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
Racism, Intolerance, and the Coronavirus, Engy Abdelkader
COVID-19 and Islamic Burial Laws: Safeguarding dignity of the dead, Ahmed Al-Dawoody and Oran Finegan
Amid Coronavirus, Governor Whitmer Must Close Dangerous House of Worship Loophole, American Atheists
Americans United For Separation of Church and State Letter to Governor Whitmer, Americans United
Ohio Churches, Houses of Worship Begin to Reopen After Trump Declared Them Essential Services, Natasha Anderson
A Joint Statement: Gender, faith, and COVID-19, Anglican Communion, ACT Alliance, Islamic Relief Worldwide, World Council of Churches, Side By Side, act, The Girls Brigade, We Will Speak Out, Christian Aid, United Society Partners in the Gospel, DCA, and Presbyterian Women Aotearoa New Zealand
Anglican Communion Calls for COVID-19 Responses to Tackle Gender Inequalities, Anglican Communion and Episcopal News Service
Where is Justice? Islam, Equality, and COVID-19, Hossein Askari and Berkley Center-Georgetown University
Aftermath and Flourishing? The Role of Religion in a Post-Pandemic Public Square, Chris Baker and Berkley Center-Georgetown University
Berkley Center-Content related to economics, Berkley Center-Georgetown University
Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social welfare, Berkley Center-Georgetown University
Seeing Ourselves in the Face of Others: Environmental Racism and COVID-19 | Faith in Place, Elena Bettis
Playing God: Pandemic Brings Moral Dilemmas to US Hospitals, Kara Bettis
Revelations from the Outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Shan Ci
It Won’t Be That Hard to Get People to Accept the Mark of the Beast, David W. Daniels
On Religion: Will the church survive COVID-19?, Dane Davis and Daily Press
The Pandemic and the Will of God, Ross Douthat
It’s Hard to Close Black Churches amid COVID-19, Elaine Howard Ecklund and Deidra Carroll Coleman
The Kano COVID-19 Deaths: Forced relocations and disinformation creates widespread confusion (Part II), Nwachukwu Egbunike and Global Voices
The Kano COVID-19 Deaths: Stories untold (Part I), Nwachukwu Egbunike and Global Voices
Here’s What the Science Says About the Links Between Religion and Health, Erica Evans
WMU Researchers Creating National Database of Religious Response to COVID-19, Erin Flynn
Beyond Catastrophe, Jay Garfield and The Institute of Art and Ideas
In India, Coronavirus Fans Religious Hatred, Jeffery Gettleman, Kai Schultz, and Suhasini Raj
Religion During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Islamic bioethical perspectives, Mohammed Ghaly and The Hastings Institute
NIH Director Tells Churches To Do The 'Altruistic, Loving Thing' And Stay Closed, Tom Gjelten
Faith in a Time of Crisis, Bryan Goodman
The Right to Worship: Church and state clash over religious services in the coronavirus era, Laura Hancock
WMU Team Creates National Database to Document How Religious Groups are Handling COVID-19, Tarvarious Haywood
: Religious Leaders Must Not Be Tempted to Jump on the Reopening Bandwagon, H A. Hellyer
A ‘Breakdown of Trust’: Pandemic Corrodes Church-State Ties in Russia, Andrew Higgins
The Dalai Lama on the Coronavirus, Donald Trump, and "Old Thinking" in America, Ramy Inocencio
Russian Orthodox Church Defrocks Coronavirus-Denying Monk, Vladimir Isachenkov and Time
On the Pandemic: A Buddhist approach to pandemic grocery shopping, Christine Ji
North Suburban Mosques Observe Ramadan Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Johnson, Steve Schering, and Chicago Tribune
Is it Safe for Patients With COVID-19 to Fast in Ramadan?, Asli Kalin, Ammad Mahmood, Salman Waqar, Asim Yusuf, Nazim Ghouri, Naveed Sattar, and Tahseen Chowdhury
Muslim Groups Join Forces to Raise $500,000 for Coronavirus Relief Grants, Aysha Khan
Did the Quran Mention COVID-19 Pandemic? Medical and Sanitary Prophylaxis of this Disease, T. Khenenou, S. Laabed, O. Laabed, and Journal of Medical Biomedical and Applied Sciences
The right to worship: Church and state clash over religious services in the coronavirus era, Mansee Khurana
The Bodhisattva Response to Coronavirus, Jack Kornfield
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich Urges 'a New Sense of Solidarity' in face of COVID-19 pandemic, Alan Krashesky and Ross Weidner
