title: Empowering Latino church leaders to deal with the HIV-AIDS crisis: a strengths-oriented service model.
abstract: Ideology and attitudes of Latino church leaders in the United States toward HIV/AIDS are explored. A qualitative approach utilized with emergent categories including: a desire within the Latino church for greater acceptance of HIV/AIDS sufferers, the supposed contaminating influence of HIV/AIDS individuals over other church members, and the feelings of helplessness many church members experience in relation to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Understanding ideological resistance that prevents engagement is here identified and a strategy of empowerment of church leaders is recommended to overcome it including: adopting a strengths-oriented service model that focuses on resources religious denominations already have, as opposed to a financially driven, medically oriented service model that highlights what churches often do not have; church leaders educating health care agencies on how to use religious beliefs to motivate church members to work on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients; the power of doctrinal ideology in affecting church and civil society's response to HIV/AIDS.
authors.affiliation: School of Religion, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA. jramirez@llu.edu
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Johnson
authors.forename: Héctor Luis
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Janis B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Jorge
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002977:Clergy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D013240:Stereotyping; D014481:United States