Pandemic Response and Religion in the United States represents an initial archiving of online materials related to religion and the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Materials are organized by thematic category and can be searched by keywords. This database will encourage further research into religion and pandemic response. We hope that such research will in turn serve to guide policy decisions by religious organizations and governments. It will also serve as a foundation for teaching about religion and health, disaster response, and other key issues at the high school and college levels. This project was made possible by a WMU Meader Presidential Endowment Covid19 Response Grant. The project’s principle investigator (PI) is Dr. Stephen Covell and the co-PI is Dr. Diane Riggs. Data was collected by the following graduate students in the Department of Comparative Religion: Cameron Borg, Gerald Brooks, Jarrett Stalinger and Emily Warren.
Submissions from 2020
God and COVID-19, David Lawler
Mass to Resume Wednesday at Wichita Catholic Churches, with Coronavirus Precautions, Dion Lefler
Religion and Mental Health in the Age of COVID-19, Jeff Levin and Berkley Center- Georgetown University
St. Louis Black Churches Consider Ways To Keep Congregants Safe In Midst Of Coronavirus, Marissanne Lewis-Thompson
Photos of Parishioners in the Pews of GR Church, Emily Linnert
An Advent Lament in the Pandemic, Michael Luo
Mosques to Remain Closed Until Further Notice, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore)
London Coronavirus: Why the city's busiest mosque is still open for prayers, Danielle Manning
President Trump Calls to Reopen Churches: Here's how some worship centers are planning to reopen, Julia Marshall
Beating Coronavirus Requires Faith Leaders to Bridge Gap Between Religion and Science, Katherine Marshall and The Conversation
What Religion Can Offer in the Response to COVID-19, Katherine Marshall and World Politics Review
With Bird Sacrifices and Chants, Cuba's Santeria seek Protection from Coronavirus, Sarah Marsh
Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: 100,000 deaths, religion and the future of work, Michel Martin
Church of God Denomination Facing Significant COVID-19 Outbreak; leaders won't say how many infected, Wyatt Massey
On Religion: ‘Called’ to work on coronavirus front lines, Terry Mattingly and The Ukiah Daily Journal
Promoting Mental Health During and After COVID-19: Tools for faith leaders, Mayor’s Office of ThriveNYC- City of New York
COVID-19 Update, Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh Paula Brody & Family Education Center
South Koreans Mark Buddha Birthday Celebrations Amid COVID-19, Rob McBride
Jentezen Franklin, Trump Adviser and Prominent Georgia Pastor, Tests Positive for COVID-19, Emily McFarlan Miller
Quarantine and Expulsion in Early Tibet: Reflections on the Padmasambhava Legend in the Age of the Coronavirus, William A. McGrath and Society For Cultural Anthropology
Japanese Religious Responses to COVID-19: A preliminary report, Levi McLaughlin and The Asia-Pacific Journal
Buddhist Responses to COVID-19 in Japan, Levi McLaughlin and The Jivaka Project
Stuck in Nepal: Weathering the COVID-19 pandemic in a Buddhist monastery, Mark McLemore
Ahead of Trump Visit, Church Makes Unproven Claim of Virus-Killing Technology, Jennifer Medina and Kenneth Chang
With a Worsening Pandemic, California Bans Singing in Places of Worship, Alexandra Meeks
Federal Court Upholds California Ban on Church Services in COVID-19 Pandemic, Brian Melley and Desert Sun
Connection in a Time of Social Isolation: Here's what synagogue life looks like right now, Audrey Merwin
Meharry Medical College Partners with Black Churches to Expand COVID-19 Testing, Reduce Barriers, Holly Meyer
Mid America Dharma Responds to COVID-19, Mid America Dharma
Latest Status Update from MBT, Midwest Buddhist Temple
Latest Status Update From MBT, Midwest Buddhist Temple
Important Information About the Wallerstein Mikvah and COVID-19, Mikvah Emunah Society of Greater Washington
Drive-Thru Communion? Remote Consecration? COVID-19 Sparks Eucharistic Experimentation – And theological debate, Egan Millard and David Paulsen
As Depression, Anxiety, Grief Spike During Pandemic and Protest, Churches Offer Hope, Mental Health Resources, Emily McFarlan Miller
How are Religious Groups Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic?, Jenesse Miller
Guidance for Gatherings: Faith-based communities, places of worship, and ceremonies, Minnesota Department of Health
Wisconsin Muslims see Ramadan as a Time for Family Bonding, Reflection, Nusaiba Mizan
Saudi Arabia Must Suspend the Hajj: The presence of millions of pilgrims in Mecca and Medina will have lethal consequences., Ebrahim Moosa
Navajo Nation Sees Farming Renaissance During Coronavirus Pandemic, Laurel Morales
California limits church capacity to 25% for reopening, adds other restrictions, Monte Morin
Coronavirus Takes More Than Native Americans' Lives. Killing our Elderly Erases our Culture, Simon Moya-Smith
COVID-19 Restricts Africa's Ramadan Routine, Issac Mugabi
A Tokyo Temple Offers Pandemic-Hit Vietnamese Workers a Safe Haven, Sakura Murakami and The Japan Times
