Human Rights and the Orthodox Church in a Global World (original) (raw)
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Journal of Law and Religion
For an institution that has formally existed for almost two millennia and has been directly involved in global affairs for most of that time, Orthodox Christianity 1 is remarkably marginal in research and academic dialogue, as both an institution and a political actor, especially when compared to its Western Christian counterparts-the Catholic Church and the myriad variations of Protestantism-and the two other religions that have been coexisting with Orthodox Christianity across the same geographies for centuries, Islam and Judaism. In that regard, Global Eastern Orthodoxy: Politics, Religion, and Human Rights, edited by Giuseppe Giordan and Siniša Zrinščak, is a welcome attempt to offer insights on the role of Eastern Orthodoxy in a globalized world, through a multidimensional, interdisciplinary perspective. Giordan and Zrinšcǎk have brought together theoretical arguments from various disciplines-sociology, political science, international relations, political theology-"to reflect on the need for overcoming binary categories, such as tradition/modernization, us/them, public/private, identity/plurality, religious teaching/secular human rights perspective" when discussing Christian Orthodoxy (2). Giordan and Zrinščak claim to reflect theoretically on these "antithetical categories," by reconsidering the social scientific approaches usually employed in analyzing Eastern Orthodoxy, through the introduction of "interdisciplinary matrixes and approaches," using theoretical, legal, and empirical data (2-3). Religion-any religion-is a topic that sits constantly on the thin fence dividing the public and the political from the private and the personal. Religion, therefore, is by default a topic ridden with complexity, especially when one attempts to disentangle with clarity the relation between religion, politics, and human rights. The task is perhaps even more burdensome in the context of Orthodox Christianity, due to the multiple layers of sociopolitical elements and actors associated with the role of the Orthodox Church as an institution traditionally. In the twenty-first century, these interrelations are further complicated by
Introduction: Human rights, Freedom of Religion or Belief, and the Church
Globethics.net, 2019
CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto 14 Human Rights, Religious Freedom and Faces of Faith All" 3 (2015), "Consultation on Religious Minorities as Part of Culturally Diverse Societies" (2016), and "Protection of Holy Sites and Worship Places in Europe and the Middle East in Cyprus" (2017) and "Towards Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities" (2018). Of special importance has been the establishment of the Summer School on Human Rights with a different focus each year: "Churches' Voice on Human Rights-Training on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights in the Euromediterranean Region" (2013), "Advancing Freedom of Religion or Belief for All" (2014), "Churches address antidiscrimination" (2015), "Stand Up for Women and Children's Rights" (2016) and "Rights under Threats-Stand Up for Refugees' and Migrants' Rights" (2017). The Summer School 2018 dealt specifically with "Freedom of Religion or Belief and Populism". The present manual-Human Rights, Religious Freedom and Faces of Faith-is part of the ongoing work done by CEC Member Churches to advocate for the promotion and protection of human rights at the highest standards inside Europe and beyond its borders. The manual has been divided into four parts that each cover specific aspects of human rights and freedom of religion or belief. PART I relates closely to issues connected to freedom of religion or belief and consists of two sections. The first section-this introductiontakes into consideration Human Rights, Freedom of Religion or Belief, and the Church. It includes a basic introduction to freedom of religion or belief in the European setting, both through mechanisms within the Council of Europe and the European Union. The second section-The Rights of the Religious Minorities-deals with the specific situation facing several of the CEC member-churches as well as other religious denominations and groups, namely the minority position vis-à-vis a majority religion or Christian denomination in the country.
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 2008
The oldest institution on earth, the Roman Catholic Church, sustains a far-flung flock whose one billion-plus adherents comprise nearly one-sixth of the world's population and half of all Christians. The tectonic shift of the world's Catholic population to the 'global south' has transformed the Church into a truly global institution. In 1910 two-thirds of Catholics were Europeans; now over two-thirds live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 1 Leadership of the Church reflects this new global reality, not only in the person of Pope Francis but in the many cardinals he has appointed from across the world. Also crucial to understanding the Church's political role is its deep tradition of engagement with worldly affairs-a comfortableness with politics not shared by all religious faiths. These facts, combined with the visibility and popularity of Pope Francis, ensure the impact of the Church in world politics. The Catholic Church, however, defies easy political categorisation. On the one hand it remains a quintessentially conservative body with a hierarchical organisation designed to preserve traditional theological teachings. This impulse produces conservative stances on sexual morality, abortion, and marriage, and puts the Church in alliance with other religious traditionalists, including Muslims. On the other hand, Catholic teachings on the dignity of the human person and the authenticity of the common good produce concern for the poor in the global economy and, especially in recent decades, advocacy of religious freedom, human rights, and democratic governance. 2 Thus the Church stands in seeming equipoise between contending impulses of tradition and modernity. Despite this strategic position the Church faces challenges that can blunt its political impact. A shortage of priests and women religious (nuns and sisters) stretches Church resources in some places, while elsewhere the Church must sustain itself amidst syncretic influences of local cultures, desperate poverty, or hostile governments. Thus Catholic politics varies enormously by region, context, and issue. This chapter begins with a review of the theological and historical context of Catholic engagement with politics, paying particular attention to the evolution of Catholic social teaching. It will then examine Vatican diplomacy and global initiatives, with emphasis on the papacies of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. This is followed by a discussion of Catholic politics in different regions of the world. The chapter concludes by examining issues that loom large on the