Being Neighbor in the Coming Pandemic Crisis:

Thinking with Luther in the 21st Century

Abstract

This article addresses the contemporary context of global pandemic with special reference to research from Harvard University. The author explores the vocation of Christian neighborliness based on the writings of Martin Luther during the “Black Death†in Germany, which struck Wittenberg in 1527. Luther claimed that forsaking the office of neighbor is the very definition of a tyrant. The article concludes with reflections on the significance of this case study for reimagining neighborliness in our time.