Christianity and human rights in the context of ecclesiastic law

Annotation

The article analyzes the dynamics of Christianity’s reception of the concept of human rights and the key problems of their interaction in a situation of exacerbation of global problems. The analysis is carried out, firstly, through the prism of canon law norms (canons, epistles and apostolic constitutions, social concepts and compendiums) and, secondly, taking into account contemporary processes of human rights problematization. It is shown that the concept of human rights was the result of legalization of Christian (in particular, canonical) ideas of dignity and individual rights. Changes from harsh criticism to unconditional support in the attitude of the Church to human rights in their classical interpretation are traced. The conclusion is made about the beginning of the second wave of criticism of human rights, during which selectivity in their implementation; further reduction of these rights to subjective desires; abstractness that does not take into account the cultural and national identity of religiosity are condemned.

Keywords

human rights, individual dignity, Christianity, Church, canon law, Catholicism, Orthodoxy.

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The study was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research in the framework of the scientific
Project No. 21-011-44239