Poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic : a challenge to the church

dc.contributor.authorVan der Merwe, J.M. (Johan Matthys)
dc.contributor.emailjohan.vdmerwe@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2021-04-23T15:17:24Z
dc.date.available2021-04-23T15:17:24Z
dc.date.issued2020-12
dc.description.abstractThis article addresses the challenge to the church in the struggle against poverty amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It starts by giving an overview of the enormity of poverty in a post-apartheid South Africa. It also indicates how the pandemic has enlarged the problem to extreme proportions. After looking at poverty through the lens of the Bible, the article attempts to define poverty as different forms of deprivation on the one hand and inequality on the other hand. In South Africa, deprivation and inequality are the two sides of the same coin, which serve as important indicators for the local church in the struggle against poverty. This article thirdly refers to the history of the church to describe how the church, as an agent of change, is called to react to the challenge of poverty. The fourth part of the article introduces the action plan that was developed by the South African Council of Churches through Local Ecumenical Action Networks. This serves as an example of how different churches can work together in communities in the struggle against poverty in a holistic way. The article concludes with the emphasis that the struggle against poverty in South Africa is an ongoing struggle that has been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. CONTRIBUTION: This article examines the devastating effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has on communities in South Africa with specfic reference to poverty. The focus is on how the church as agent of change is in the perfect position to rise to this challenge to make a difference by means of Local Ecumenical Area Networks.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentDogmatics and Christian Ethicsen_ZA
dc.description.librarianpm2021en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.hts.org.zaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationVan der Merwe, J.M., 2020, ‘Poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic: A challenge to the church’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 76(1), a6221. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.6221.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0259-9422
dc.identifier.other2072-8050 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/hts.v76i1.6221
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/79687
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAOSISen_ZA
dc.rights© 2020. The Author(s). Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectPovertyen_ZA
dc.subjectCOVID-19 pandemicen_ZA
dc.subjectChurchen_ZA
dc.subjectBiblicalen_ZA
dc.subjectTheologyen_ZA
dc.subjectCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)en_ZA
dc.subjectPost-apartheid South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-01
dc.subject.otherSDG-01: No poverty
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-02
dc.subject.otherSDG-02: Zero hunger
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-03
dc.subject.otherSDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-10
dc.subject.otherSDG-10: Reduced inequalities
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-11
dc.subject.otherSDG-11: Sustainable cities and communities
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-16
dc.subject.otherSDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-17
dc.subject.otherSDG-17: Partnerships for the goals
dc.titlePoverty and the COVID-19 pandemic : a challenge to the churchen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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