#223 Religious Engagement Through and Beyond COVID-19; Religious Tourism; Spirituality

Religious actors’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are often part of (and can lead to) more sustained, structural work to tackle inequalities. For example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America provided support to local communities in 45 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from their engagements in Brazil, India, and Sierra Leone highlights how they focused not only on providing emergency relief, but also on building more long-term solutions to address structural injustices. In India, the Center for Social Impact and Philanthropy published a report showing that religious beliefs triggered more donations than other actors focusing on humanitarian crises in 2020 and 2021. “Religious organizations” received 64% of all donations, compared to “family and friends” (9%), “non-religious organizations” (5%), and “household staff” (4%). Focusing on Lucknow, in the Uttar Pradesh region, an academic article illustrates the work done by faith-based organizations during the pandemic to support people in need, including low-wage and migrant workers.

Evidence illustrating this type of faith-based support can break down barriers and lead to more effective and sustained partnerships between religious organizations and other actors. In the United Kingdom, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society commissioned the Keeping the Faith 2.0 report. The document shows that the work of faith communities during the pandemic, such as food distributions during lockdowns, resulted in a positive change in how local councils see religious actors. This, in turn, is set to facilitate increased and more long-term collaboration, for instance in response to the energy crisis that is foreseen for the coming winter.  

In some contexts, religious activities are resuming with new impetus. For example, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece, pilgrimage and religious tourism along the “St. Paul’s Route” gained renewed attention after COVID-19-related restrictions were lifted. The route is increasingly popular among Greek Orthodox communities and could provide opportunities for faith-oriented tourism to further develop while still safeguarding public health and traditional religious practices.

More nuanced evidence on the role of spirituality versus religiosity in coping with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is emerging. A recent study explores the role of Jewish spirituality, a growing but under-researched phenomenon, in enhancing subjective well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from Israel shows, for instance, that religious and non-religious participants who had a high level of spirituality could cope better with the idea of the inevitability of death.