How COVID rewired religion
For churchgoers, COVID brought some big adjustments. Lockdowns and social distancing meant that many believers stayed at home — either sleeping in, or watching the service over Zoom. But a few pastors responded to the moment by seizing it. They built new churches in virtual reality. Plus: how the pandemic has shaped religious practices — for the worse, but also for the better.
Praying in VR: a documentary by Arman Aghbali
For many Christians, navigating the pandemic over the past couple of years has meant foregoing church attendance while sheltering in place. But a few pastors have built faithful followings in entirely virtual churches. Producer Arman Aghbali looked into what's keeping congregants in digital pews, for his documentary Praying in VR.
Brian Carwana calls himself The Religions Geek. He's the Executive Director of Encounter World Religions. And he says despite Canada's rich religious diversity, much of the population remains "religiously illiterate" — a condition the pandemic has simultaneously exacerbated and alleviated.