Encountering Christ through the Passion of HIV An inquiry into the theological meaning of HIV in the Church Vincent Manning St. Marys University, Twickenham A thesis submitted to the University of Surrey for the award of Doctor of Philosophy June 2019 © Vincent Manning 2019 DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY Students are reminded that the work that they submit for assessment must be their own. Please read the following statements and sign and date at the bottom of this form to show that you have complied: 1. This thesis and the work to which it refers are the results of your own efforts. Any ideas, data or text resulting from the work of others (whether published or unpublished) are fully identified as such within the work and attributed to the originator in the text, bibliography or footnotes. 2. This thesis has not been submitted in whole or in part for any other academic degree or professional qualification at this or any other institution. 3. 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Vincent Manning 14th June 2019 1 University of Surrey Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Vincent Manning (St. Marys University, Twickenham) June 2019 Abstract Encountering Christ through the Passion of HIV: An inquiry into the theological meaning of HIV in the Church This thesis argues that living with HIV today can be understood theologically as a type of ‘passion experience’. Ten Christian women and men diagnosed with HIV in England have been interviewed. A close reading of their accounts of Christian life and faith will reveal similarities between their experience and that of Jesus and His disciples during the time from Gethsemane to the Resurrection. I will argue that living with HIV can be interpreted as a type of privileged encounter with Christ in His Passion. The study is structured as a series of encounters with HIV in two parts. In each chapter, in distinct ways, aspects of the phenomenon of HIV are examined. Part I justifies this research, explains why it is needed, and sets out in detail the methodological approach I have taken so that fresh insights and a deeper understanding of what it means to say that ‘the body of Christ is living with HIV today’ is revealed. I argue that the situation of people living with HIV today is misunderstood. Consequently, their pastoral and spiritual needs are not addressed within the Church. This situation arises because most people think that an HIV diagnosis is no longer as problematic as it once was. I will argue for the importance of memory and set out the historical context of HIV and Aids in both society (chapter one) and in the Church (chapter two) and provide a description of the contemporary reality of living with HIV in this country today. To understand the experience of living with HIV as described by my principle subjects, it is necessary to remember the disruptive force of HIV in both society and the Church and have an accurate description of the present reality. As I will argue, understanding or misunderstanding the past directly effects how HIV and those who live with HIV are encountered. My interviews with eight theologian-practitioners in chapter four will map the theological terrain of HIV. I argue that the significance of HIV is yet to be fully explored and remains potentially disruptive both within the Church and for academic theology. The value of personal encounters with HIV for these theologians will be evidenced. Having contextualised this study socially and theologically, the reader will encounter my principle research participants in their own words in chapter five. I will argue that what HIV means theologically cannot be apprehended with-out vulnerable encounter. Part II presents the main theological argument. An HIV diagnosis will be revealed as a type of gethsemane experience. I will show how my participants have undergone the passion of HIV and the scandal of the cross, and how they have made faith-sense of HIV. I argue that healing and strengthening are needed to carry the cross of HIV as disciples of Christ. Finally, I will argue that insofar as these sisters and brothers remain excluded and neglected, the whole body of Christ is diminished. 2 Contents Declaration………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Contents…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Acronyms, abbreviations and specialist terms……………………………………………. 9 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………. 11 Introduction_____________________________________ Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12 Personal encounters with HIV in the body of Christ……………………………………. 13 Pastoral ministry………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Motivation and aims of this study………………………………………………………………. 19 Theological content, approach and boundaries of this study……………………… 22 Underground theology………………………………………………………………………………. 25 Experience, encounter and the body of Christ living with HIV……………………. 26 Bodily theology………………………………………………………………………………………….. 33 Summary and conclusion…………………………………………………………………………… 35 PART I HIV in Context___________________________________ Chapter One Historical context: Considering HIV in society then and now Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38 Societal responses 1982 – mid 1990s: Gay men act for themselves and others ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38 HIV veiled in secrecy in public view ………………………………………………………….. 40 Governmental responses …………………………………………………………………………. 41 Popular media responses ………………………………………………………………………….. 45 3 Contextualising HIV historically …………………………………………………………………. 47 Contextualising HIV in contemporary society ……………………………………………. 48 Summarising the current context in historical perspective ………………………… 54 Chapter Two Historical context: Considering HIV in the Church then and now Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 58 Christian responses to a global pandemic and public perception ………………. 59 Public perception of the Christian ‘stance’ today ………………………………………. 63 Christian pastoral responses late eighties into the nineties ………………………. 65 Theological responses: from dogmatic moralising towards compassion ……. 69 Theological responses: from individual sin towards social justice ……………… 74 HIV ‘over there’: Christian responses in England and Wales today ……………. 77 Summary and conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 82 Chapter Three Approaches to Research Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 85 From the incredible to the credible: influence and change ………………………… 85 Methodological approach: why qualitative research? ……………………………….. 88 Epistemologies, Methodologies, and Methods in Qualitative Research …….. 90 Epistemology …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 92 Hermeneutical phenomenology as a methodological approach ………………… 92 Phenomenology – what is it like…? ……………………………………………………………. 93 Hermeneutics – filters of interpretation in pursuit of understanding ………… 94 Hermeneutics and phenomenology – a brief summary of developmental milestones ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 97 Methods - Towards Understanding …………………………………………………………… 100 Interviews: selection and preliminary considerations ………………………………… 101 4 Structuring the interviews …………………………………………………………………………. 104 A collaborative concern building upon relationships …………………………………. 105 The interviewee as expert in their own experience …………………………………… 107 Insider participation – opportunities and limits …………………………………………. 109 Analysis of the interviews and data …………………………………………………………… 111 Reflexivity and clarity of voice …………………………………………………………………… 112 Reconciling social science methodology and theology ………………………………. 113 Keeping faith with methodology ……………………………………………………………….. 114 Summary conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………. 117 Chapter Four Interviews with Theologian Practitioners Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 119 Rationale …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 122 Interviews with theologians and practitioners …………………………………………… 124 Fundamental suffering ………………………………………………………………………………. 139 Situating fundamental suffering in research ……………………………………………… 142 Learning from the encouragement of others …………………………………………….. 144 Balancing listening and ‘sounding out’ and the question of sin …………………. 146 Theological humility and learning from gut feeling ……………………………………. 150 Vulnerable sharing ……………………………………………………………………………………. 153 Listening to stories and the theological implications of ‘Grace encountered’ …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 155 Summary and conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 157 Chapter Five Introducing Christians living with HIV Introduction