An Anglican ethic for the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have changed daily life tremendously. Many are uncertain how to respond due to conflicting advice from authorities, and the practical difficulties inherent in protecting human health while sustaining the economy. The Anglican tradition offers a moral framework, practical principles, and a method of public engagement to address the challenges of COVID-19. Kenneth Kirk provides a framework of virtue and spiritual practices and a method of moral reasoning that resolves problems of conscience. William Temple develops principles of love, justice, human dignity, the common good, and the preferential option for the vulnerable that can be applied to concrete cases. Nigel Biggar and Pauli Murray show how to engage the public from an Anglican perspective to spark conversations and create structures that address the pandemic. The result is flexible guidance that can be tailored to the needs of particular persons and communities.