Religion and HIV and AIDS: Charting the Terrain

This book explores the interface between HIV, AIDS and religion and makes a significant contribution to a growing body of scholarship that recognises the importance of religious engagement with the reality of HIV and AIDS. In many communities, the spiritual narrative is far more compelling than its bio-medical equivalent, making interdisciplinary collaboration crucial. The project that gave birth to this book brought together scholars from the fields of religion and theology and activists from local communities. Its content captures the collaborative character of the book and each chapter is accompanied by a practitioner response. Existing scholarly literature was analysed and interrogated in the context of local community knowledge. The task was to understand what work has been done; and to discern what remains to be done. The book has a strong African focus with local forms of Christianity and Islam featuring prominently.