Includes bibliographical references and index.

Foreword / Martin E. Marty -- Introduction / John Witte, Jr. and M. Christian Green -- A Jewish theory of human rights / David Novak -- Christianity and human rights / Nicholas P. Wolterstorff -- Islam and human rights / Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na�im -- Hinduism and human rights / Werner Menski -- Confucianism and human rights / Joseph C.W. Chan -- Buddhism and human rights / Sallie B. King -- Indigenous religion and human rights / Ronald Niezen -- Religion, human rights, and public reason: the role and limits of a secular rationale / David Little -- The phases and functions of freedom of conscience / Steven D. Smith -- Religion and freedom of choice / Paul M. Taylor -- Religion and freedom of expression / Carolyn Evans -- Religion, equality, and non-discrimination / Nazila Ghanea -- Religion and freedom of association / Natan Lerner -- The right to self-determination of religious communities / Johan D. van der Vyver -- Permissible limitations on the freedom of religion or belief / T. Jeremy Gunn -- The right to religious and moral freedom / Michael J. Perry -- Keeping faith: reconciling women's human rights and religion / Madhavi Sunder -- Religion and children's rights / Barbara Bennett Woodhouse -- Religion and economic, social, and cultural rights / Ingvill Thorson Plesner -- Religion and environmental rights / Willis Jenkins -- Religion, violence, and the right to peace / R. Scott Appleby -- Patterns of religion state relations / W. Cole Durham, Jr.

"The relationship between religion and human rights is both complex and inextricable. While most of the world's religions have supported violence, repression, and prejudice, each has also played a crucial role in the modern struggle for universal human rights. Most importantly, religions provide the essential sources and scales of dignity and responsibility, shame and respect, restraint and regret, restitution and reconciliation that a human rights regime needs to survive and flourish in any culture. With contributions by a score of leading experts, Religion and Human Rights provides authoritative and accessible assessments of the contributions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Indigenous religions to the development of the ideas and institutions of human rights. It also probes the major human rights issues that confront religious individuals and communities around the world today, and the main challenges that the world's religions will pose to the human rights regime in the future"--Provided by publisher.