"A Divine Infection": A Systematic Review on the Roles of Religious Communities During the Early Stage of COVID-19

Mikyung Lee; Heejun Lim; Merin Shobhana Xavier; Eun-Young Lee

doi:10.1007/s10943-021-01364-w

"A Divine Infection": A Systematic Review on the Roles of Religious Communities During the Early Stage of COVID-19

J Relig Health. 2022 Feb;61(1):866-919. doi: 10.1007/s10943-021-01364-w. Epub 2021 Aug 17.

Authors

Mikyung Lee¹, Heejun Lim¹, Merin Shobhana Xavier^{2

3}, Eun-Young Lee^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, KHS 307, 28 Division St, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
² School of Religion, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Gender Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
⁴ School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, KHS 307, 28 Division St, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada. eunyoung.lee@queensu.ca.
⁵ Department of Gender Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. eunyoung.lee@queensu.ca.

Abstract

The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the roles that religious communities played during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic. Seven databases were searched and a total of 58 articles in English published between February 2020 and July 2020 were included in evidence synthesis. The findings of the literature showed diverse influences of religion as a double-edged sword in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Religious communities have played detrimental and/or beneficial roles as a response to COVID-19 pandemic. A collaborative approach among religious communities, health science, and government is critical to combat COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics/epidemics.

Keywords: Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; Faith communities; Pandemic; Social determinants of health.

Publication types

Systematic Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
Pandemics*
Religion
SARS-CoV-2