Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically disrupted the usual course of doing things by which the world and individuals are accustomed, and it continues to do so as many individuals and, five years on, sectors are still reeling from the multi- faceted effects of the pandemic. It is on this account that this contribution seeks to offer the role and relevance of lament when people and communities face various forms of crises. This contribution explores how the practice of lament according to Walter Brueggemann’s theology can be understood, applied, and appropriated in difficult times like this as exemplified in Psalm 88, considered as the saddest psalm. This paper first presents the key themes of Brueggemann’s understanding of the psalms, specifically the lament psalms. Then, it explores the words and actions of the divine and the psalmist in Psalm 88 and discerns how the psalm characterizes them. Finally, some faith and praxis implications of Brueggemann’s theology of lament and Psalm 88 are drawn in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic world.
Recommended Citation
Pelayo, Maverick Angelo M.
(2025)
"“Incline Your Ear to my Cry” (Psalm 88): Walter Brueggemann’s Theology of Lament in/and the (Post)Pandemic World,"
Landas: Vol. 37:
No.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://archium.ateneo.edu/landas/vol37/iss1/6