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Biblical times
Published in Michael J. O’Dowd, The History of Medications for Women, 2020
A famous Biblical drug treatment known as balm of Gilead remained in the pharmaceutical literature right up to the twentieth century. Balm of Gilead is thought to have been the ‘mastic’ (resin) of Pistacia lentiscus or the resinous exudate from Commiphora sp., including C. opobalsamum and C. meccanensis, but is now commonly identified with a North American poplar tree, Populus gileadenis. A delicately odorous resinous substance of a dark-red color, it turns yellow as it solidifies. The balm has antiseptic and astringent properties. Gilead was a mountainous wooded country to the east of the River Jordan, which the Hebrews annexed from the Amorites.
Spirituality and Social Media: The Search for Support Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in Tennessee
Published in Journal of Homosexuality, 2020
Sandra L. Barnes, Charrise Hollingsworth
The theologically conservative nature of many Black churches2 has been documented (Barnes, 2013; Billingsley, 1992; Boykin, 1996; Douglas, 1999; Lincoln & Mamiya, 1990) as well as associated stigma as a result of heterosexism and homophobia (Coyne-Beasley & Schoenbach, 2000; Fears, 2004; Fullilove & Fullilove, 1997; Reeves, 2004; Quinn et al., 2016; Ward, 2005). More recent research has suggested more welcoming and affirming religious spaces for the LGBTQIA3 community (Barnes, 2012, 2013). Despite varied church responses, some writers have suggested that religious spaces can be a beneficial place to garner support for sexual minorities (Airhihenbuwa, Webster, Okoror, Shine, & Smith-Bankhead, 2003; Barnes, 2012, 2013). Church-based initiatives such as Balm in Gilead, Inc., Interfaith HIV Network, Gospel Against AIDS, and the ITC AIDS Project provide support as well. Denominational differences in support suggest that United Methodists and Presbyterians tend to welcome gays and lesbians as members; Southern Baptists and other more ideologically conservative churches are less tolerant (Barnes, 2013; Douglas, 1999; Ward, 2005). Church involvement is often related to increased life satisfaction and healthy coping mechanisms (Aaron, Levine, & Burstin, 2003; Mattis, Fontenot, & Hatcher-Kay, 2003). Black churches have historically played an important role in the psychological, cultural, social, and physical wellbeing of African Americans (Beadle-Holder, 2011; Lincoln & Mamiya, 1990). Yet many have not been welcoming to sexual minorities or people affected by HIV/AIDS (Barnes, 2012; 2013; Battle et al., 2002; Fullilove & Fullilove, 1997; Ward, 2005).