Research Question: In comparison to how burials have regularly been conducted in Christian history, how has the way these burials are administered and have been experienced changed due to the current pandemic ?
Project Description: As we know, the Coronavirus has disrupted many aspects of life, from everyday things to very important events that take place. Religion has definitely been affected. Even the way people grieve and conduct burials have changed. Burials are a very important part of religious practices and to not have these sacred rituals done properly can affect people emotionally and mentally. Through this project I want to learn the specifics and how exactly the pandemic has changed the way people say farewell to their loved ones. I would also like to look at Christian religion specifically and what was accepted and done traditionally during burials, for example, the way people gather around the body and embrace it and kiss it as a last goodbye. They can no longer do those things due to social gathering restrictions and social distancing. I want to learn more about other traditions and parts of Christian burials that can no longer be done due to the pandemic and how it has affected people. My argument is that the way burials are administered and experienced have significantly changed in comparison to what is usually done as part of the faith.
Format: Historical Op-ed
Secondary Sources
1. Kotak, Yesha. “Allow Burials of Christian Covid Patients’ Bodies in All Cemeteries: Mumbai Civic Corporation.” Hindustan Times, 12 June 2020, www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/allow-burials-of-christian-covid-patients-bodies-in-all-cemeteries-bmc/story-c8UD1vJ7p4OzfYraUWpeoO.html
The first source I have is an article from a famous news source in India. It talks about how there is no space to bury bodies of Christian patients who have Covid because many people are against doing so. It talks about Christians having to be cremated even though it does not align with their religious beliefs and burying is what has to be done. It also explains what is traditionally done in comparison to what is done now which gives more insight into my research question of how burials are being administered and experienced now in comparison to traditionally accepted ways. It talks about the change in guidelines put in place by authority that have to be followed.
2. Felter, Claire, and Lindsay Maizland. “The Coronavirus Funeral: How the World Grieves in a Pandemic.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 19 May 2020, www.cfr.org/article/coronavirus-funeral-how-world-has-learned-grieve-pandemic
This source explains how globally people grieve at funerals and how burials are carried out now. This will show how people have to say our last goodbyes. Countries have limited how many people can socially gather and have contact with the dead body of a covid patient. Different countries and how they grieve now are shown which is helpful in understanding the pandemic and their religious practices. Even if the person did not have covid but passed away during the pandemic, these rules have to be followed. This will help me understand what is currently happening and how things are being done in different places in opposition to what was done in the past.
Primary Sources
1. Revised Standard Version (RSV) – Version Information – BibleGateway.com. Accessed October 13, 2020. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Revised-Standard-Version-RSV-Bible/
Most Christian religious practices, rituals, and services all originate and come from the Bible. They display and commemorate the major events and are the basis of Christianity. The Bible talks about burial services in numerous verses and its importance is seen throughout the various books such as 1 Kings, Jeremiah 14:16, and St. Matthew. The Bible in its vastness is related to my project because it talks about how burials should traditionally be held and things like who should be there and how the body is handled/ treated is also mentioned. This relates to my research question because this traditional way of doing things and how people have been doing it over centuries is different than what we are seeing now with the characteristics of burials. It allows me to compare this historically sacred, respected, and accepted way of doing things to how things have to be done now due to the current circumstance of the pandemic. My argument is that burial services have changed from what was done in history and the Bible displays this history and what was done. Crowds and families gather over the dead body of loved ones which can no longer be done the same way due to social distancing/quarantine rules.
2. Williams, David. A Liturgy on the Principles of the Christian Religion With Services for Baptism ; the Lord’s Supper ; Visitation of the Sick ; Burial of the Dead ; Prayers for a Family ; and a Collection of Psalms. London: Printed for G. Kearsly, 1774.
This primary source from 1774 also talks about how burials of the dead are typically done and should be done in Christianity. It talks about how the dead should be mourned and what people should be feeling as they are grieving and what they should do. It talks alot about the specific prayers that have to be administered. This is significant to my research and is related to my argument because my argument is that burial services have changed from what was done in history and in this shows that. There can no longer be these long prayers and the body can not be handled the way it was traditionally due to the virus spreading
3. Frayer, Lauren, Daniel Estrin, and Jane Arraf. “Coronavirus Is Changing The Rituals Of Death For Many Religions,” April 7, 2020. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/07/828317535/coronavirus-is-changing-the-rituals-of-death-for-many-religions
This primary source is a podcast giving first-hand information about how different countries are dealing with the coronavirus in relation to religious practices, mainly burials. It talks about social distancing and certain activities that you have to avoid during religious burials. It mentions the different guidelines the country has laid out in terms of burials and gatherings.What can be conducted and what can not be conducted is mentioned. This source is relevant and helps me craft my argument because it talks about how different things are now in terms of burials. Many sacred activities in Christian burials can not be followed through and administered and it talks about that in the podcast. The people that are in the podcast are from NPR and they live in these countries so they see,hear, and experience things firsthand.