This progressive volume furthers the interreligious, international and interdisciplinary understanding of the role of religion in the area of human rights. Building bridges between the often-separated spheres of academics, policy makers and practitioners, it draws on the expertise of its authors alongside historical and contemporary examples of how religion's role in human rights manifests. At the core of the book are four case studies, dealing with Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Authors from each religion show the positive potential that their faith and its respective traditions has for the promotion of human rights, whilst also addressing why and how it stands in the way of fulfilling this potential. Addressed to policy makers, academics and practitioners worldwide, this engaging and accessible volume provides pragmatic studies on how religious and secular actors can cooperate and contribute to policies that improve global human rights.

This progressive volume furthers the interreligious, international and interdisciplinary understanding of the role of religion in the area of human rights. Building bridges between the often-separated spheres of academics, policy makers and practitioners, it draws on the expertise of its authors alongside historical and contemporary examples of how religion's role in human rights manifests. At the core of the book are four case studies, dealing with Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Authors from each religion show the positive potential that their faith and its respective traditions has for the promotion of human rights, whilst also addressing why and how it stands in the way of fulfilling this potential. Addressed to policy makers, academics and practitioners worldwide, this engaging and accessible volume provides pragmatic studies on how religious and secular actors can cooperate and contribute to policies that improve global human rights.

In this ground-breaking volume, the authors analyze the role of religion in conflict and conflict resolution. They do so from the perspectives of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, while bringing different disciplines into play, including peace and conflict studies, religious studies, theology, and ethics. With much of current academic, political, and public attention focusing on the conflictive dimensions of religion, this book also explores the constructive resources of religion for conflict resolution and reconciliation. Analyzing the specific contributions of religious actors in this field, their potentials and possible problems connected with them, this book sheds light on the concrete contours of the oftentimes vague "religious factor" in processes of social change. Case studies in current and former settings of violent conflict such as Israel, post-genocide Rwanda, and Pakistan provide "real-life" contexts for discussion. Combining cutting-edge research with case studies and concrete implications for academics, policy makers, and practitioners, this concise and easily accessible volume helps to build bridges between these oftentimes separated spheres of engagement. The Open Access version of this book, available at: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003002888, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

In this ground-breaking volume, the authors analyze the role of religion in conflict and conflict resolution. They do so from the perspectives of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, while bringing different disciplines into play, including peace and conflict studies, religious studies, theology, and ethics. With much of current academic, political, and public attention focusing on the conflictive dimensions of religion, this book also explores the constructive resources of religion for conflict resolution and reconciliation. Analyzing the specific contributions of religious actors in this field, their potentials and possible problems connected with them, this book sheds light on the concrete contours of the oftentimes vague "religious factor" in processes of social change. Case studies in current and former settings of violent conflict such as Israel, post-genocide Rwanda, and Pakistan provide "real-life" contexts for discussion. Combining cutting-edge research with case studies and concrete implications for academics, policy makers, and practitioners, this concise and easily accessible volume helps to build bridges between these oftentimes separated spheres of engagement. The Open Access version of this book, available at: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003002888, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Establishing a shared identity is an important part of any process of peace and reconciliation. This book discusses issues of and theories of identity formation that can be implemented for peace and reconciliation from the perspectives of theology and religious studies, whilst interacting with politics, socio-cultural studies and economics. By focusing on the theme of peace and reconciliation, and employing an interdisciplinary approach, this volume will make a significant contribution to the discussion of the situation of the Korean peninsula, and wider global contexts.The volume explores theoretical issues such as political and economic implications of reconciliation; interfaith and biblical perspectives; and the role of religion in peace making. Furthermore the contributors examine practical implications of the theme in the contexts of Germany, Northern Ireland, South Africa, India, East Asia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Korean peninsula. The book offers invaluable insights for policy-makers, academics, and lay leaders, besides being an important tool for researchers and students of theology, religion, sociology, politics and history.

Establishing a shared identity is an important part of any process of peace and reconciliation. This book discusses issues and theories of identity formation that can be implemented for peace and reconciliation from the perspectives of theology and religious studies, whilst interacting with politics, socio-cultural studies and economics. By focusing on the theme of peace and reconciliation, and employing an interdisciplinary approach, this volume will make a significant contribution to the discussion of the situation of the Korean peninsula, and wider global contexts. The volume explores theoretical issues such as political and economic implications of reconciliation; interfaith and biblical perspectives; and the role of religion in peace making. Furthermore the contributors examine practical implications of the theme in the contexts of Germany, Northern Ireland, South Africa, India, East Asia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Korean peninsula. The book offers invaluable insights for policy-makers, academics, and lay leaders, besides being an important tool for researchers and students of theology, religion, sociology, politics and history.

