Father Robert F. Drinan--priest, scholar, lawyer, politician, activist, and ethicist--has spent his life working to strengthen human rights. In this important book, Father Drinan explores the state of religious freedom worldwide, arguing that international law and legal institutions have not gone far enough to protect religious freedom. The international community, says Father Drinan, has been slow to recognize the urgent need of balancing the requirements of a pluralistic society with the demands of religious freedom.

Despite numerous proclamations from the United Nations and from individual nations about the importance of religious freedom, says Father Drinan, there is still no covenant, legally binding instrument, or world tribunal to monitor freedom of religion. Drinan explores the status of religious freedom in certain Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Communist societies whose doctrines may promote intolerance. And he asserts that the silence of international law allows nations to continue to punish persons who practice a faith viewed unfavorably by the government.

About the Author

Robert F. Drinan, S.J., professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, has been a visiting professor at four American universities, dean of the Boston College Law School, and a United States congressman from Massachusetts; he is also the author of twelve books. Among his numerous awards are the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute's Freedom of Worship medal and the ABA Medal, the highest award of the American Bar Association.

Reviews

"No one is better placed than Robert Drinan to tackle the intersection between religious freedom and the public world. In this book he does that incisively, making complex issues accessible and abstract problems personal." - William F. Schulz, Executive Director, Amnesty International USA"