The past year has been one filled with trials and tribulations. The pandemic, which has been caused by the coronavirus, has changed all of our lives. Things are no longer normal, and we are not sure what the new normal will be. We have all had to cope with the changes to our lives and the sickness and death that the pandemic has caused. Many have had to deal with the loss of jobs and income. We have also had to address such issues as isolation, depression, grief, loneliness and the loss of purpose.
The pandemic has touched the lives of people around the world—people of all faiths. Our beliefs in God and of God’s presence in our lives and in our world has been challenged by our struggles. Alon Goshen-Gottstein’s book, Coronaspection: World Religious Leaders Reflect on Covid-19 (Eugene, Cascade, 2020), brings together the thoughts, reflections and ideas of various religious leaders. It is a treasure trove of religious insights.
The contents of the book are taken from thirty-nine video presentations featuring religious leaders from the world’s many faiths. Goshen-Gottstein has condensed and arranged their comments into several coronavirus topics. This style of editing offers the read a vast panorama of religious reflection on specific topics. It is informative, while at the same time being helpful and even inspirational.
Coronaspection gives the read helpful information to help him or her address the various issues and obstacles with which he or she is confronted. The book doesn’t stop there, though. It also underscores both the diversity and the unity of the world’s faiths. The various faiths of the world are not pitted against each other in a search for universal truth and the correct understanding of Covid-19. Rather, the faiths are gathered together to offer hope, comfort and the assurance of God’s presence in the midst of the pandemic.
I highly recommend this book. It is useful in addressing specific issues of the pandemic that the reader may face. It also offers a multitude of resources on which to reflect. I think it would be a great resource for group study and reflection (when such group interaction can safely take place). I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.