Religious returns, ritual changes and divinations on COVID‐19

Abstract

We should hence contain predictive compulsions and take expert divination cautiously. The intensification of the future is a sign of critical times and deserves urgent research as such. Forward thinking should not become a headlong rush or an escape from an ongoing crisis that still requires our full presence, but rather should serve as a conceptual exercise to shed light on the present and anticipate political struggles over the future.

The Resistance of Social Groups: Religious Behavior Phenomena during Covid-19 Pandemic

“…The religious phenomena confirmed that within emergency condition, when science failed to prove certainty and healing, people will easily accept the interpretation, rationalization, and justification of religious leaders [7]. It confirms the position of religion as the foundation of human life, especially during the hard times.…”

“…The leader of Hindu (vegetarian) explained that the virus was Avatara, granted to restore the universal balance which was getting worse due to the increasing number of meat-eaters. Some teachers of India expressed that the virus was a collective negative karma and urged to return to a holistic and Sattvic lifestyle [7]. A priest in the US, in his speech, said that the pandemic was an extreme test of loyalty brought by the spirit of anti-Christ [4].…”

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

“…A total of 18 studies (Agley, 2020 ; Ali & Alharbi, 2020 ; Al-Rousan & Al-Najjar, 2020 ; Alzoubi et al, 2020 ; Atique & Itumalla, 2020 ; Capponi, 2020 ; Choi et al, 2020 ; Chukwuorji & Iorfa, 2020 ; Freeman et al, 2020 ; Hill et al, 2020 ; Jaja et al, 2020 ; Kang, 2020 ; Kim et al, 2020 ; Lan et al, 2020 ; Lorea, 2020 ; Mat et al, 2020 ; Shah et al, 2020 ; Wildman et al, 2020 ) have addressed religion as a cause for transmission, of which religious gatherings and practices contributed to the outbreak and spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 was predominantly spread through religious gatherings without adhering to the physical distancing recommendation.…”

Rethinking Religious Festivals in the Era of Digital Ethnography

“…The uncanny analogy between the COVID-19 crisis and the circumstances in which the festival originated in the first place made the 2020 rendition not just extremely meaningful but also necessary for the community. Especially in a time of crisis and sorrow, people tend to return to their (often previously lost) faith in the divine and to seek hope and comfort in religious and traditional practice (Lorea 2020). This seems to be further enhanced by evocative memory work and the construction of new symbols and meanings.…”