The preceding chapters have explored concepts of human rights in the history of the West – both in biblical and classical sources as well as in various Christian theological traditions. These chapters demonstrate, in part, “that there was ample ‘liberty before liberalism,’ and that there were many human rights in place before there were modern democratic revolutions fought in their name.” They further illustrate that Christianity produced several important human rights ideals, even when it often defied those ideals in practice.

The following chapters take up several modern human rights issues that ought to be of deep concern not only to modern-day Christians, but to all people who share an interest in the rights of human beings. These issues include freedom of conscience and freedom from religious discrimination, freedom of expression and religious association, religious autonomy and the right to religious self-determination, the rights of women, children, and parents, and issues involving social, economic, cultural, and environmental rights. These topics and others are now the subject of an immense body of international and regional human rights instruments as well as domestic constitutional laws and their judicial interpretation. This chapter provides a brief overview of the main forms and norms of human rights law that obtain today. Subsequent chapters will consider how Christianity has influenced and might further engage some of these human rights norms.