Chapter 1. Predictors of attitudes towards human dignity: an empirical analysis among youth in Germany (Hans-Georg Ziebertz).- Chapter 2. Understanding Human Dignity. Theoretical Groundings and Empirical findings among Youth in Belarus (Olga Breskaya).- Chapter 3. The Necessity of the Broader Conversation about Human Rights (Raymond J. Webb).- Chapter 4. Social capital and religion in the public sphere. Attitudes to visible forms of religion among Norwegian high school students (Pål Ketil Botvar).- Chapter 5. Freedom of religion and freedom of religious clothing and symbols in school: Exploring the impact of church schools in a religiously diverse society (Leslie J Francis).- Chapter 6. Attitudes towards Freedom of Religion among Nigerian Students (Modestus Adimekwe).- Chapter 7. Traditional Prejudices in Advancing Human Rights Culture in Tanzania (Clement D. Fumbo).- Chapter 8. Religion and civil rights in Italy. An empirical exploration among secondary school students (Francesco Zaccaria).- Chapter 9. The Role of Religion in Society and its Relation to Attitudes and Practices of Human Rights in Chile (Joaquín Silva).
Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Ziebertz is the leader of the international research project “Religion and Human Rights”, many publications on these issues.
Dr. Carl Sterkens is the Associate Professor Pastoral Theology and Empirical Religious Studies.
This volume offers an empirical perspective on the so-called first generation of human rights. It explores the legitimization of these human rights by individual people, both because of their religion and because of their vision of what constitutes human dignity. The book addresses such issues as the foundation of human rights, the necessity of a broader conversation about human rights, aspects of freedom of religion, and the role of religion in Belarus, Britain, Chile, Germany, Italy, Nigeria, Norway and Tanzania. Taking an international comparative perspective, the volume answers the question as to what extent adolescents in different countries support civil human rights and what influences their attitudes towards these rights.
As the diversity of the contributions in this volume shows, the relationship between religion and civil human rights is complex and multifaceted. Studying this complicated relationship calls for a variety of theoretical perspectives and rigorous empirical testing in different national contexts. This book’s empirical approach provides an important complementary perspective for legal, political and public debates.