Religion and Public Conflict in the Post-Covid Era

The Case of Protestant Churches in South Korea

Bibliographic Data

ID3522334
AuthorsSaehwan Lee (0000-0001-7906-3714, Sogang University), Seil Oh (0000-0002-3836-6038, Sogang University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume12
Issue10
Pages851
Publication date2021-10-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel12100851
OpenAlexW3207904712
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited32

Governments have attempted to contain the COVID-19 outbreak with a variety of regulations, including social distancing, facemask mandates, or limits on gatherings. South Korea was concerned by the "supercluster" case of a sectarian religious organization in February 2020. Since then, some Protestant churches have periodically caused cluster infections showing antagonism against health authorities. First, we traced all 2020 cluster cases and identified their denominational characteristics. We then utilized the 2020 CISJD data and conducted a series of multivariate regressions to answer the research question, "What causes differences among denominations in attitudes toward public disease control and in-person service attendance?" Results indicated that Protestants affiliated with liberal churches were more likely to follow public disease control guidelines and less likely to attend in-person religious services during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared with individuals from other denominations. Protestants affiliated with moderate, conservative, and fundamentalist churches tended to share antagonism toward public disease control, while cherishing in-person community rituals. This research highlights social implications of public conflict in Korea, where many Protestant churches have emphasized the significance of traditional worship services, claiming the constitutional right of religious freedom, while the majority of citizens, religious and non-religious, disagree with such exclusive claims against public safety

Attendance · Criminology · Disease · Pandemic · Political science · Protestantism · Public health · Religious organization · Social distance · Sociology · Worship · Law · Medicine · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology