State of Tension
Orthodox Values and Human Rights
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The Orthodox Church has been discussing human rights for several years. Official documents or positions of leading representatives of the church have from time to time caused irritation among Western observers. Upon closer examination of the sociological, historical, and theological backgrounds to these positions, the seemingly sharp contrast between East and West begins to dissolve. The Orthodox churches still lack a definite position, but they very well indeed have the potential for a well-grounded position of their own on human rights.
(Osteuropa 6/2009, pp. 63–78)