Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T13:47:03.483Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

13 - Cultivating Our Common Humanity

Reflections on Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion

from Part III - Contemporary Issues in Psychology and Human Rights

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2020

By
Michael L. Penn ,
Maja Groff  and
Naseem Kourosh
Edited by
Neal S. Rubin  and
Roseanne L. Flores
Neal S. Rubin
Affiliation:
Adler University
Roseanne L. Flores
Affiliation:
Hunter College, City University of New York
Get access

Summary

The human capabilities approach seeks to articulate rights in terms of the conditions necessary for the development and refinement of human capacities. From the perspective of psychological science and the world’s religious traditions, human capacities may be understood as being grounded in notions of the “human spirit” and may be reflected in the proclivity to create, seek knowledge of the self and the world, and engage in moral and/or spiritual striving. In the arena of international human rights, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) – an important expression of the human spirit – has been clearly established as a universal right. Thus, in a converging view, human rights law and policy may be most effective when they also advocate for the creation of the conditions necessary for the realization of our full humanity, including the moral and spiritual dimensions of human capacity. Given modern conditions of globalization and interdependence, which urgently demand workable, bridging approaches among diverse groups, cultivation of such shared interests and understandings may prove vital. We examine FoRB as one example of an area in which psychological, religious, and rights-based approaches can be mutually reinforcing and ultimately conducive to human flourishing.

