This book examines the ways in which New Zealand’s churches interpreted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s “Covid-19 Protection Framework,” which saw unvaccinated New Zealanders excluded from access to many aspects of civil life, including church attendance. The book considers the socio-political factors that contributed to a high degree of compliance with measures that Ardern herself acknowledged created “two classes of people” in a country that prides itself on being egalitarian and kind. It interrogates New Zealand’s Covid response from ethical and theological perspectives, inviting readers to listen deeply to the voices of 75 clergy and lay people whose contributions illustrate a range of responses to the Covid-19 Protection Framework and highlight that the biblical injunction to love our neighbour is not as simple as it sounds. As one contributor commented, “I did notice that people tended to have different ideas on who we should love at any point in time.” Were these measures compatible with the gospel? How did they impact on already vulnerable, disadvantaged, or marginalised communities? What are the implications of this study for Christian praxis? This book will be of interest to churches, practical and public theologians, and others who are interested in global responses to the pandemic.
