Religious Leaders, Traditional Healers (Paperback)

With the rampant onslaught of HIV/AIDS pandemic, concern from various sectors of South Africa has led to the disease receiving much publicity in more than one way. Despite the vast amount of exposure and availability of HIV/AIDS information, infection rates are still souring throughout communities. In this book Hattas examines key individuals in communities that may contribute to curtailing further infection rates. The focus is on religious leaders and traditional healers experiences and responses to HIV/AIDS, in a modern community.Hattas acknowledges that these are not only influential individuals, but also teachers in their respective communities. How leaders and healers are positioned in relation to the diseases is discussed as well as how they interpret religious principles with regards to a disease that is primarily transmitted through sexual intercourse, and how they respond to, and deliberate about private issues such as sex and sexuality.This complex process is unpacked while still considering the individual contexts in which leaders and healers operates within a modern community.