Suicide has always been a subject of interesting discussion, especially in African society. In many traditional African cultures people fear death by suicide. In East Africa, it is one of the strongest taboos. It is a terrible event for family and close friends (Ndosi 2006:7). It is often related to witchcraft. For example:

A child committing suicide right after passing their matric with good marks, a student committing suicide during their first year in university, a graduate committing suicide right after graduation, or a young man or woman committing suicide just after starting a new job, buying a new car or a new house, are all common suicides in African society, and are often seen as the result of witchcraft or evil spirits. While others might view this as witchcraft, some view it as stupidity or weakness of the deceased. ‘Suicidal behaviour is a global cause of death and disability. Worldwide, suicide is the fifteenth leading cause of death, accounting for 1.4% of all deaths’ (World Health Organization [WHO] 2014). Suicide is also an interesting topic of discussion among Christians. Having been in ministry for years, the researchers would often hear from fellow ministers in the congregations that they struggle with burying someone who took his or her own life. Many Christians believe that when someone takes his or her own life, they will go to hell. This originates from the very early days of Christianity when religious doctrines made it clear that suicide was a human morality and that it is against God’s will (Candela 2019:36). ‘Besides mental disorders, numerous clinical and psychological variables have been demonstrated to influence suicide’ (Klonsky, May & Saffer 2016:311).

The view of suicide as a sin dominates current Christian attitudes across various denominations in their cultural context; therefore there is an imminent need for mental health awareness in Christian communities. Whilst in psychological studies, the dominant view is that suicide is a result of mental illness, in the largest practised religion, Christianity, suicide has been considered to be a mortal sin. There seems to be an increasing interest towards mental illness. This has contributed to the current Westerners’ view on suicide; they view suicide sympathetically and interpret it as a sign of several mental sufferings (Candela 2019:37).

According to O’Connor and Nock (2014:73), the roots of suicidal behaviour are not fully understood, although many factors have been identified. O’Connor and Nock (2014:73) argued that of the many factors identified as causes leading to suicide, most of these factors do not account for the recorded suicides worldwide. ‘This means that a great deal of research has focused on individualistic or isolated factors of suicide, failing to adopt a holistic view when understanding its aetiology’ (Rontiris 2014:11). According to WHO (2014), drawing attention to the importance of sociocultural and contextual factors in the aetiology of suicidal behaviour is important, particularly in light of growing rates of suicide globally and the hitherto limited effectiveness of biometrically orientated approaches to suicide prevention. There is now burgeoning literature describing diverse contexts in which suicidal behaviour occurs (Adinkrah 2012:477). The research done on suicide and mental health has found that more than 90% of people who committed suicide suffered from a psychiatric disorder before their death. To affirm this, Bertolote and Fleischmann (2002:83) found that over 90% of individuals who die by suicide have mental disorders. However, it is also true that the overwhelming majority, more than 98%, of individuals with mental disorders do not commit suicide.

Suicidal behaviour is a complex phenomenon, and therefore the risk factors and causes are multifactorial as well as multidimensional (Schlebusch 2005:62). Several factors can be playing a significant role in contributing to suicidal behaviour. Goldsmith et al. (2002:ix) argued that the study of suicide is a challenging one, resulting from the nature of suicide itself, the research practices common to the field over the past several decades, and the complicated cultural meaning of suicide. As explained by Barry (1995:497), historically those who committed suicide could not be buried in Catholic cemeteries. The Catholic Church believed that:

In South Africa, a soldier in the military who commits suicide is not given military funeral honours. The traditional Christian teachings’ view on suicide is that it is a grave crime and sin (McDonald 2013:1938). It was widely believed that the mentally ill were either the result of being bewitched or possessed by the devil, and therefore were considered as less than human (Candela 2019:37). Teaching on suicide does not appear in the Bible; though, there are several examples of individuals committing suicide, such as Judas, King Saul, and Samson. However, suicide was not officially labelled an unforgivable sin until St. Augustine determined that it violated the fifth commandment: God’s command ‘Thou shalt not kill’, is to be taken as forbidding self-destruction, especially as it does not add ‘thy neighbour’, as it does when it forbids false witness, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour’ (Dods 1950:45). In the past, the topic of suicide was taboo, and anyone who committed suicide was punished through an improper burial. However, it was only during the 21st century that people began to openly talk about suicide; this increased awareness around suicides and helped in preventing future suicides (Candela 2019:38). This study is relevant for both the Christian as well as the psychological community in creating awareness around mental health and suicide.

According to Van Huyssteen (2007), as theologians:

Because of the complexity of suicide, an interdisciplinary perspective is required for this research as well as clinical pastoral care. It opens our eyes to an epistemic obligation that points beyond the boundaries of our discipline, local communities, groups or cultures, towards plausible forms of interdisciplinary dialogue (Müller 2011:34). Research has shown that spirituality, generally, has a positive inflence on people’s well-being it can have a potential protective effect against suicidal behaviour (Colucci & Wagani 2018:2). Therefore, there is a strong link between Christian spirituality, health and psychological well-being.

