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Introduction, “Christianity and Human Rights”

Web-Based Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Lilly Fellows National Research Conference, November 11-14, Samford University

The Fourth Annual Lilly Fellows National Research Conference explored the topic of “Christianity and Human Rights” from a diverse set of perspectives. The Conference was initially formulated with an eye toward raising certain issues, but much of the substance of the Conference came out of the papers presented in more than twenty concurrent sessions. These sessions focused on a variety of themes and regional issues. None departed too far, however, from the main themes of the Conference.

The Conference focused on human rights: that is, the idea that human beings are endowed with certain basic rights, regardless of the political, cultural or economic system into which they are born. Central concern of the Conference were the extent to which the language of human rights has become embedded in international discourse, and the role of Christians in bolstering this process. These concerns focus on theological and intellectual discourse. But they also raise a set of more material, explicitly political issues: the power and influence of those who fight to preserve human rights around the world. Christians, along with activists from secular and other religious traditions, are part of a transnational network which increasingly holds global political and military leaders accountable for their actions. More specifically, then, Conference participants asked questions about the precise role of Christian human rights groups, their relation to non-Christian human rights groups, and the general ability to function in a world in which human rights are far from universally respected. Conference participants also engaged, on a critical level, the accomplishments and the shortcomings of Christian human rights activists.

As the Conference program shows, participants confronted these issues in a variety of ways. Panels focused on distinctive regions--Latin America, East and Southeast Asia, and Africa--as well as on the projection of U.S.-based groups outward into the world. Panels also explored particularly pressing themes such as war and forgiveness, religious freedom and proselytization, slavery, and economics. Several panels focused specifically on Catholic thought, and others on relations among denominations and religions, and between Christian and secular approaches to human rights. Participants in every panel raised issues of great importance to the growing global movement for human rights.

The consensus at the Conference was that important progress had been made over the past century. Just as important, however, are the remaining obstacles: a lack of total cooperation among religious and non-religious actors, disagreement within religions and denominations, and the economic, military and political power of nation-states and national actors which can still act with few restrictions in the international arena. The careful and extended analysis provided by Conference participants acknowledges these complexities and obstacles, yet also points to the promise of an increasingly effective global movement for human rights.

Please take advantage of the program and links below to more fully explore the variety of perspectives presented at the Fourth Annual Lilly Fellows National Research Conference on Christianity and Human Rights.

Fred Shepherd

Conference Co-Director and Editor, Conference Proceedings

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