This book explores human dignity, human rights and social justice based on a Chinese interdisciplinary dialogue and global perspectives. In the Chinese and other global contexts today, social justice has been a significant topic among many disciplines and we believe it is an appropriate topic for philosophers, theologians, legal scholars, and social scientists to sit together, discuss, enrich each other, and then deepen our understanding of the topic. Many of them are concerned with the conjuncture between social justice, human rights, and human dignity. The questions this volume asks are: what's the place of human rights in social justice? How is human dignity important in the discourse on human rights? And, through these inquiries, we ask further: how is possible to achieve humanist justice? This volume presents the significance, challenges, and constraints of human dignity in human rights and social justice and addresses the questions through philosophical, theological, sociological, political, and legal perspectives and these are placed in dialogue between the Chinese and other global settings. We are concerned with the norms regarding human dignity, human rights and social justice while we take seriously into account their practice. This volume consists of two main sections. The first section examines Chinese perspectives on human rights and social justice, in which both from Confucianism and Christianity are considered and the issues such as patriotism, religious freedom, petition, social protest, the rights of marginalized people, and sexual violence are studied. The second section presents the perspectives of Christian public theologians in the global contexts. They examine the influence of Christian thought and practice in the issues of human rights and social justice descriptively and prescriptively and address issues such as religious laws and rights, diaconia, majoritarianism, general equality, social-economic disparities, and climate justice from global perspectives including in the contexts of America, Australia, Israel and Europe. With contributions by experts from mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, USA and Norway, the book provides valuable cross-cultural and interdisciplinary insights and perspectives. As such it will appeal to political and religious leaders and practitioners, particularly those working in socially engaged religious and civil organizations in various geopolitical contexts, including the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

This book explores human dignity, human rights and social justice based on a Chinese interdisciplinary dialogue and global perspectives. In the Chinese and other global contexts today, social justice has been a significant topic among many disciplines and we believe it is an appropriate topic for philosophers, theologians, legal scholars, and social scientists to sit together, discuss, enrich each other, and then deepen our understanding of the topic. Many of them are concerned with the conjuncture between social justice, human rights, and human dignity. The questions this volume asks are: what's the place of human rights in social justice? How is human dignity important in the discourse on human rights? And, through these inquiries, we ask further: how is possible to achieve humanist justice? This volume presents the significance, challenges, and constraints of human dignity in human rights and social justice and addresses the questions through philosophical, theological, sociological, political, and legal perspectives and these are placed in dialogue between the Chinese and other global settings. We are concerned with the norms regarding human dignity, human rights and social justice while we take seriously into account their practice. This volume consists of two main sections. The first section examines Chinese perspectives on human rights and social justice, in which both from Confucianism and Christianity are considered and the issues such as patriotism, religious freedom, petition, social protest, the rights of marginalized people, and sexual violence are studied. The second section presents the perspectives of Christian public theologians in the global contexts. They examine the influence of Christian thought and practice in the issues of human rights and social justice descriptively and prescriptively and address issues such as religious laws and rights, diaconia, majoritarianism, general equality, social-economic disparities, and climate justice from global perspectives including in the contexts of America, Australia, Israel and Europe. With contributions by experts from mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, USA and Norway, the book provides valuable cross-cultural and interdisciplinary insights and perspectives. As such it will appeal to political and religious leaders and practitioners, particularly those working in socially engaged religious and civil organizations in various geopolitical contexts, including the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

The understanding of identity in relation to community has been a focus of academic studies in recent years. An exclusive self-understanding of the identity of one's own community, coupled with a hostile attitude toward other communities, often leads to communal conflicts. In particular, it is important to notice the significance of religion in the re-shaping of community identities in this process. This volume focuses first on communal or corporate understanding of identity. Secondly, this volume will assess the topic of identity from the perspectives of theology and religious studies. Thirdly, the volume will seek to address the issue of interaction between religious communities and wider society by looking at case studies from the Yorkshire area.