Keywords

human spiritfreedom of religion or beliefreligious freedomfreedom of consciencecapabilitieshuman developmentreligion and rightsinterfaithonenesspeaceful co-existence
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Psychology and Human Rights , pp. 197 - 211
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, . (1990). The secret of divine civilization. Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust (Original work published 1875).Google Scholar
Ahmed, B., Ahsani, S., & Siddiqui, D. (2005). Muslim contributions to world civilization. Herndon, VA: International Institute of Islamic Thought.Google Scholar
Al-Khalili, J. (2012). The house of wisdom: How Arabic science saved ancient knowledge and gave us the Renaissance. New York, NY: Penguin.Google Scholar
Armstrong, K. (2015). Fields of blood: Religion and the history of violence. London: Vintage.Google Scholar
Baumeister, R., & Leary, M. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachment as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497–529.Google Scholar
Bellah, R., & Joas, H. (2012). The axial age and its consequences. Cambridge: Belknap.Google Scholar
Braybrooke, M. (1992). Pilgrimage of hope: One hundred years of global interfaith dialogue. New York, NY: Crossroad.Google Scholar
Bushrui, S., & Massoudi, M. (2010). The spiritual heritage of the human race. Oxford: Oneworld Publications.Google Scholar
Cavalli-Sforza, L., & Cavalli-Sforza, F. (1996). The great human diasporas: The history of diversity and evolution. New York, NY: Perseus Books.Google Scholar
Celinski, M., & Gow, K. (Eds.) (2011). Continuity versus creative response to challenge: The primacy of resilience and resourcefulness in life and therapy. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers.Google Scholar
Chilton, A. S. (2011). Book review (reviewing Beth A. Simmons, Mobilizing for Human Rights: International Law in Domestic Politics). Harvard Human Rights Journal, 24, 243.Google Scholar
Cobb, S. (1963). Islamic contributions to civilization. Washington, DC: Avalon Press.Google Scholar
Corning, P. (2000). Biological adaptation in human societies: A ‘basic needs’ approach. Journal of Bioeconomics, 2, 41–86.Google Scholar
Corning, P. (2011). The fair society: The science of human nature and the pursuit of social justice. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Danesh, H. (1994). The psychology of spirituality. Ottawa, Canada: Nine Pines Publishing.Google Scholar
Deacon, T. (1997). The symbolic species: The co-evolution of language and the brain. New York, NY: Norton.Google Scholar
Emmons, R. A. (1999). The psychology of ultimate concerns: Motivation and spirituality in personality. New York, NY: Guilford.Google Scholar
European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance. (n.d.). About. www.religiousfreedom.eu/about-usGoogle Scholar
European Union. (n.d.). Special envoy Ján Figel’. www.janfigel.eu/enGoogle Scholar
FDR Presidential Library and Museum. (n.d.). FDR and the Four Freedoms speech. https://fdrlibrary.org/four-freedomsGoogle Scholar
Foot, P. (2001). Natural goodness. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Frankl, V. (2006). Man’s search for meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press (Original work published 1959).Google Scholar
FDR Four Freedoms Park. (n.d.). The Four Freedoms. www.fdrfourfreedomspark.org/fdr-the-four-freedomsGoogle Scholar
Gardner, R. N. (1988, December 10). Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy: Human rights. New York Times, p. 1001027. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/10/opinion/eleanor-roosevelt-s-legacy-human-rights.htmlGoogle Scholar
Garwin, L., Lincoln, T., & Weinberg, S. (2003). A century of nature: Twenty-one discoveries that changed science and the world. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Glendon, M. (2001). A world made new: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. New York, NY: Random House.Google Scholar
Global Affairs Canada. (n.d.). International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief. www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/human_rights-droits_homme/freedom-religion-liberte-group_groupe.aspx?lang=engGoogle Scholar
Gow, K., & Celinski, M. (Eds.). (2011). Wayfinding through life’s challenges: Coping and survival. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers.Google Scholar
Guindon, M. (Ed.). (2010). Self-esteem across the lifespan. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Graver, H. (2018, January 10). The International Religious Freedom Act: A primer. Lawfare. https://lawfareblog.com/international-religious-freedom-act-primerGoogle Scholar
Grim, B., & Finke, R. (2007). Religious persecution in cross-national context: Clashing civilizations or regulated religious economies? American Sociological Review, 72, 633–658.Google Scholar
Grim, B., & Finke, R. (2011). The price of freedom denied: Religious persecution and conflict in the twenty-first century. New York, NY: Cambridge.Google Scholar
Habermas, J. (2008). Notes on post-secular society. New Perspectives Quarterly, 25, 17–29.Google Scholar
Harari, Y. (2018). Sapiens: A brief history of humankind. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.Google Scholar
Harvey, P. (2017). The civil rights movement, religion, and resistance. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. https://blog.oup.com/2017/02/civil-rights-movement-religionGoogle Scholar
Higgins, T. E. (2001). Anti-essentialism, relativism and human rights. In Chew, P. (Ed.), The culture and conflict reader. New York, NY: NYU.Google Scholar
