Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDS

One of the most challenging issues in dealing with HIV/AIDS is breaking through the stigmas surrounding the disease and building resilience in communities where large numbers of people are infected with and affected by the HIV pandemic. This article explores the relationship between shame, fear, gui...

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Main Author: P.J. (Flip) Buys
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: Scriber Editorial Systems 2020-04-01
Series:Koers : Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
Online Access:https://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/2464
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author P.J. (Flip) Buys
author_facet P.J. (Flip) Buys
author_sort P.J. (Flip) Buys
collection DOAJ
description One of the most challenging issues in dealing with HIV/AIDS is breaking through the stigmas surrounding the disease and building resilience in communities where large numbers of people are infected with and affected by the HIV pandemic. This article explores the relationship between shame, fear, guilt, witchcraft and HIV/AIDS stigmatization with specific reference to a rural community in South Africa. This will be done by looking at key features of the African Traditional worldview and culture. Predominant witchcraft beliefs and how it manifests in community attitudes towards PLWA as we have observed it over a period of 10 years in the KwaNdebele region will be pointed out. The influence of prevailing beliefs in witchcraft and the way it aggravates the experience of fear, shame, and suffering of stigmatization by people infected and affected by HIV will also be highlighted. Approaches to Christian HIV/AIDS counselling and intervention have to be contextualised to be culturally sensitive and relevant. At the same time, the article wants to stress that a Christian approach to HIV/AIDS intervention may be enriched and become more holistic when the aspects of the Christian Gospel dealing with God’s merciful covering of the shame of his children and Christ’s victory over and disarmament of all evil spiritual powers and authorities are believed and embraced.   https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.85.1.2464
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spelling doaj.art-5eef23ab83344d9fa906bd9301c6e51c2022-12-21T21:17:11ZafrScriber Editorial SystemsKoers : Bulletin for Christian Scholarship0023-270X2304-85572020-04-0185110.19108/KOERS.85.1.2464Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDSP.J. (Flip) Buys0School for Ecclesiastical Science, North-West UniversityOne of the most challenging issues in dealing with HIV/AIDS is breaking through the stigmas surrounding the disease and building resilience in communities where large numbers of people are infected with and affected by the HIV pandemic. This article explores the relationship between shame, fear, guilt, witchcraft and HIV/AIDS stigmatization with specific reference to a rural community in South Africa. This will be done by looking at key features of the African Traditional worldview and culture. Predominant witchcraft beliefs and how it manifests in community attitudes towards PLWA as we have observed it over a period of 10 years in the KwaNdebele region will be pointed out. The influence of prevailing beliefs in witchcraft and the way it aggravates the experience of fear, shame, and suffering of stigmatization by people infected and affected by HIV will also be highlighted. Approaches to Christian HIV/AIDS counselling and intervention have to be contextualised to be culturally sensitive and relevant. At the same time, the article wants to stress that a Christian approach to HIV/AIDS intervention may be enriched and become more holistic when the aspects of the Christian Gospel dealing with God’s merciful covering of the shame of his children and Christ’s victory over and disarmament of all evil spiritual powers and authorities are believed and embraced.   https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.85.1.2464https://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/2464
spellingShingle P.J. (Flip) Buys
Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDS
Koers : Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
title Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDS
title_full Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDS
title_fullStr Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDS
title_full_unstemmed Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDS
title_short Building resilient communities in the midst of shame, guilt, fear, witchcraft, and HIV/AIDS
title_sort building resilient communities in the midst of shame guilt fear witchcraft and hiv aids
url https://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/2464
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