ABSTRACT
Faced by a deadly coronavirus, the Zimbabwean government promulgated a citizen compulsory COVID-19 vaccination to lower the risk of infection and or to get protection against severe illness. However, reception of the new law was received with mixed feelings, especially in the context of the country’s religious topography. Using a theological perspective, this chapter explores the divisions triggered by the introduction of vaccines to Zimbabwean Christians. Relying on data from interviews and observations from selected African Independent Churches (AIC) movements, the chapter’s findings show that both hesitancy and acceptance of the vaccination programme have some religious overtones. The source of conflict is hinged on the interpretation given to the mandatory vaccination. Some Christians claimed that being forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine by the government was a violation of their religious convictions because their body is a temple, and they are commanded to keep it pure, while others conceived the vaccination exercise as morally advancing God’s work of saving people’s lives. Against this backdrop, the chapter concludes that the country’s adopted national response to the pandemic had encroached a theological territory, with uninspiring results for the church.
