Original Research

Demythologising factors associated with HIV and AIDS among Pentecostals: An effective way of dealing with the epidemic in South Africa

Mookgo S. Kgatle
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 75, No 1 | a5285 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.5285 | © 2019 Mookgo S. Kgatle | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 13 October 2018 | Published: 30 September 2019

About the author(s)

Mookgo S. Kgatle, Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

The recent statistics on the prevalence of HIV and AIDS shows that the number of people living with the virus keep on increasing amidst government’s interventions to deal with the epidemic. Pentecostal churches have a potential to deal with the problem, given their theology of experience, but are hindered by some myths about the factors associated with the epidemic highlighted in this article, such as the demonisation of sex and HIV and AIDS, judgemental views, denominationalism and condemnation of condoms. Many scholars interested in the study of HIV and AIDS have researched these myths. The unique contribution that this article makes is a proposal for a strategy of demythologisation of the factors associated with the epidemic among Pentecostals. The article uses a literary analysis to discuss effective ways of dealing with the epidemic in South Africa, such as to talk openly about sex, encourage safer sex, adopt a tolerant approach, embrace a holistic view and reconstruct a theology of HIV and AIDS.

Keywords

HIV and AIDS; Pentecostals; Theology; Sex; Condoms

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Crossref Citations

1. The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: HIV/AIDS Myths and Misinformation in the Rural United States
Stacy W. Smallwood, Fayth M. Parks
Health Promotion Practice  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1177/15248399231180592