Hursthouse, R. (1999). On virtue ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Interfaith Summit on Climate Change. (2014, September 21). The statement: Climate, faith and hope. Faith traditions together for a common future. http://interfaithclimate.org/the-statement/Google Scholar
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). (1966, December 16). www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspxGoogle Scholar
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). (1966, December 16). www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspxGoogle Scholar
International Interfaith Peace Corps. (n.d.). Health: Featured project. http://iipcnet.org/healthGoogle Scholar
International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief. (n.d.). About IPPForB. http://ippforb.com/about/Google Scholar
Islamic Society of North America, International Interfaith Peace Corps, & Global Centre for Renewal and Guidance. (2014). Dakar Declaration on Vaccination. www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/2017-09/Religious%20Leaders%20Declaration.pdfGoogle Scholar
Jensen, S. L. (2016, December 16). The 1967 Convention on Religious Intolerance: The treaty that might have been. openDemocracy. www.opendemocracy.net/openglobalrights/steven-l-b-jensen/1967-convention-on-religious-intolerance-treaty-that-might-have-bGoogle Scholar
Johnson, S. A. (2015). African Americans and religion. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. http://oxfordre.com/religion/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore-9780199340378-e-64Google Scholar
Kenneally, C. (2015). The invisible history of the human race: How DNA and history shape our identities and our futures. New York, NY: Penguin.Google Scholar
Lample, P. (2009). Revelation and social reality: Learning to translate what is written into reality. West Palm Beach, FL: Palabra.Google Scholar
Light, A. (2001). Moral progress amid technological change. Journal of Speculative Philosophy, 15(3), 195–200. www.jstor.org/stable/25670376Google Scholar
Maslow, A. (1971). The farther reaches of human nature. New York, NY: Viking.Google Scholar
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. (n.d.). Office of the special representative for freedom of religion or belief. https://um.dk/en/foreign-policy/office-of-the-special-representative-for-freedom-of-religions-or-belief/Google Scholar
The Mitchell Firm. (n.d.). International Religious Freedom Roundtable. www.themitchellfirm.com/issues/foreign-policy/irf/irf-roundtable/Google Scholar
Morgan, M. (2007). Lost history: The enduring legacy of Muslim scientists, thinkers, and artists. Washington, DC: National Geographic.Google Scholar
Mustakova-Possardt, E., Lyubansky, M., Basseches, M., & Oxenberg, J. (Eds.). (2014). Toward a socially responsible psychology for a global era. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Nanton, I. (2010, October 15). Review: Memoir. Conversations with myself, by Nelson Mandela. Globe and Mail. www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/conversations-with-myself-by-nelson-mandela/article4329634/Google Scholar
Nussbaum, M. (2000). Women and human development: The capabilities approach. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago.Google Scholar
Olson, S. (2002). Mapping human history: Genes, race, and our common origins. New York, NY: Mariner Books.Google Scholar
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. (n.d.). Freedom of religion or belief. www.osce.org/odihr/freedom-of-religion-or-beliefGoogle Scholar
Peacock, A. (2004). Creation and the world of science: The reshaping of belief. New York, NY: Oxford.Google Scholar
Penn, M. L., & Malik, A. (2010). The protection and development of the human spirit: An expanded focus for human rights discourse. Human Rights Quarterly, 32(3), 665–668.Google Scholar
Penn, M. L., & Nardos, R. (2003). Overcoming violence against women and girls: The international campaign to eradicate a worldwide problem. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Penn, M. L., & Wilson, L. (2003). Mind, medicine and metaphysics: Reflections on the reclamation of the human spirit. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 57, 18–31.Google Scholar
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook of classification. New York, NY: Oxford.Google Scholar
Pew Research Center: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. (2012, September). Rising tide of restrictions on religion. www.pewforum.org/2012/09/20/rising-tide-of-restrictions-on-religion-findings/Google Scholar
Pew Research Center: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. (2012, December). The global religious landscape. http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2014/01/global-religion-full.pdfGoogle Scholar
Pew Research Center: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. (2015, February 26). Latest trends in religious restrictions and hostilities. www.pewforum.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2015/02/Restrictions2015_fullReport.pdfGoogle Scholar
Pinel, J., & Barnes, S. (2018). Biopsychology. Essex, UK: Pearson.Google Scholar
Pinker, S. (2007). The stuff of thought: Language as a window into human nature. New York, NY: Penguin.Google Scholar
Prentice, M., Jayawickreme, E., Hawkins, A., Hartley, A., Furr, M., & Fleeson, W. (2018). Morality as a basic psychological need. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1–12.Google Scholar
Reich, D. (2018). Who we are and how we got here: Ancient DNA and the new science of the human past. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.Google Scholar
