Each generation must answer these age-old questions, guided and informed by Scripture and the wisdom of the church fathers. This is the value of this outstanding book: access to writings by Reformed theologians living, pastoring, writing, and shepherding in the midst of devastating plagues to give us guidance today. Their writings illustrate a singularly important presupposition--that neither theology nor science can proceed without an epistemology and without an understanding that this world is contingent. This is perhaps even more important in our time when effective and evidence-based mitigation measures have been put at odds with political and syncretic religious ideologies. In the context of the church, appropriate distancing, wearing a mask, and proper hygiene should not be political statements; rather they are expressions of Christian charity and love for neighbor. [Foreword, xiii]

Paradoxically, times of plague not only bring forth great suffering and death; they have also produced knowledge and wisdom as omnipresent devastation provokes humanity to seek understanding, and to find new ways to live and to care for those who suffer. [Introduction, xviii]

Plague and disease deeply shaped the ministries of pastors and the congregational life of the early modern churches. A faithful pastor in this context needed a solid theology of God's providence and the dignity of every human being, especially of the sick and the infirm; deep love of neighbor a strong commitment to the duties of pastoral vocations; and a robust Christian prudence to navigate the physical and spiritual needs of his family, congregation, and community. [Preface, xxvi]