Abstract:
Prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the churches
in Nigeria contended with Bokoharam insurgency which mainly affected the churches
in Northern Nigeria. However, COVID-19 affected various churches in all the nooks and
crannies of the country. It brought about obvious changes in numerous practices of
churches in Nigeria. Long-standing traditions of churches such as solemnisation of Holy
Matrimony, Holy Communion, baptism, prayer and sharing of peace (This practice is
commonly observed by the orthodox churches and entails shaking one another’s hands in
the course of a communion service) have been modified or suspended. Whilst this article
appreciates the efforts of the federal and state governments, it investigates the implications
of COVID-19 outbreak on traditional religious practices of churches in Nigeria. It
also examines the responses of churches towards controlling the pandemic. The
phenomenological method is used to analyse the data collected from both primary (semistructured
interview) and secondary sources (journals and internet materials). Findings
from this work indicate that COVID-19 outbreak is a challenge to the purpose of the
institution ‘church’.
CONTRIBUTION : The article investigated and examined the changes which churches made in
their doctrine and liturgy with respect to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria. It discovered
that many traditions of the church have been modified or suspended as a way of curtailing the
spread of the virus.
Description:
This research is part of
the research project
‘Hermeneutics and Exegesis’
directed by Prof. Dr Ernest
van Eck, Department of New
Testament Studies and
Related Literature, Faculty
of Theology and Religion,
University of Pretoria.