Robinson, M. (2002, January 21). Ethics, human rights and globalization. Lecture delivered at the University of Tübingen, Germany.Google Scholar
Schwartz, S., & Bilsky, W. (1987). Toward a universal psychological structure of human values. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(3), 550–562.Google Scholar
Sen, A. (1997). Human capital and human capability. World Development, 25(12), 1959–1961. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X97100146Google Scholar
Sen, A. (2000). Development as freedom. New York, NY: Anchor.Google Scholar
Shieman, B. (2009). An atheist defends religion: Why humanity is better off with religion than without it. New York: Alpha Books (Penguin Group).Google Scholar
Smith, H. (2001). Why religion matters: The fate of the human spirit in an age of disbelief. New York: HarperCollins.Google Scholar
Song, J. (2010). Mobilizing for human rights: International law in domestic politics [book review]. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 23(4), 633–636.Google Scholar
Swaab, D. (2014). We are our brains: From the womb to Alzheimer’s. London: Penguin Books.Google Scholar
Swidler, L., Cobb, J. B., Knitter, P. F., & Hellwig, M. K. (1990). Death or dialogue? From the age of monologue to the age of dialogue. Philadelphia: Trinity Press.Google Scholar
Taylor, C. (2012). What was the axial revolution? In Bellah, R. & Joas, H. (Eds.), The axial age and its consequences. Cambridge: Belknap, pp. 30–46.Google Scholar
Toynbee, A. (1946). A study of history. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Turchin, P. (2016). Ultrasociety: How 10,000 years of war made humans the greatest cooperators on earth. Chaplin, CT: Beresta Books.Google Scholar
UN. (n.d. 1). Drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Drafting Committee. http://research.un.org/en/undhr/draftingcommitteeGoogle Scholar
UN. (n.d. 2). Universal Declaration of Human Rights: History of the document. www.un.org/en/sections/universal-declaration/history-document/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
UN Development Programme. (2016). Human Development Report 2016. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2016_human_development_report.pdfGoogle Scholar
UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office. (2012). A mapping of faith-based responses to violence against women and girls in the Asia-Pacific region. www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/UNFPA-WVA-FBO-VAWG-AP-2012.pdfGoogle Scholar
UN General Assembly. (1981, November 25). Resolution A/RES/36/55: Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/36/55Google Scholar
UN General Assembly. (1987, December 7). Resolution A/RES/42/97: Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/42/97Google Scholar
UN General Assembly. (1997, February 28). Resolution A/RES/51/93: Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/51/93Google Scholar
UN General Assembly. (2000, December 4). Resolution A/RES/55/97: Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/55/97Google Scholar
UN General Assembly Resolution. (2015, July 6). Resolution A/RES/69/312: United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. www.unaoc.org/resource/unaoc-resolution-2015/Google Scholar
UN Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner. (n.d. 1). Human rights treaty bodies: General comments. www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/TBGeneralComments.aspxGoogle Scholar
UN Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner. (n.d. 2). Special procedures of the Human Rights Council. www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Welcomepage.aspxGoogle Scholar
UN Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner. (n.d.). Special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FreedomReligionIndex.aspxGoogle Scholar
UN Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner. (n.d. 3). Status of ratification interactive dashboard. http://indicators.ohchr.orgGoogle Scholar
UN Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner. (n.d. 4). Who we are. www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/WhoWeAre.aspx & www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/BriefHistory.aspxGoogle Scholar
UN Human Rights Committee. (n.d. 5). Human Rights Committee general comments. http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/TBSearch.aspx?Lang=en&TreatyID=8&DocTypeID=11Google Scholar
UN Human Rights Committee. (1993, July 20). General comment No. 22 (48) (Art. 18). http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CCPR%2fC%2f21%2fRev.1%2fAdd.4&Lang=enGoogle Scholar
UN World Conference on Human Rights. (1993, June 25). Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/vienna.aspxGoogle Scholar
U.S. Department of State. (2016). International religious freedom report for 2016. www.state.gov/reports/2016-report-on-international-religious-freedom/norway/Google Scholar
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (1948, December 10). www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rightsGoogle Scholar
Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York, NY: Viking.Google Scholar
Zeigler-Hill, V. (2013). The importance of self-esteem. In Zeigler-Hill, V. (Ed.), Current issues in social psychology: Self-esteem (pp. 1–20). New York, NY: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Zeitz, J. (2015, July 4). How FDR invented the Four Freedoms. Politico. www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/roosevelt-four-freedoms-119728Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×