Abstract

MUJINGA, M.. Toward a reinterpretation of sacramental theology in the context of pandemics: The case of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. Acta theol. [online]. 2023, vol.43, n.2, pp.184-201. ISSN 2309-9089.  http://dx.doi.org/10.38140/at.v43i2.6765.

The advent of COVID-19 and the subsequent closing of religious institutions through lockdowns created a pandemonium that saw churches not being able to meet physically for worship. COVID-19 lockdowns diluted the traditional meaning of sacramental theology for mainline churches. The effects of the pandemic were so bad that churches in Zimbabwe were closed towards Lent season in 2020. Mainline churches that used to shun the technologisation of religion were forced to embrace technology, in order to be relevant. Unfortunately, sacraments that demanded face-to-face administration remained a theological dilemma. Using the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe as a case study, the aim of this article is to challenge the church's traditional sacramental theology and propose a theological treatise that has relevance in the context of pandemics such as COVID-19. The article proposes a reinterpretation of sacramental theology that makes the rite sacred to the lives of the parishioners, even during pandemics.

Keywords : Sacramental theology; Pandemics; Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.

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