This thesis seeks to outline the HIV epidemic in Nigeria and understand the response of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) to the epidemic. In evaluating the Church of Nigeria's policy document, it also seeks to understand how the response needs to be strengthened. The thesis looks at the history of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria and the impact of the epidemic on the Nigerian society. It further identifies some of the factors that contribute to the spread of HIV in Nigeria and the government's response to the epidemic. For the Church to respond appropriately to the epidemic there is a great need to start by theologizing the epidemic in a more helpful way. It is based on this that this thesis further attempts to theologize the epidemic by discussing sexuality, the notion of imago dei and shalom as well-being. The thesis examines the six thematic areas of the policy document and presents a critical analysis in which it discovers that though there are good things in the policy document, it however, needed a more solid theological foundation and employment of an educative tool that is more inclusive. Central to the argument of the thesis is that no one factor drives the epidemic, but rather a complex interaction between several factors. Therefore, to strengthen the policy document the thesis suggests a number of things to do which include a more solid theological foundation and employing of the 'SAVE' approach as an educative tool in response to the epidemic.

Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.