Faith in Human Rights

Catalog description

Taught by DSPT. This seminar course will explore concepts of justice and specifically principles for peacebuilding in several world religions and philosophies, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, in order to discover the way these notions can inform universal human rights discourse. We will investigate how philosophical and religious teachings help to form leadership dedicated to peacebuilding. Through case studies we will also examine human rights struggles in local and global contexts and the various ways these concerns are addressed by religious traditions and political entities. At the end, we want to answer the question: Given different ethical expressions, are there common values shared by various religious and philosophical traditions that allow or even urge them to greater efforts in peacebuilding? Weekly papers and Final Research Paper or Project depending on the student's degree program. Intended audience: MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD, ThD [Moral Theology or General Ethics; Faculty Consent required; 10 max enrollment; Auditors with faculty permission]