RELIGION AND HUMAN RIGHTS: TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

Abstract

This article affirms the complex relationship be­tween religious teachings and human rights prin­ciples in today's world, and is aimed at contributing approaches towards a better understanding of the relationship. It attempts to explore and promote necessary means of realising a harmonious co-existence between them. The article provides a general analysis of the different theoretical per­spectives of the relationship between religion and human rights, highlighting the key framework that could facilitate a better understanding between the two systems. It commences with a brief analysis of both religion and human rights as interdependent forms of social ordering, followed by an analysis of the theoretical conceptualisations of the relation­ship by suggesting three relevant theoretical mo­dels: the separationist, the accomodationist and the double-edged conceptions. Indicating preference for the second, this article demonstrates the possibility of a healthy and productive symbiosis between religion and human rights.