scholarly journals Concepts and Dimensions of Human Dignity in the Christian Tradition

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-55
Author(s):  
Sigrid Müller
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Imago Dei ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Human Soul ◽  
Solid Foundation

Abstract This paper investigates the extent to which Christian tradition can be used to support human dignity and human rights in contemporary society. It explores the Christian tradition for ideas that correspond to the four main dimensions of human dignity: anthropological, moral, legal, and practical. It examines how these dimensions relate to the two main Christian perspectives that define human dignity, namely the imago Dei paradigm and dignity of the human soul or person. Concluding observations demonstrate that the corresponding Christian ideas offer a solid foundation for developing a strong Christian narrative and engagement in support of human dignity and human rights. However, an analysis of the two dominating concepts also indicates that a reception that excludes the universal aspect of the imago Dei paradigm can endanger a full acceptance of human dignity and human rights. Therefore, it is necessary to continue existing ecumenical efforts to create a complementary reading of the two traditions.

The Concept of Imago Dei as a Symbol of Religious Inclusion and Human Dignity

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-36
Author(s):  
Wojciech Szczerba
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Modern Philosophy ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Imago Dei ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Gregory Of Nyssa ◽  
Relational Concept ◽  
Secular Society ◽  
Protestant Theologian ◽  
Inclusive Theology

This article aims to examine how the concept of Imago Dei can serve as a symbol for the broadly understood idea of religious inclusion and human dignity. The article explores the concept of Imago Dei primarily from a protological perspective, analyzing its usage in biblical writings, theological tradition and modern philosophy. The substantial, relational and functional—which three usages of the concept can be found in the inclusive theology of Gregory of Nyssa—are analyzed in this article. Arguably, in the context of religious inclusion, the relational angle of Imago Dei seems to be the most important. Similarly contemporary Protestant theologian, Jürgen Moltmann states in his book, God in the Creation, that the “relational” concept of Imago Dei underscores the fundamental dignity of every person. In his book, God for Secular Society, Moltmann states that properly understood human rights should include democratic relationships between people, cooperation between societies, concern for the environment in which people live, and responsibility for future generations. From these perspectives, the concept of Imago Dei can be utilized as a symbol indicating the dignity of every person and human community, but also a symbol against any types of racism, nationalism or xenophobia.

scholarly journals ‘Glocal’ and integrated churches within a practical theological imagination of ‘home away from home’: towards a ministry of migrants and refugees in diaspora

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vhumani Magezi
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Imago Dei ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Church Ministry ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Practical Theological ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Critical Link

Migration has become a major global challenge in recent years. Host countries’ responses to migrants are varied – some accommodate and integrate migrants, others are apathetic, and migrants face exclusion and violent rejection. This suggests that host countries have developed mechanisms to cope with the challenges posed by migrants. Migrants have also developed systems to mitigate the impact of the challenges they encounter, such as the establishment of churches in their host countries. These churches may be referred to as ‘glocal churches’. In view of this, this article considers a practical theological imagination of ‘home away from home’ as a migrant-theological and ministry-informing approach and draws on the theological notion that all humans are foreigners (or migrants – homo viator) in whichever life spaces they exist. This study argues that this approach provides a crucial nexus and challenge for church ministry integration in contexts of migration and challenges countries to be hospitable based on Imago Dei (theology) and human dignity (human rights) principles. It is argued that maintained Imago Dei and human dignity provide a critical link between churches and a nation. Furthermore, the notions of ‘inclusiveness’ for host people and ‘home away from final eschatological home’ for migrants provide a practical theological imagination that challenge a host country’s citizens to positively consider migrants and migrants to avoid self-exclusion practices and establish integrated churches and communities.

scholarly journals The Catholic Church’s perspective of human dignity as the basis of dialogue with the secular world

