In 2019, the Orthodox Christian Studies Center launched a five-year Orthodoxy and Human Rights research initiative, uniting scholars and journalists from around the world to develop a comprehensive understanding of Orthodoxy’s relationship to human rights across various geopolitical contexts.
With major support from the Henry Luce Foundation and additional support from Leadership 100, the Orthodox Christian Studies Center concluded this interdisciplinary research project in 2023.
The project engaged scholars from diverse disciplines, including theology, sociology, anthropology, and political science, each bringing expertise in different time periods, geographic regions, and Orthodox traditions. Notable scholars from Austria, Germany, Greece, Russia, Sweden, the US and UK were among the contributors, producing monographs and journal articles to address gaps in existing scholarship. Each participant conducted research from their respective disciplinary backgrounds and areas of specialization, exploring questions about Orthodoxy and human rights pertinent to their fields.
Journalists also played a crucial role in this initiative. Their work provided on-the-ground perspectives of the real-world implications of the academic findings. Renowned journalists contributed invaluable insights, enriching the project with their investigative reports and narratives.
Annual meetings facilitated a cross-fertilization of ideas among scholars, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of Orthodoxy’s relationship to human rights across different geopolitical contexts: its history, current state, and theological and practical possibilities for the future.
The available and forthcoming publications from this project offer an unprecedented inquiry into the potential for Orthodox compatibility with the doctrine of universal human rights.
Orthodoxy and Human Rights - Bibliography on publicorthodoxy.org