An Exploration for the Post-Pandemic Period of the Religious Lives of Individuals in Turkey Who Had Severe COVID-19 and Death Anxiety

Abstract

Religion has emerged as a strong coping mechanism that has been employed by many people around the world during the chaotic atmosphere of the pandemic, and numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between religion and COVID-19. However, there is need for more studies examining how COVID-19 and death anxiety impacted individuals’ religious lives in the post-COVID-19 period. This phenomenological investigation examines the post-Covid-19 effects on the religious lives of individuals in Turkey who experienced severe Covid-19 and fear of death. The analyses of the research revealed that experiencing severe COVID-19 and death anxiety seem to contribute to strengthen religious commitments among the participants. According to research analyses, due to the severe COVID-19 and death anxiety, the participants reported that they (a) had a better understanding of human helplessness and the power of God, have tended to deepen their religious commitments; (b) gained a more robust understanding of the transient and mortal nature of the world; and (c) experienced a fear of dying as a sinner and considered the rest of their lives as a second chance given by God. All three of these factors appear to contribute to the involvement of religion in participants' lives in the post-COVID-19 period.