Description
Book SynopsisThe true role of religion in the AIDS epidemic in Africa has been debated for years: some scholars and activists claim that religious groups have provided much-needed education and assistance to those afflicted with the disease, and others argue that religion has contributed to the spread and stigmatization of AIDS. Drawing upon extensive fieldwork in Malawi and survey data from 26 other sub-Saharan African countries, Jenny Trinitapoli and Alexander Weinreb provide the first comprehensive empirical account of how religious groups affect the spread of knowledge, prevention, and mitigation of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.Trinitapoli and Weinreb identify religious patterns in the infection of HIV, examine differences across religions in risk and preventive behaviors, and discuss the role of religion in the provision of assistance to the sick and their families. Their study also shows how religious groups shape social and cultural interpretations of AIDS, addressing such issues as the discou
Trade ReviewTrinitapoli and Weinreb challenge much that is holy writ for modern, Western, secular minds. For those with an interest in development or medicine, it is fascinating, and perhaps infuriating. * Michael Beasley, Theology *
Religion and AIDS in Africa is a Scholarly yet readable exploration of many of the questions key to understanding the complexity of HIV and religion in Africa ... * Ann Smith, the Tablet *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; Part One / THE BASICS ; 1. AIDS in Context ; 2. Religious Patterns ; Part Two / UNDERSTANDING AIDS ; 3. Interpreting the Epidemic ; 4. Knowledge about HIV ; Part Three / HIV PREVENTION ABC...Z ; 5. The ABCs of prevention ; 6. Beyond ABC: Local prevention strategies ; 7. Congregational Combinations ; Part Four / RESPONDING ; 8. Stigma ; 9. Safety nets ; 10. Effects of AIDS on Religion ; Conclusions ; Appendices ; Notes ; References ; Index