Will Religion Post-Covid-19 be More Personal, Less Communal?, Mohammad Alami Musa
MCC Update: Covid-19, 6/18/2020, Muslim Community Center of Chicago
Programs Which Foster Dignity and Hope in the Sacred Process of All Life- COVID-19 Update, Ann Nagle
Coronavirus In Ohio: Religious houses welcome back worshippers, Adora Namigadde
Patience, Sacrifice and Zakat: An Islamic response to coronavirus, Iqbal Nasim and Al Jazeera Media Network
NYPD Cracks Down on Another Large Jewish Funeral in Brooklyn, Stoking Tensions, NBC New York
Muslims Around The World Face A Different Kind Of Ramadan, Scott Neuman
Indigenous Americans Must Not Once Again Pay the Price for the Mistakes of Others, Bryan Newland
Religion and the COVID-19 Virus in the U.S., Frank Newport
Welcome to Myogyoji Temple, Nichiren Shoshu: Myogyoji Temple
Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Black Churches Aid Free Testing, Chris Norris and The Philadelphia Tribune
Places of Worship Try to Keep the Faith During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Courtney Norris
Wisconsin Interfaith Leaders Encourage Social, Not Spiritual Distancing During COVID-19 Pandemic, Audrey Nowakowski
This Week in Mormon Land: High hopes for missionaries, a COVID-19 warning, and more scrutiny on race, David Noyce
'We're Trying to Do All that We Can': COVID-19 upends tradition during religious holidays, Mary Jo Ola
A Look at the Lives of Priests and Women Religious Lost to the Coronavirus, Michael J. O’Loughlin
San Antonio Food Bank Benefits from Sikh Philosophy of ‘Selflessness’, Tom Orsborn
'A Dangerous Environment': As churches reopen, outbreaks sprout and some keep doors shut, Jorge L. Ortiz
Coronavirus: 'Religion helped me through lockdown', Manish Pandey
Pagan Interest Circle, Christine Patch-Lindsay and First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco
How Technology and Faith are Helping Hindus in Britain Through Covid-19, Tarun Patel
Haiti Voodoo Leaders Prepare Temples for Coronavirus Sufferers, Andre Paultre and Robenson Sanon
Ramadan: COMOG urges Muslims to seek Allah's intervention to lift COVID-19 on humanity, Peace FM Online
Religious Services and COVID-19: How the Midwest is adapting, JD Pelegrino, Leo McGrath, and Samantha Jones
COVID Wakes the Young to Prayer, Catherine Pepinster
COVID-19 Spurs Giving For Detroit’s African-American Muslim Institutions, Alisa Perkins and The Muslim Observer
Will COVID-19 Increase Religious Hostilities and Discrimination?, Marie Juul Petersen, Claire Thomas, Sajjad Hassan, and Open Global Rights
Traditions, Interrupted, Dan Peterson and Anchor FM
How COVID-19 is Changing Passover, Easter and Ramadan Observances, Shanley Pierce and Elaine Howard Ecklund
Campers Test Positive for COVID-19 After Attending Evangelical Youth Camp in Texas, Kathryn Post
Jehovah’s Witnesses move global conventions online amid COVID-19 pandemic, Kathryn Post
Televangelists, Megachurches Tied to Trump Approved for Millions in Pandemic Aid, Chris Prentice
Flouting Social Distancing Guidelines, Crowd in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar Gathers on Street to Welcome Group of Jain Monks, Press Trust of India and First Post
COVID-19 Guidance for Places of Worship and Providers of Religious Services, JB Pritzker and Ngozi O. Ezike
Lockdown: Jain monks seek easing of travel norms for Chaturmas, PTI-The Indian Express
Social Welfare and the Coronavirus Crisis: A Buddhist Perspective, Tavivat Puntarigvivat and Berkley Center-Georgetown University
Prayer and Funeral Issues Pertaining to COVID-19, Yasir Qadhi, Fiqh Council of North America, and Islamic Society of North America
Distributive Justice, Reconstructing Judaism
COVID-19 Crisis Provides Opportunities and Grace, Thomas Reese
Turkey: Attacks on churches spike as some blame Christians for COVID-19, RNS Press Release Distribution Service- Religion News Service
Stonehenge to Livestream its Summer Solstice Celebration for First Time in History, Mary Shaw Roberts
How Are Major Religions Responding to the Coronavirus?, Kali Robinson
For Churchgoers During the Covid-19 Pandemic, a Deadly Lesson From the 1918 Flu, Kristen Rogers
“Homeshuling” Under Quarantine: Fun Jewish videos for virtual learning, Rebecca Rosenthal and Stephanie Fink
How is COVID-19 Impacting Religion in America?, David H. Rosmarin and Berkley Center- Georgetown University
Children’s Minnesota Celebrates Ramadan During COVID-19, Alexandra Rothstein
What can we Learn about Religion and COVID-19 from the Epidemic of 1616? An Interview with Matthew Rowley, Matthew Rowley
She got Coronavirus at a Funeral and Died. Her Family Honored Her with a Drive-Up Service, Susanne Rust and Carolyn Cole
Buddhist Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Historical Perspective, C. Pierce Salguero
How do Buddhists Handle Coronavirus? The Answer is Not Just Meditation, Pierce Salguero and The Conversation
Sangha Nights Online- June 3 to 24, San Francisco Buddhist Center
Join in Chanting for the Well-Being and Healing of All Those Affected by the Pandemic, San Francisco Zen Center
‘Proselytizing Robots’: Inside South Korean church at outbreak’s center, Choe Sang-Hun
Religious Discrimination is Hindering the Covid-19 Response, Sonia Sarkar
Japan vs. Epidemics, Yamamoto Satomi and Japanology Plus- NHK World-Japan