The Religions of Human Rights

Abstract The modern human rights movement arose during a moment of unprecedented encounter between global religions in the mid-twentieth century. Yet attempts to parse historical relationship and religious thought have almost exclusively taken form case studies individual traditions. This focus on intellectual genealogies obscures fact that much doctrine emerged from interreligious contacts conflicts Judaism Christianity, particularly context decolonizing Middle East. article retraces this through writings Amnesty International founder Peter Benenson, diplomat theologian Charles Malik, rabbi activist Maurice Perlzweig. Together they represent three different theopolitical responses problem pluralism after empire: minoritarian rights, majoritarian cosmopolitan rights. Recovering these interrelated conceptions exposes frames difference embedded Western imagination.