Religion, Spirituality, and COVID-19

Abstract

Abstract This chapter focuses on religion and COVID-19 health outcomes, including summarizing the accumulating literature on religion, spirituality, and COVID-19, as well as discussing pathways to inform intervention development and implementation. For example, higher levels of religious service attendance could provide more opportunities to establish social relations and receive whatever goods are produced through the social network, especially if goods come from one’s own neighborhood or across neighborhoods, but they also may increase risk of infection. Religion may contribute to higher SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality given various religious practices within specific traditions, such as the Eucharist, Communion, and other rituals, and choir singing. While religious service attendance has been the most popular indicator within the multidimensional construct of religiosity and is characterized by observable organizational aspects, COVID-19 has raised questions about the relevance of that indicator. This chapter also discusses other indicators, including private religiosity or non-organizational aspects, which are activities practiced outside the purview of spectators and includes reading scriptures or other religious texts, praying in private, and meditation. Lastly, this chapter explores the ways in which technology has played an increasingly important role in how religion is practiced (including funerals and mourning) and the implications for post-COVID-19 religious effects on health.