Templeton Project: Coronavirus Update

Back in October 2015 I wrote about the inauguration of the Abington Templeton Foundation (see here).  The project is now underway (see here) and I will be posting our writing here.

Check out the latest piece entitled “Coronavirus Update.”

See also:

• Grounds for the Project
• The Biblical Foundation – Apology
• Apology in the New Testament II
• Apology in the New Testament III
• With Gentleness and Respect
• Elect Exiles of the Dispersion – the Importance of Identity
• The Present Cultural Environment in America
• Flannery O’Connor’s ‘Push Back’
• Saint Paul’s Civility
• Unbelievers
• Christ, Culture, and Christians
• Jesus and His Opponents in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew
• The Holy Spirit as Apologist
• On Listening to God and One Another
• Deep Conviction and Commitment
• Questions Unbelievers (especially Atheists) May Ask in Dialogue
• Waning Faith and Yearning Heart
• The Apostle on Mars Hill (Areopagus)
• A Fire, a World of Unrighteousness
• Civil Blood Makes Civil Hands Unclean
• Examples of Uncivil and Civil Speech
• Of Self-Control
• Humor in Dialogue
• Utopian Dreams
• Do we understand each other?
• When We Differ
• Dialogue and Personality
• Of Anger
• Discipleship and Apologetics
• Nurturing Christian Disciples
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics I
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics II–Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics III–Endurance
• Discipleship and Apologetics IV–Family Conflict
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics V–Doing the Will of the Father as Peacemakers
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XII–“The Tree is Known by Its Fruit”
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics VI–A Sword, Not Peace
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics VII–Repentance and the Forgiveness of Sins
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics VIII–Mission to the Gentiles
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics IX–The Parable of the Sower
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics X–“Fear not, do not be afraid
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XI–“Come to me, . . . and I will give you rest
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XIII–Humility
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XIV–Woes Turned to the Wisdom of Christ and the Blessings of the Kingdom
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XV–The Sign of the Cross
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XVI–The Resurrection
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XVII–The Judgment
• Discipleship in Matthew and Apologetics XVIII–The Vision
• Templeton Project: Inside the Heart and Mind of an Atheist
• Spare, Knowledgeable, and Wise Speech
• Truth as the Only Solid Foundation for Inquiry and Dialogue
• What is Bigotry
• What is Bigotry? Part II: Ideology
• Establishment and Distortion of the Facts
• Confused Mind and Inconstant Heart
• Encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John–John the Baptist
• Encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John–The Mother of Our Lord
• Encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John–Nicodemus
• Encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John–The Samaritan Woman
• The Need for Self-Control
• Self-control and American Culture
• Is Transformation Possible?
• Values and Virtue–the Difference
• The Coronavirus
• Encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John–The Healing of an Official’s Son

_____________________________

In 1918 the flu spread throughout the world.  500,000,000 individuals contracted the disease; an estimated 20,000,000 to 50,000,000 died of it.  In the time during the Great Mortality (1347 and after) one-third of Europe’s population succumbed to bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague.  So far 4 people have died in Pennsylvania of the coronavirus.  Now, it certainly could end up that many more will die.  Are we over-reacting and if we are, why?

Many brave and competent people are fighting the disease.  Precautions must be taken.  Prudence is required to protect people. At the same time, I see hysteria and over-reaction.  The reason is simply the fear of death.  Taking prudent action does not indicate the fear of death.  Hysteria does indicate the fear of death.

If fear of death is behind most of this (it does not take an astute observer to think it might be), the reason behind the fear is that most people no longer think that life is larger than this physical life.  A good devotion for this time would be the Gospel of John where Jesus extends eternal life to those who believe in Him.  The most important measures for the time are prayer, Scripture reading, and worship.

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  (John 1: 4 ESV)

MJichael G. Tavella

March 24, 2020

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