Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The region of Puerto Rico suffered great loss after Hurricane María hit the island in September of 2017. When relief efforts failed to come from the outside, the churches formed an interfaith alliance that was the catalyst for disaster relief throughout much of the island. Damage was so extensive that these efforts have continued even more than a year after the hurricane struck. Religion has been shown to provide a forward focus, beyond one’s current circumstances and, thus, create an empowering and unifying function. Various studies have demonstrated a correlation between religion and positive coping and resiliency following stressful or traumatic events, some even demonstrating posttraumatic growth. This understanding has informed the scientific study of religion in dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster, an emerging and growing field of inquiry. This paper will present the findings of a preliminary survey for a study that seeks to investigate how religion has influenced the spiritual and emotional care of the people of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.