Russian Orthodox Church and Human Rights

Kristina Stoeckl is a Research Associate in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Vienna, Austria.

"Stoeckl’s book is of a high academic standard and her writing style is fresh and engaging."- Katja Richters, University of Erfurt, Germany"In summary, Stoeckl’s work is a good... introduction to the ROC’s present views on human rights. It is also a reminder that the contemporary ‘return’ of religion to the public sphere is not merely about Islam’s influence or its ‘incongruity’ with democracy and Western values — particular forms of Christianity also have their say in that debate. The book is also the beginning of a more in-depth analysis of various phases and cases of the ROC’s reorientation regarding human rights issues. It is desirable that this analysis continues."- Teuvo Laitila, University of Eastern Finland, Finland, in Journal of Contemporary Religion"It must be stressed that Stoeckl brings a novel, engaging and constructive approach to her research on the ROC and human rights debate, as well as to developing the instrument and the language for interdisciplinary research in a context where there has been, up to now, only limited theological and socio-political study... Together with introducing the ROC debate on human rights into broader Orthodox theological discussions (in particular, theological arguments from Greek Orthodox thought), the author presents a balanced and well-argued position on the highly politicized topic of Church engagement around the human rights agenda." - Olga Breskaya, University of Padova, Italy, Religion and Society in Central and Eastern Europe

• Introduction  1. Four Areas of Encounters and Friction with Human Rights for the Russian Orthodox Church  2. The Human Rights Debate inside the Russian Orthodox Church (2000-2008)  3. The Russian Orthodox Church’s Basic Teaching on Human Dignity, Liberty and Rights: Analysis and Interpretation  4. The Domestic and International Human Rights Agenda of the Russian Orthodox Church  5. Religion and Human Rights in Postsecular Society