Preview of Rijk van Dijk's inaugural address as a Professor of Religion and Sexuality in Africa at the UvA

On the occasion of his appointment as a Professor of Religion and Sexuality in Africa at the University of Amsterdam, ASC researcher Rijk van Dijk will give his inaugural address 'Faith in Romance. Toward an Anthropology of Romantic Relationships, Sexuality and Responsibility in African Christianities' at the University of Amsterdam on Wednesday 24 June.

Here, Van Dijk gives a preview of his address:

Aids necessitates behavioral change
‘When the Aids epidemic was at its highpoint in African countries in the mid-90s, governments, NGOs but also Faith-based organisations did their utmost to turn the tide. For instance, the Botswana Christian Aids Intervention Programme (BOCAIP) made a huge effort, while receiving large international funds to do so. In those days, medical treatment wasn’t possible yet. So also the Faith-based organisations created local centres where people could be tested on HIV and where they received counselling. Behavioral change was deemed necessary.’

Openness about one’s private life
'Behavioral change requires a personal plan. To be able to make a personal plan, these organisations required HIV infected people to be open about their private life. In order to teach people that they should deal responsibly with sexuality, they encouraged people to talk about their relationships, about their sexuality, about their partners. Religious groups started to propagate this openness as well. It meant a change in their discourse, not only promoting strict dogmas in their religious messages any more, but also pleading for openness about one’s intimate life. When treatment became available in the form of antiretrovirals, some fifteen years ago, behavioral change still remained important. Sexuality had become something problematic in the way it had become “medical”. Within that process, the religious discourse medicalized as well.’

Propagating romance in the religious discourse
'However, recently I have seen a change in the discourse of modern religious groups, such as the Pentecostal churches. Relationships are not only being problematized or medicalized any longer; people are strongly encouraged to also invest in their romantic and emotional qualities. I see this among young generations in particular. Romantic notions have entered this religious discourse, and religious groups shape the romantic discourse at the same time. I want to investigate this development further. It’s interesting to see that especially Pentecostalism has started to embrace romance. However, the embrace does have its limits, apparently: many Pentecostal churches very much oppose same sex relationships.’

Fenneken Veldkamp