Grieving during a pandemic: A psycho-theological response

Verbum et Ecclesia

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Grieving during a pandemic: A psycho-theological response
 
Creator Kgatle, Mookgo S. Segalo, Puleng
 
Subject Psychology; Theology grieving; mourning; psychology; theology; psycho-theological theory; COVID-19
Description Collective grieving during the death and the burial processes of a loved one forms part of the healing process of many Africans in different contexts. However, with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the various restrictions imposed during the hard lockdown, the form and shape of grieving has had to change. Factors such as limitations on the number of people who can attend the funeral, lack of contact with the corpse, overall travel restrictions and shortened funeral services have contributed to how people mourn and grieve together. Using a psycho-theological framework, this article argues for the importance of giving serious consideration to both the psychological and spiritual well-being of mourners, specifically in the context of COVID-19. Drawing on an Afrocentric perspective and using a psychological and theological analysis, the article will examine grief, bereavement and mourning, and highlight the ways in which COVID-19 has affected these processes. This analysis will afford us the opportunity to redefine grieving as a psychological and theological response.Interdisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article juxtaposes the theological perspectives with psychological perspectives in analysing the concept of grief during a pandemic. This article suggests communal grieving in contrast to individualised grieving in order to cope with pandemics such as COVID-19.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2021-07-29
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Literary Analysis; observation
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ve.v42i1.2260
 
Source Verbum et Ecclesia; Vol 42, No 1 (2021); 6 pages 2074-7705 1609-9982
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2260/4844 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2260/4845 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2260/4846 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2260/4847
 
Coverage South Africa 21st century pandemic
Rights Copyright (c) 2021 Mookgo S. Kgatle, Puleng Segalo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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