October 13 — “Jesus Christ in a Bottle”: Parallelism between Christianity and Traditional Medicine in Africa
In a focus group discussion on the role of traditional medicine in the management of HIV and AIDS in Western Kenya in August 2008, a male participant described traditional medicine as “Jesus Christ in a bottle”. One month later, Bob Einterz, in a speech accepting the Indianapolis International Citizen of the Year Award on behalf of the IU-Kenya AMPATH program, said that charity and justice are the core values governing its work. This talk will explore the possible parallels between the response of Christianity and Traditional Medicine to HIV and AIDS in Africa, based on the words of these two very different persons in very different contexts.
When: Monday, October 13, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Where: IUPUI Cavanaugh Hall Room 508
Speaker: Eunice Kamaara, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Religious Studies Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya. Visiting Associate Professor, 2008-2009 Departments of Anthropology and of Religious Studies Visiting Researcher Institute for Research in Social issues School of Liberal Arts
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
It goes beyond needing to understand and accommodate traditional beliefs in countries such as Kenya. People from Kenya and a hundred other countries are moving to Central Indiana … many with different notions of health, wellness, and medicine. Challenges and opportunities for us, but it requires serious research, at the very least serious listening.
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
November 16 discussion of ideas of wellness — physical, environmental, community — that newcomers from Africa are bringing to Indianapolis.
And for your listening pleasure …