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reginald Alva
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Imago Dei ◽  
Secular World ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church maintains that the Imago Dei is the ground for human dignity. The secular world, too, endorses human dignity as the foundation for human rights without referring to Imago Dei. The Catholic Church and the secular world both agree on the importance of human dignity, even though they differ on their views about the source of human dignity. In this paper, we shall examine if human dignity can be the basis of a fruitful dialogue between the Catholic Church and the secular world in order to make our world a better place to live. The primary resources for our study are the Church documents on human dignity, and the opinions of distinguished thinkers on the need to promote a culture of dialogue between religions and secular world.

scholarly journals The contribution of deontological Christian ethics to the contemporary human rights discourse

2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Vorster
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Imago Dei ◽  
Deontological Ethics ◽  
Religious Extremism ◽  
Rights Discourse ◽  
Human Rights Discourse

This article examines the possible role of a Christian deonto- logical ethics in the contemporary human rights debate. It concludes that a Christian deontological ethics in the Reformed tradition can be positively engaged in the human rights debate when Biblical theological topics are transposed into moral directives applicable to the current human rights concerns, such as religious extremism, femicide, ideologies of intolerance and ecocide. As an example of the applicability of a Christian deon- tological ethics from a reformed perspective, the following Bibli- cal topics are investigated: human dignity on the basis of the “imago dei”, creation and creational integrity, the kingdom of God and forgiveness. Furthermore, the article proposes that other concepts can be added to this list such as the Biblical idea of life, eschatology, covenant and holiness.

scholarly journals Identity and dignity within the human rights discourse: An anthropological and praxis approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Louw
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Imago Dei ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Rights Discourse ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Practical Theological ◽  
Human Rights Discourse

The theological discourse mostly focuses on the moral and ethical framework for human rights and human dignity. In order to give theological justification to the value and dignity of human beings, most theologians point to the imago Dei as theological starting point for the design of an anthropology on human dignity. Within the paradigmatic framework of democracy, human dignity and human rights have become interchangeable concepts. This article aimed to focus not on ethics but on aesthetics: man as homo aestheticus, as well as the praxis question regarding the quality of human dignity within the network of human relationships. It was argued that human dignity is more fundamental than human rights. Dignity as an anthropological construct should not reside in the first place in the imago Dei and its relationship to Christology and incarnation theology. Human dignity, human rights and human identity are embedded in the basic human quest for meaning (teleology). As such, human dignity should, in a practical theological approach to anthropology, be dealt with from the aesthetic perspective of charisma, thus the option for inhabitational theology. As an anthropological category, human dignity should be viewed from the perspective of pneumatology within the networking framework of a �spiritual humanism�. In this regard, the theology of the Dutch theologian A.A. van Ruler, and especially his seminal 1968 work Ik geloof, should be revisited by a pneumatic anthropology within the parameters of practical theology.

scholarly journals Cultural Slavery or Freedom? Values at a Crossroads in the 21st Century

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2(2)) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
Jana Pecnikova
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
The Past ◽  
Artistic Activity ◽  
High Level ◽  
Technical Revolution

Values have played a major role in the creation and formation of the European cultural space. It was Europe, a continent found at the forefront of ideological, cultural, social and religious revolutions that was involved centrally in continual searching and re-evaluation. Cultural values are not regarded only as a result of a moment of artistic activity with such values having played a key role in the evolution of human society. However, they are still being misused in a period of technical revolution, in a similar manner to the past, when values were misused by ideologies opposing human rights and human dignity. The aim of this analysis is to show the position of freedom as one of the democratic values in contemporary society, one described as a civilization with high level of risk and danger, along with a very visible crisis of trust and responsibility, termed as a crisis of values and cultural slavery.

scholarly journals Calvin and human dignity

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Vorster
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Imago Dei ◽  
Ethical Reflection ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
World War ◽  
Inherent Dignity ◽  
Theological Foundations ◽  
Common Grace ◽  
Civil Authority

