The present global pandemic alters people’s lives in a wide range of ways. It also alters the religious landscape in novel and unpredictable manners. One key characteristic of almost all religious practices and traditions is, as Baker et al. underline, the centrality of face-to-face gatherings (Baker et al. 2020). Given the need for social distancing, the pandemic might be a trigger for an increased need for religious traditions; on the other hand, the pandemic causes significant changes to these traditions (Baker et al. 2020, Rafoss 2019, 2020). The number of research initiatives addressing religion related to COVID-19 is still relatively modest. The purpose of this project is to investigate how religious institutions, congregations and individuals in the Nordic region have been affected by the social changes brought about by the COVID-19 regulations. Analytical themes regarding religious rituals and community will be primary, but methodological issues will also be on the agenda because conducting research in an age of social distancing calls for methodological rethinking and innovation. Our thematic design ties to three cross-cutting research clusters: democracy, governance and law; multiculturalism and globalization; and Nordic culture and media.
