Dr. Russell Moore, public theologian for Christianity Today, revealed on Twitter this week that he and his family were experiencing several breakthrough cases of COVID-19, adding that his was particularly rough.
“A batch of breakthrough COVID has hit our house,” Moore tweeted Wednesday, Aug. 25. “Maria feeling ok; the older vaccinated boys were fine all along. I feel like I’ve been run over by a bulldozer. Still, that’s nothing compared to what others are experiencing around the world. Grateful.”
A batch of breakthrough COVID has hit our house. Maria feeling ok; the older vaccinated boys were fine all along. I feel like I’ve been run over by a bulldozer. Still, that’s nothing compared to what others are experiencing around the world. Grateful.
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) August 26, 2021
Moore took the opportunity to urge his followers to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they had not already done so. “The numbers are showing us: the rates of vaccinated people hospitalized is tiny,” he said. “Deaths even more so. I am glad to be vaccinated, but plead with y’all to do so too.”
Dr. Russell Moore Seems to Be Improving
By Thursday, Dr. Russell Moore’s health had declined further. “This is awful and getting worse,” he said, adding that he was even having difficulty watching shows online because he could only stay awake for two minutes at a time. “Take care of yourselves, friends, this stuff is terrible.”
This is awful and getting worse.
I’ve tried to watch some of y’all’s streaming suggestions, but since I’m awake for only two-minute intervals, I”it’s really hard to follow.
Take care of yourselves, friends, this stuff is terrible.
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) August 26, 2021
Many responded to Moore’s tweets with encouragement, prayers, and suggestions, including recommendations to try monoclonal antibody treatment. Later, Moore reported a marked improvement. “Feeling *much* better,” he said. “Thank you for your prayers.”
In an interview earlier this month, Moore said that he thought that hesitancy toward getting the vaccine was declining due to the increasing numbers of people becoming severely ill or dying. However, white evangelicals remain highly resistant to getting the shot.
RELATED: Russell Moore: Is the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Unethical?
Until recently, Moore was the president of the Southern Baptist Convention‘s (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). In May, he announced he was leaving that role to take a position at Christianity Today as public theologian and will also be the director of Christianity Today’s Public Theology Project. Moore left the Southern Baptist denomination personally as well and is now minister-in-residence at Immanuel Nashville church in Nashville, Tenn.
Less than two weeks after Moore announced his decision to leave the ERLC, an ERLC trustee leaked a letter written by Moore describing the hostility he felt from certain SBC leaders when it came to addressing the issues of race and sexual abuse within the denomination. In a second letter leaked shortly after the first, Moore elaborated on “the crisis of sexual abuse as it relates to the SBC Executive Committee (EC).”