A study such as this would have a great impact if it was a qualitative study. Mason (2002) suggests that:

This study in the future should consider a focus group that consists of ministers of the world and clinical/counselling psychologists to have a dialogue on suicide as a result of mental illness and suicide as a sin and ticket to hell. According to Richards (2014:33), creating qualitative data is extremely easy; the challenge is collecting useful and valuable data. Braun and Clarke (2006:78) argued that the first qualitative method that should be learned is conducting a different kind of analysis because it can be used for different kinds of data.

According to Krahn and Putnam (2003:177), qualitative research methods are important in social scientist research repertoire. They (2003:177) further argue that qualitative methods can provide a means to develop a context-rich description and understanding of phenomena when practiced skilfully (Krahn & Putnam 2003:177). In theology, Osmer’s (2018) four core tasks of practical theology are often used to do qualitative research, namely:

House (1991:3) argued that the choice of method is influenced by the purpose of the research, rather than on the epistemological assumptions about how to obtain valid knowledge. House (1991:3) further argued that it becomes possible to combine different methods to gain diverse forms of knowledge that can provide complementary insight. For Yardley and Marks (2003) for the, ‘basic understanding of the experience of health and illness, qualitative methods are generally most suitable for inquiring into subjective meanings and their social-cultural context’. Yardley and Marks (2003) argued that qualitative methods are not causes or mechanisms that can be scientifically proven, but malleable, negotiable interpretations that people offer themselves and others to make sense of their feelings and actions.

The research methodology for this current study will involve a study of literature to create a dialogue between Christianity and psychology.

For Anderson, Jané-Llopis and Cooper (2001:353), ‘practical theology is a dynamic process of reflective, critical inquiry into the praxis of the church in the world’. The authors are trained primarily in practical theology which is known for its fluidity and dynamics which enables it to move eloquently between various fields of study (Müller 2013:1). In this regard, practical theology is a field of study that prides itself on taking human experiences seriously. In addition, clergy are trained in religious theology, which almost allows them to be de facto social psychologists (Suicide Prevention Resource Centre [SPRC] 2009). However:

According to Izadinia et al. (2010:1615), suicide is a disturbingly serious problem, it is known all over the world as a fundamental general health problem. Research has suggested that 60% to 90% of suicide victims have a diagnosable mental illness and/or substance use disorder. People whose act of suicide appears to be triggered by a particular event often have significant underlying mental health issues that may not be readily evident, even to family and friends (Toolkit 2017:207). According to Heywood (2021:5), there are an estimated 23 suicides per day in South Africa, and for every one of them, there are at least 20 attempted suicides. Men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women. During a broadcast (The South African Broadcasting Cooperation [SABC] 2020), the Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced that 1781 suicide-related deaths occurred under lockdown between 27 March and 27 July 2020. Additionally, according to the SABC worldwide statistics, depression as a result of COVID-19 has affected more than 300 million people, as the pandemic has induced a lot of anxiety.

Socioeconomic pressures in South Africa is high. High crime and violence rates, and a long history of human rights violations can cause high levels of stress on individuals, and such stresses can trigger actions or suicidal thoughts (Rontiris 2014:17). In fact, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (APA DSM-5), the level of stress resulting from the suicide of a loved one is rated as ‘catastrophic’ – equivalent to that of a concentration camp experience. Furthermore, a belief in God may entail a variety of sub-beliefs. For example, some Christians may believe that suicide is a sin and that they will be punished after death. Others may believe that God will understand their situation and graciously forgive them (Lester 2017:6). According to Rontiris (2014:22), it is clear that religion can be seen as one of the protective factors for suicidal behaviour. This is because of the expectations that comes with the religious belief to live up to the standards of their faith (Rontiris 2014:22).

Religious beliefs can be a contributing factor to individuals’ suicidal behaviour; devotion to a religion sometimes prompts disapproval or rejection of others with different beliefs. Colucci and Martin (2008:234) argued that when religion does not accept people for who and what they are in terms of lifestyle or beliefs, this can lead to poor psychosocial adjustment for individuals. For example, many religions are outspoken about their stance against homosexuality and see it as a sin and as unacceptable. In religious spaces, homosexual individuals face challenges from their peers about their sexuality as their identities are multifaceted and complex, this can lead to low self-esteem and might lead to depression (Page, Lindahl & Malik 2013:7). Therefore, religion can be detrimental to individuals when it becomes a source of conflict for people.

This study has demonstrated the importance of a dialogue between Christianity and psychology about the understanding of suicide. Suicide is a major problem worldwide that is not fully understood by researchers (Candela 2019):

Further in-depth research on similar studies would make an invaluable contribution to theology and psychology. Finally, in the 21st century, people talk openly about suicide, this raises awareness and helps prevent future suicides. We have found that the perspective of suicide as sin has changed in religious spaces as compared to the early historical view of theology on suicide. This article found that a dialogue on suicide between Christianity and psychology is important. The majority of people living in South Africa belong to the Christian view and their faith plays an important role in how they view suicide. The two disciplines would have a huge impact on suicide awareness in the community and the lives of many. Christians in their spaces should facilitate workshops to teach church members about understanding and reading signs of suicide and how to respond to suicide cases. Professional psychologists and social workers are needed to address suicide risks and depression.