Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is widely considered to be the most influential statement on religious freedom in human history. Religious Freedom and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides a groundbreaking account of its origins and developments, examining the background, key players, and outcomes of Article 18, and setting it within the broader discourse around international religious freedom in the 1940s. Taking issue with standard accounts that see the text of the Universal Declaration as humanity's joint response to the atrocities of World War II, it shows instead how central features of Article 18 were intimately connected to the political projects and visions of particular actors involved in the start-up of the UN Human Rights program. This will be essential reading for anyone grappling with the historical and contemporary meaning of human rights and religious freedom.
- Provides a multi-layered account of the Universal Declaration's Article 18 on religious freedom, benefiting those who wish to understand more about the Article, its history and its consequences
- Locates human rights in different political and intellectual contexts, providing the reader with a solid history of Article 18 and the Declaration in general
- Written in an accessible style, which gives the book a wider, interdisciplinary appeal