Human dignity has become a major moral directive in the contemporary ethical reflection on human rights and bio-ethics. This article examines the theological foundations laid by the reformer Calvin regarding the inherent dignity of people, and his influence on post-World War ethical reflection about the violations of human rights. In this article his views on the “imago dei” and common grace, the “lex naturae” and the obligations of the civil authority are investigated in order to illuminate his ideas about the dignity of human beings. The article then deals with the influence of these ideas in the influential works of the twentieth century’s reformed theologians Barth, Berkhouwer and Moltmann.

scholarly journals Ensaios sobre a Biopolítica e o Direito: Dignidade Humana, Ética, Ação e Responsabilidade

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Braz Silva
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Law ◽  
Core Problem

ENSAIOS SOBRE A BIOPOLÍTICA E O DIREITO:DIGNIDADE HUMANA, ÉTICA, AÇÃO E RESPONSABILIDADE ESSAYS ABOUT BIOPOLITICS AND LAW:HUMAN DIGNITY, ETHICS, ACTION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY Luciano Braz Silva* RESUMO: As reivindicações e a imposição dos direitos humanos se deram mediante um processo longo e continuo de lutas violentas e as vezes revolucionárias em prol de um reconhecimento digno. À luz dos desafios históricos já enfrentados, ainda sim, a sociedade contemporânea convive com situações que reclamam novas atualizações concernentes as dimensões dos direitos fundamentais que têm por essência a dignidade humana. O presente artigo voltará suas atenções ao problema central que abarca as possibilidades de reprodução social instaladas no mundo da vida, buscando perquirir a legitimidade do direito à vista da proposta estabelecida pelo ideário do Estado Democrático de Direito. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Biopolítica. Direito. Dignidade humana. Ética. ABSTRACT: The claims and the imposition of human rights happened through a long and continuous process of violent and, sometimes, revolutionary struggles for a worthy recognition. In light of the historical challenges faced already, still, contemporary society coexists with situations that require new updates concerning the dimensions of fundamental rights which have as essence the human dignity. This article shall turn its attention to the core problem that embraces the possibilities of social reproduction installed in the lifeworld, seeking to assert the legitimacy of the Law in light of the proposal established by the Constitutional Democracy’s ideals. KEYWORDS: Biopolitics. Law. Human dignity. Ethics.* Professor de Direito Constitucional na Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Advogado. Mestre em Filosofia do Direito pelo Centro Universitário Eurípides de Marília (UNIVEM), com Bolsa Capes. Graduado no Curso de Direito do UNIVEM. Graduado em Teologia pelo IBES.

scholarly journals Introduction

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Nenad Polgar ◽  
Sigrid Müller ◽  
Katharina Mairinger ◽  
Todd A. Salzman
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Theological Ethics ◽  
Need To Evaluate ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Solid Foundation ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Interdisciplinary Journal

Abstract Two generations after the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there is a need to evaluate what has been achieved when it comes to discussions on human dignity and human rights in terms of their foundations and applications. This issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society addresses this task from the point of view of theological ethics and religious studies. Part One of this collection provides a solid foundation for defining human dignity and promoting human rights. Part Two demonstrates how this foundation can be applied to current and pressing ethical, legal, and theological issues confronting humanity, by addressing four exemplary issues (homosexuality, gender, migrants, and climate change). Combined, these essays point a way forward for the ongoing development of a comprehensive, comprehensible, consistent, and credible definition of human dignity and human rights and their role in addressing ongoing ethical, legal, and theological issues.

Energy in Public Administration - Between Human Rights and Efficient Administration

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-241
Author(s):  
Mirko Pecaric
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Reciprocal Relation ◽  
Legal Principles ◽  
Informal Practices

This paper explores recent notions in public administration, which are intertwined and addressed to the administration of public affairs. On this basis it demonstrates that content of legal system is filled through the static legal principles and rules, but they receive their real content through the informal practices and conditions of the human mind. The paper concludes that discussed notions could have only one name, because they all are the synonyms of reciprocal relation between the human dignity and efficient administration.

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