Short description:

This collection examines theoretical and practical issues concerning the relationship between freedom of religion or belief and other fundamental rights, in the context of secular States, from the perspective of human dignity.

Long description:

This collection examines theoretical and practical issues concerning the relationship between freedom of religion or belief and other fundamental rights, in the context of secular States, from the perspective of human dignity.

As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights made clear, human dignity constitutes the foundation of human rights, among which freedom of thought, conscience, and religion occupies a prominent place. As a consequence of the inter-cultural debate that is ongoing in contemporary Western societies, which are increasingly pluralistic, the concept of human dignity faces important challenges in terms of what it requires. The five chapters included in the first part of this book discuss some of these conceptual challenges, such as the implications of common good constitutionalism for the understanding of human dignity and the role of religious freedom from the perspective of Western experiences and legal thinkers. The chapters in Part II explore particular questions involving human dignity and the relationship between freedom of religion or belief and other human rights, for example, how to build bridges between religious freedom and other fundamental freedoms when people make conflicting legitimate choices. Taken together, the book offers an insightful range of perspectives on some contemporary challenges raised by the exercise of religious freedom in societies that claim to be based on respect for human dignity and human rights.

The volume will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers, and policy-makers working in the areas of Law and Religion, Human Rights Law, Constitutional Law, and International Relations.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Contemporary Debates on Human Dignity and the Implications for Freedom of Religion ? A Provisional Exploration   Part I: Human Dignity, Religion, and Constitutionalism: A Necessary Dialogue   Chapter 1: Human Dignity and Common Good Constitutionalism   Chapter 2: Common Good Constitutionalism and Religious Freedom   Chapter 3: Law, Reconciliation and Human Dignity: Religious Diversity and Managing Religious Harmony in Singapore   Chapter 4: On the Importance of the Distinction Between Human Dignity and Honour in the Inter-Cultural Debate   Chapter 5: Is there a Central-European Approach to Human Dignity?   Part II: Freedom of Religion or Belief and Other Fundamental Rights   Chapter 6: Building Bridges between Freedom of Religion and Belief and Other Fundamental Human Rights   Chapter 7: Hate Speech, Offences to Religion and Public Morals in Strasbourg Case Law   Chapter 8: State Neutrality, Religion, and Academic Freedom   Chapter 9: Gender Equality and Religious Freedom in the Healthcare Context. Some Conflicts Involving Faith-Based Entities in United States? Law