How is God involved in global catastrophes such as COVID-19? Are pandemics a manifestation of divine wrath toward humankind? Is God loving or wrathful? Questions such as these have boggled the minds of both theologians and lay persons for centuries but once again come to the forefront with the outbreak of the current pandemic. This book offers a treatment of difficult theological questions about the nature of God from an Orthodox Christian perspective. It also examines local and global catastrophes in Scripture such as the Great Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the famine at the time of Joseph, and the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. With the help of modern biblical scholarship, Jewish commentators and Patristic exegesis, these events can be brought to a new light to further our understanding of God’s relationship with humankind. The book then turns to the current pandemic and its relationship to God. Reviewing how Christians behaved in the face of pandemics since the third century offers guidance as we face the current one. The book ends with a reflection on God’s goodness both in life and in death.
The book is appropriate for youth in particular and non-academics in general. You do not have to be an academic to know your faith.
The book is available for purchase in two formats: Kindle and Paperback.