SAINT AUGUSTINE AND COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE FUTURE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Scholars on Augustine have continued to raise questions regarding the position of Saint Augustine in the evolving state of affairs. His works are so immense that he has become a central figure not just in secular issues but in ecclesiastical circles as well. He possesses the qualities of the Fathers of the Church, such that it can be said that the thought-current of the Fathers culminates in the writings of Saint Augustine. In 2019, the Corona Virus pandemic befell the world bringing about changes in thought and organization all over the world, in both secular and ecclesiastical spheres. In the midst of the various questions arising regarding the state of affairs, this paper sets out as a response to the issue of the relevance of religion in the face of Covid-19. Taking from Augustine’s rich theological and philosophical backgrounds, it argues that God is beyond COVID-19 and that humanity must entrust herself to divine providence while taking the necessary precautionary measures listed by the government. For the purpose of this study, the Augustinian model of theology that places theology at the service of humankind was employed.
Keywords: augustine, covid-19, divine, future, pandemic, providence, saint