Religious approaches to Human Rights

Dr Martin Davie is a lay Anglican theologian who was for thirteen years theological consultant to the Church of England's House of Bishops and theological secretary to its Council for Christian Unity He is currently theological consultant to the Church of England Evangelical Council, a fellow of the Latimer Trust and the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life, and Assistant Lecturer in Christian Doctrine at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford

Religious Approaches to Human Rights outlines the relationship between religion and human rights today. It explores the place of religion in society, differences between religions, models of religion and state, and implications for public policy.Human Rights were developed as a powerful tool to promote human flourishing. Religion has recently come to be seen as a barrier to human rights and been subject to sustained attack. However, religion is needed to provide a robust philosophical foundation for human rights, and is a vital component of the human flourishing that human rights aim to achieve.Religions vary in terms of the basis on which they give support to human rights. Yet, all religions have come to support in principle the concept of basic human rights. Christianity has been the main driver for the development of human rights and is the prime guarantor of freedom of religion for all. Britain's Christian heritage needs to be celebrated as people of all faiths and none draft a British Bill of Rights able to promote human flourishing. Representatives of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism were consulted in preparing the report.Commissioned by The Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life and Grassroots conservatives, it is written by Dr Martin Davie, former theological adviser to the Church of England House of Bishops.