Ethics and Religion Talk: Addressing fears in the COVID-19 crisis, David J.B. Krishef and The Rapidian
Ethics and Religion Talk: Addressing fears in the COVID-19, crisis, part 2, David J.B. Krishef and The Rapidian
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
Forced Closing of Houses of Worship During the Coronavirus: Both legal and right, Sanford V. Levison, Eric J. Segall, and American Constitution Society
Plague and Punishment: When religion sided with science as a lesson for enduring COVID-19, Phillip I. Lieberman, Milwaukee Independent, and The Conversation
London Coronavirus: Why the city's busiest mosque is still open for prayers, Danielle Manning
Beating Coronavirus Requires Faith Leaders to Bridge Gap Between Religion and Science, Katherine Marshall and The Conversation
Jentezen Franklin, Trump Adviser and Prominent Georgia Pastor, Tests Positive for COVID-19, Emily McFarlan Miller
Buddhist Responses to COVID-19 in Japan, Levi McLaughlin and The Jivaka Project
With a Worsening Pandemic, California Bans Singing in Places of Worship, Alexandra Meeks
Some of the Most Visible Christians in America Are Failing the Coronavirus Test, Johnathan Merritt
Mid America Dharma Responds to COVID-19, Mid America Dharma
Drive-Thru Communion? Remote Consecration? COVID-19 Sparks Eucharistic Experimentation – And theological debate, Egan Millard and David Paulsen
Priests Defeated in Lawsuit to Delay Executions During Covid-19, Megan Mineiro
Religion as a Health Promoter During the 2019/2020 COVID Outbreak: View from Detroit, Stephen M. Modell and Sharon L.R. Kardia
God Doesn’t Want Us to Sacrifice the Old, Russell Moore and The New York Times
Saudi Arabia Must Suspend the Hajj: The presence of millions of pilgrims in Mecca and Medina will have lethal consequences., Ebrahim Moosa
Wisconsin Interfaith Leaders Encourage Social, Not Spiritual Distancing During COVID-19 Pandemic, Audrey Nowakowski
'A Dangerous Environment': As churches reopen, outbreaks sprout and some keep doors shut, Jorge L. Ortiz
Traditions, Interrupted, Dan Peterson and Anchor FM
Toward a Religious Ethic of Social Equity Through Maximum Productivity in a Post-Pandemic Era, Carl Raschke and Berkley Center-Georgetown University
Distributive Justice, Reconstructing Judaism
For Churchgoers During the Covid-19 Pandemic, a Deadly Lesson From the 1918 Flu, Kristen Rogers
What can we Learn about Religion and COVID-19 from the Epidemic of 1616? An Interview with Matthew Rowley, Matthew Rowley
It’s Okay to be Doing Okay During the Pandemic, Sigal Samuel
Religious Discrimination is Hindering the Covid-19 Response, Sonia Sarkar
Japan vs. Epidemics, Yamamoto Satomi and Japanology Plus- NHK World-Japan
Poll: Most in U.S. back curbing in-person worship amid coronavirus, Elana Schor, Emily Swanson, and The Denver Post
Area Megachurch Holds Sunday Services Despite Coronavirus Concerns, Eric Schwartzberg
How Coronavirus is Leading to a Religious Revival, Sebastian Shehadi and Miriam Partington
17 FAQs for Houses of Worship Considering Reopening Amid the Coronavirus Crisis, Maggie Siddiqi, Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Maura Calsyn, Thomas Waldrop, and Samantha Behar
Impact of Covid-19 on Religion and Beyond, Rajkumar Singh and The Geopolitics
Congregations, Other Faith Groups Receive Millions in Federal Aid, Peter Smith
Buddhist Teachings, Wisdom, and Practices for the Coronavirus Era, Lion's Roar Staff
Reasonable Restrictions do not Resemble Religious Persecution, The Rhode Island Catholic
We Joined a Ramadan Celebration in Animal Crossing, Dexter Thomas
Closing Mosques – Islamic Justifications for Coronavirus Lockdowns, Sajid Umar and Islam 21C
Vatican OKs Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines, Even If Research Involved Fetal Tissue, Laurel Wamsley
Vatican Cardinal in Row Over Claim that Virus Hurts Religion, Nicole Winfield
Pamela Winfield: A meditation on Buddhism in the time of pandemic, Pamela D. Winfield
Church tied to Oregon's largest coronavirus outbreak, superspreading, Aylin Woodward
Religious Anti-Masker Commands ‘Demon’ to Leave Store Aisle ‘In Jesus Christ’s Name’, Meaghan Wray
Religion Can Help Tackle Covid, Meeting Told, Tim Wyatt