On the Significance of Religion for Human Rights

Pauline Kollontai is Professor Emerita in the Department of Religion, Politics and International Relations at York St John University, UK. Friedrich Lohmann is Professor of Protestant Theology and Applied Ethics at the Bundeswehr University Munich, Germany.

Part I: Summary 1. Summary of Recommendations for Secular and Religious Actors Pauline Kollontai and Friedrich Lohmann Part II: Why Religion Matters 2. Introduction Friedrich Lohmann and Pauline Kollontai Part III: Religion and Human Rights: Problems 3.1 Orientation: How and Why Religion Resists the Idea of Human Rights Friedrich Lohmann and Pauline Kollontai 3.2 Hindu Perspective: Human Rights of Women and the Notion of 'Pollution' in Hinduism Hari Priya Pathak 3.3 Jewish Perspective: Jewish Exclusionist Theology in Israel Pauline Kollontai 3.4 Christian Perspective: The Appeal to Traditional Values as an Argument Against Human Rights Friedrich Lohmann 3.5 Islamic and Iranian Perspectives on Human Rights: Problems Katajun Amirpur and Ingrid Overbeck Part IV: Religion and Human Rights: Potentials 4.1 Orientation: How Religion Can Contribute to Human Rights Pauline Kollontai and Friedrich Lohmann 4.2 Hindu Perspective: Women and Democratic Ideals in Hinduism: A Case Study of Women's Entrance to Sabarimala Temple Hari Priya Pathak 4.3 Jewish Perspective: Challenging Jewish Religious Exclusionist Praxis Pauline Kollontai 4.4 Christian Perspective: Jesus Christ the Liberator Friedrich Lohmann 4.5 Islamic and Iranian Perspectives on Human Rights: Potentials Katajun Amirpur and Ingrid Overbeck Part V: Now What? Implications and Recommendations 5. Now What? Recommendations for Building Cooperation Between Secular and Religious Actors Pauline Kollontai and Friedrich Lohmann. Index