The body complex : (con)spirituality, wellness and COVID-19 in Australia

Anna Halafoff, Ruth Fitzpatrick, Cristina Rocha

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperChapter

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The spread of conspiracy theories and associated vaccine rejection within the wellness industry and spiritual communities during the COVID-19 pandemic attracted significant media and scholarly attention. Informed by the '(Con)spirituality, Science and COVID-19 in Australia' project (2020-2021) (Halafoff, Marriott, et al., 2022; Halafoff, Weng, et al., 2022; Roginski & Rocha, 2022), funded by the Templeton Religion Trust and awarded via the International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society (INSBS), this chapter reports on findings pertaining to holistic spirituality, purity doctrines and wellness, arising from a parallel pilot study on 'Spirituality and Wellness (SWell) in Australia' (2021). Both studies have revealed a 'spiritual complexity' in Australia and internationally, and the authors report on this here, focussed particularly on spirituality's quest for pristine bodies, and on spiritual 'moral communities' (Ganga Kieffer, 2023) exceptionalism and relationality.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationResearching Contemporary Wellness Cultures
EditorsNaomi Smith, Clare Southerton, Marianne Clark
Place of PublicationU.K.
PublisherEmerald Publishing
Pages15-32
Number of pages18
ISBN (Electronic)9781804555842
ISBN (Print)9781804555859
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Jul 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by Anna Halafoff, Ruth Fitzpatrick and Cristina Rocha. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Australia
  • Bodies
  • Conspirtuality
  • COVID-19
  • Spirituality
  • Wellness

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