The Changing Role of Religion in Societies Emerging from Covid-19

在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间，宗教的作用发生了变化，在许多社会（包括正在经历世俗化的社会）中重新具有重要意义。宗教实践和对灵性的兴趣在全球范围内有所增加，在许多国家，信仰领袖被认定为“关键工作者”，以表彰他们在埋葬死者、安慰悲伤和照顾病人方面的重要作用。虽然一些宗教团体无视封锁限制或反对疫苗，但其他宗教团体与政府和民间团体合作，以促进复原力和包容性。在单一国家背景下的初步调查结果的基础上，我们比较了“全球北方”背景下多数宗教和少数宗教角色的变化：加拿大、德国、爱尔兰/北爱尔兰（英国）和波兰；询问宗教是否或在多大程度上有助于建设更具弹性、包容性和可持续性的社会。我们比较分析了多数宗教（基督教）和少数宗教（伊斯兰教和其他宗教）在三个关键领域的作用：1)构建围绕健康、疾病和科学的话语，包括促进遵守（或不遵守）封锁限制和疫苗等公共卫生措施；2)游说和联络政府和决策者，包括宗教和宗教间团体如何为解决不平等和心理健康问题等大流行病引发的辩论作出贡献；3)将数字创新（如在线/面对面混合方法）纳入宗教实践，以及这如何影响宗教群体（城市/农村，年龄和残疾人）的平等和包容。最终，该研究将得出以下一般性结论：影响宗教行为者如何构建健康、疾病和科学问题的因素，宗教与国家之间的关系如何在大流行的背景下发生变化，以及宗教对数字世界的适应是否或如何考虑到包容性和其他伦理问题。

The role of religion has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking on renewed significance in many societies, including those experiencing secularisation. Religious practice and interest in spirituality has increased globally, and faith leaders have been identified as ‘key workers’ in many countries, in recognition of their important roles in burying the dead, comforting the grieving, and ministering to the sick. While some religious groups have defied lockdown restrictions or opposed vaccines, others have worked with governments and civic groups to promote resilience and inclusion. Building on initial findings from single-country contexts, we compare the changing role of majority and minority religions in ‘global north’ contexts: Canada, Germany, Ireland/Northern Ireland (UK), and Poland; asking whether or to what extent religions are contributing to the building of more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable societies. We comparatively analyse majority (Christian) and minority (Islam and others) religions’ roles in three key areas: 1) Constructing discourses around health, illness and science, including promoting the observance (or not) of lockdown restrictions and public health measures like vaccines; 2) Lobbying and liaising with governments and policymakers, including how religious and inter-religious groups have contributed to debates emerging from the pandemic, like addressing inequalities and mental health issues; and 3) Incorporating digital innovations like blended online/in-person approaches to religious practice, and how this is impacting equality and inclusion within religious groups (urban/rural, age, and people with disabilities). Ultimately, the study will draw general conclusions about factors that affect how religious actors frame issues of health, illness and science, how relationships between religion and the state have been transformed in the context of the pandemic, and whether or how religious adaptations to the digital world have taken account of inclusion and other ethical issues.