Strengthening Christian perspectives on human dignity and human rights : perspectives from an international consultative process

Abstract

Given renewed conflicts and widening divisions, and with human rights having all too frequently been misused for political purposes or applied unequally, international human rights law—and its foundational principles—has come under increasing attack. At the same time, different perspectives on the relationship between Christian ethics and international human rights law have become increasingly evident in the ecumenical movement. The World Council of Churches, together with the Protestant Church in Germany and the United Evangelical Mission, recognized the need for a process of ecumenical study and reflection on the relationship between human dignity and human rights from biblical, theological, and victims’ perspectives. This two-year process culminated in a Conference on Christian Perspectives on Human Dignity and Humans Rights held in Wuppertal (Germany) and online from 9–12 April 2022. The rich contributions of papers received from theologians, people with different academic backgrounds, experts in ethics and human rights, and human rights defenders—together with the joint message of the participants of the Wuppertal Conference—are made available in this publication.