Religion and AIDs in Africa by Jenny Trinitapoli and Alexander Weinreb (review)

It is no easy task to blend demographic and anthropological approaches on topics related to contemporary Africa. Almost inevitably, those on either side of the spectrum walk away feeling dissatisfied that either generalizable breadth or descriptive depth has been compromised. In the case of Religion and AIDS in Africa, however, with its clear-cut aim to provide the best empirical assessment of an imminently important topic, the blending works. Trinitapoli and Weinreb have done something unique by combining broad scope, sensitivity to the complexity of both religion and HIV/AIDS, reasoned assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of different types of data, and a humane awareness of the challenges involved when researching suffering and uncertainty.

Although they don’t reference it directly, I sensed the influence of the “lived religion” approach as they addressed the nuances of the relationship between agenda-setters and those in the pews, as well as the fuzziness of the line between “clergy” and “laypeople.” Unlike many, if not most, demographic studies of HIV/AIDS, this one is based on a sophisticated concept of religion and its multidimensionality. The authors present much more than regressions of key outcomes by religious tradition or subgroup, in particular focusing on the importance of religious context and intensity of personal religious involvement. Thus, they can conclude that in terms of HIV risk, “it matters much less whether someone is Protestant, Catholic, or Muslim than how religious they are, how religious is the setting in which they live, and the characteristics of the congregation which they attend” (204). They also provide a fascinating discussion of how religious leaders discuss, conceptualize, and disagree about the ultimate spiritual meaning of the epidemic. What these leaders generally share in terms of sacred texts and moral principles is nevertheless applied to quite diverse conclusions about God, sin, and AIDS.

At the same time, the book is not directed only to readers who are interested in religion qua religion. Some of its strongest passages deal with the problems of aggregate data in trying to explain variation in HIV prevalence, the relationship between individuals and their moral contexts, the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes in how those affected interpret the epidemic, and the tensions that arise through the conflicting motivations of various stakeholders. The book’s discussion of locally arising prevention strategies such as the promotion of divorce is a case in point. Although divorce has never had the visibility of abstinence or condoms within the prevention doctrine, it makes sense and fits within a religious worldview to promote divorce as a sanction against a partner’s infidelity. Trinitapoli and Weinreb find fairly widespread support for divorcing an unfaithful partner, and note that incidences of divorce seem to have increased alongside the spread of the epidemic, at least in Malawi.

One aspect that readers may find unsatisfying is the relatively limited attention given to pre-Christian and pre-Islamic traditions of religion and spiritual philosophy. The authors mention beliefs about ancestor involvement in daily life and the use of amulets and charms to ward off infection, for example, but in most cases such beliefs and practices are described in an offhand way that runs the risk of homogenizing African traditional religion. It is true that to address this more directly would embroil them in many ongoing debates about what African traditions across the continent do and do not share, and about their current status in the minds and hearts of contemporary African communities. Nevertheless, I kept hoping for more in-depth treatment of the ways in which Christianity and Islam have been integrated and interpreted through the lens of precolonial religious traditions. After all, it was not that long ago that Christianity and Islam were minority religions; and in some countries, like Benin or Burkina Faso, local religions still provide a primary identity for many and have wide-ranging influence on daily life for many others. As...