superstition disguised as religion。 As well he always keeps in mind the situation of those less fortunate than most of his readers。 。。。more
Nance Roepke
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4。0。 I don't typically like non-fiction books that sound like a scholar talking to a student。 And the author of this book is in fact a Bible scholar。 But I really enjoyed his writing style。 It was clear and based in Scripture that supported his reasoning。 I sometimes thought that his connection between the scripture and our current situation was a bit stretched but it made me think and I enjoyed that。 So， although this type of book is it my favorite， I really did like it。 4。0。 I don't typically like non-fiction books that sound like a scholar talking to a student。 And the author of this book is in fact a Bible scholar。 But I really enjoyed his writing style。 It was clear and based in Scripture that supported his reasoning。 I sometimes thought that his connection between the scripture and our current situation was a bit stretched but it made me think and I enjoyed that。 So， although this type of book is it my favorite， I really did like it。 。。。more
Drew Brown
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If you don't like NT Wright， I doubt you'll like this。 If you do like NT Wright， you'll find his normal blend of scholarship， paradigm-busting， and wit applied to the current world situation in a refreshingly brief book。 If you don't like NT Wright， I doubt you'll like this。 If you do like NT Wright， you'll find his normal blend of scholarship， paradigm-busting， and wit applied to the current world situation in a refreshingly brief book。 。。。more
Daniel Supimpa
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Boa escrita e imersa nas competências da leitura de um grande drama da Escritura， algo característico e bastante frutífero em Tom Wright。 Sua visão é de uma igreja que ora， diagnostica e serve de forma estratégica os desafios da cultura ao redor。 Contudo， senti um pouco de falta da perspectiva daqueles que estão doentes， morrendo， ou ao lado de alguém nessa situação。 A perspectiva era mais de teologia pública， que tem o seu mérito。
Drew
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I always enjoy Wright。 This is a brief but helpful reflection on the church’s understanding of and response to Covid。
Nancy
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For the most part， I agree with what is said in this book and really liked and learned from it。 I'd been looking forward to reading it， and am SO glad it was written。 A few highlights: And then there are specifically （would-be） 'Christian' conspiracy theories。 Some people think they know exactly what's gone wrong and what God is trying to say through it all。 Some are saying， eagerly， that this is the sign of the End。 The 'End-Times' industry has been massive in America over the last couple of ge For the most part， I agree with what is said in this book and really liked and learned from it。 I'd been looking forward to reading it， and am SO glad it was written。 A few highlights: And then there are specifically （would-be） 'Christian' conspiracy theories。 Some people think they know exactly what's gone wrong and what God is trying to say through it all。 Some are saying， eagerly， that this is the sign of the End。 The 'End-Times' industry has been massive in America over the last couple of generations。。。Former highlights include Hal Lindsey's famous The Late Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins。 They construct a horror-movie scenario out of bits and pieces of the Bible， strung together with the string of fundamentalist piety。。。And now the coronavirus is hailed as the sign that it's all about to happen。I do have an issue with what Wright says about God being "shocked" by some wickedness that man commits/is capable of。 I agree completely when he says God is "grieved" by our sin。 But when he says that God is capable and IS shocked by some of our most heinous actions， and implies that He doesn't see them coming， I disagree。 That is the same as saying that God is not omnipotent， not omniscient， not sovereign。 I cringed when I read that part。 Also， page 74， Wright was obviously completely incorrect in saying that all countries of the world should stick firmly to the policies and protocols of the World Health Organization。 （Maybe he was making a joke。） Regardless of your opinions on the WHO， that is such a hot-button issue and including a statement like this in this book instantly dates it and makes at least part of it irrelevant at best and obsolete at worst。 I'm so thankful this book was written; someone needed to do it。 It's very well-done for the most part and the theme is: during a pandemic， our focus should always be JESUS， as it should be at any other time。 I could not agree more with that message and I will admit that I did get distracted from it。 I did continue to focus on Him， but instead of having trust and faith， I think I let myself entertain too many questions/borderline doubts as well， and this book reminded me that I shouldn't do that。 Recommended with the aforementioned caveats。 。。。more
Carrie Daws
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A well-thought-out， calming reflection on the current pandemic crisis。 The author not only offers a glimpse into the Christian response of a similar difficulty from the Bible but also pulls from other historical events。 He suggests the wrong questions we are asking and offers instead what is perhaps the better answers based on biblical and historical sources。
Xane
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