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Churches in South Africa have come under severe criticism over their delayed response to the Aids epidemic. This critique presupposes that churches missed an enormous kairos moment´ to turn around the tide of the epidemic had they not hidden their heads in the sand´ for far too long. This book unravels the brief and thrilling early history of Aids in South Africa to argue that during the 1980s ecumenical churches were ideologically, socio- culturally, and politically unprepared for the task, just like the rest of the society in South Africa by that time.

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Stephen Muoki Joshua is a PhD candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and a lecturer at Pwani University College in Kenya. He holds two Masters Degrees, in History and in Christian Religious Studies.

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