Contextual Theology and the Role of Religion in Post-Disaster Recovery: A Theological and Humanitarian Perspective

Gracie Brielle; Andrew  Delano; Grissham Grissham

doi:10.35335/ch1qjz94

Authors

Gracie Brielle Religion Department, Thiel College, United States Author
Andrew Delano Religion Department, Thiel College, United States Author
Grissham Grissham Religion Department, Thiel College, United States Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35335/ch1qjz94

Keywords:

Contextual Theology, Post-Disaster Recovery, Religion and Resilience, Faith-Based Response, Disaster Theology

Abstract

This research explores the intersection of contextual theology and the role of religion in post-disaster recovery, emphasizing how faith-based responses contribute to the physical, emotional, and spiritual rehabilitation of affected communities. Grounded in qualitative analysis and supported by case studies from recent natural and man-made disasters, the study examines how religious narratives, rituals, and institutions shape community resilience and foster hope during crises. The research highlights the adaptive nature of contextual theology, where local cultural and spiritual understandings influence theological interpretations in disaster contexts. Findings reveal that religious institutions often serve as first responders, providing not only immediate aid but also long-term psychosocial support, community cohesion, and moral direction. However, the study also addresses challenges such as exclusivity, theological fatalism, and coordination gaps with secular agencies. By offering a nuanced understanding of religion’s role in recovery, this research contributes to more holistic and inclusive disaster response models that integrate both material and spiritual dimensions of healing. It calls for deeper collaboration between faith-based and secular actors to build resilient, equitable, and compassionate recovery frameworks.

References

Barnett, M., & Stein, J. (2012). Sacred aid: Faith and humanitarianism. Oxford University Press.

Bergmann, S. (2017). God in context: A survey of contextual theology. Routledge.

Brousselle, A., Brunet‐Jailly, E., Kennedy, C., Phillips, S. D., Quigley, K., & Roberts, A. (2020). Beyond COVID‐19: Five commentaries on reimagining governance for future crises and resilience. Canadian Public Administration, 63(3), 369–408.

Chamlee-Wright, E., & Storr, V. H. (2011). Social capital as collective narratives and post-disaster community recovery. The Sociological Review, 59(2), 266–282.

Couroucli, M. (2014). Shared Sacred Places. A Companion to Mediterranean History, 378–391.

Demirel, S., Çakıcı, Z., & Bulur, N. (n.d.). Exploring Reflections of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake on X: A Computational Study on Türkiye and Syria. Akademik İncelemeler Dergisi, 20(1), 143–171.

Ebstyne King, P., & Furrow, J. L. (2008). Religion as a resource for positive youth development: religion, social capital, and moral outcomes. Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Apr, 2001, Minneapolis, MN, US; A Previous Version of This Article Was Presented at the Aforementioned Conference., 1, 34.

Gianisa, A., & Le De, L. (2018). The role of religious beliefs and practices in disaster: The case study of 2009 earthquake in Padang city, Indonesia. Disaster Prevention and Management, 27(1), 74–86.

Goldblatt, D. (2019). The age of football: The global game in the twenty-first century. Pan Macmillan.

Hiebert, P. G. (2009). The gospel in human contexts: Anthropological explorations for contemporary missions. Baker Academic.

Hollenbach, D. (2019). Humanity in crisis: Ethical and religious response to refugees. Georgetown University Press.

IKUDAISI, S. O. (2013). KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTION AND INVOLVEMENT OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN HIV/AIDS PREVENTION IN IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NIGERIA.

Joakim, E. P., & White, R. S. (2015). Exploring the impact of religious beliefs, leadership, and networks on response and recovery of disaster-affected populations: a case study from Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 30(2), 193–212.

Koenig, H. G. (2008). In the wake of disaster: Religious responses to terrorism and catastrophe. Templeton Foundation Press.

Lunn, J. (2009). The role of religion, spirituality and faith in development: A critical theory approach. Third World Quarterly, 30(5), 937–951.

MacGillivray, B. H. (2018). Beyond social capital: The norms, belief systems, and agency embedded in social networks shape resilience to climatic and geophysical hazards. Environmental Science & Policy, 89, 116–125.

Miller-Karas, E. (2015). Building resilience to trauma: The trauma and community resiliency models. Routledge.

Mulligan, M., & Nadarajah, Y. (2020). Rebuilding local communities in the wake of disaster: Social recovery in Sri Lanka and India. Routledge India.

Nahlbom, Y. (2018). Existential meaning-making in the midst of meaninglessness and suffering: Studying the function of religion and religious organizations in the reconstruction and development of existential meaning and psychosocial well-being after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis.

Nurdin, M. R. (2018). Religion and social capital: Civil society organisations in disaster recovery in Indonesia. UNSW Sydney.

Rivera, J. D., & Nickels, A. E. (2014). Social capital, community resilience, and faith‐based organizations in disaster recovery: A case study of Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 5(2), 178–211.

Sarumi, R. O., Faluyi, O. T., & Okeke-Uzodike, O. E. (2019). Transcending ethnic and religious barriers in decision-making: A case of a Muslim women civil organisation in Nigeria. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2693.

Silvestri, S., & Mayall, J. (2015). The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding.

Stern, G. (2007). Can God intervene?: How religion explains natural disasters. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Stiebert, J. (2003). Human suffering and divine abuse of power in lamentations: Reflections on forgiveness in the context of South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process. Pacifica, 16(2), 195–215.

Wong, L. P. (2008). Data analysis in qualitative research: A brief guide to using NVivo. Malaysian Family Physician: The Official Journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 3(1), 14.