Abstract
The need for governments across the globe to collaborate with religious leaders in the fight against COVID-19 has been emphasized by international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO). However, there has not been much discernible scholarly effort to know what religious leaders think of COVID-19. The present study, therefore, explored the interpretations church leaders have about COVID-19 in Nigeria. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen leaders from Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. Using a thematic analytical approach, the study found that only few church leaders interpreted COVID-19 as a medical problem in line with science (33%). The rest interpreted the virus as a tool of conspiracies/political manoeuvrings (27%) and as a spiritual event (39%). The study discussed the implications of the findings for policy and research as well as how to address some of the harmful interpretations.
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We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the informants who granted interviews on their interpretations of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The insightful comments from the reviewers are also duly acknowledged.
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Nche, G.C., Agbo, U.M. & Okwueze, M.I. Church leader’s Interpretation of COVID-19 in Nigeria: Science, Conspiracies, and Spiritualization. J Relig Health 63, 741–764 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01947-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01947-9