當代基督教的人權觀 人權是當代人類地球村最為關切的議題之一，由於有關人權概念及其真義的徹底探討，早晚必會處理到人生與人類終極意義與價值等問題，因此引發宗教神學的討論，必然勢所難免。本論文試圖從基督教的面向來探究人權的立論基礎、人權的體系內容，及其對當前人權爭議的因應。 在人權的立論基礎部分，本論文認為，由於人類所致力規畫、促進及保護的人權，難免因參與者自身的侷限與偏見，而蒙受損害，甚至會使人權運動被認為只不過是權力鬥爭或意識形態戰爭的方便口號，各是其是。因此，將人權分析侷限在單純的社會內在的非超越性考量，似乎有所不足，進而指出「超越性」基礎的必要性。而當代基督教人權觀的立論基礎則以聖經神學、人類的上帝形象、自然法及整全的人類觀為論述重點。 在人權的體系與內容特色方面，則指出：人權內涵的歷史，反應了發展的認知，並顯示某種價值在不同的時代特別需要鼓勵和保護。而人權的完整，可視為如同福音之不可分割体。若有衝突時，優先原則必須用來恢復那些被忽視或壓制的人權上，並強調「窮人、被宰制者、邊際團體」等弱勢族群的人權優先於「富人、有權勢者」的人權。此外，也指明一切人權均連帶著特殊義務，權利與義務不可分割，權利未縱容特權之發生，義務亦不允許無知的要求。因此，個人與群體之間、個別群體與全人類之間、這代與來代之間、全人類與大自然之間，均有其相互的權利義務關連。 而在因應當代人權爭議方面，則嘗試發展出一套介於西方與非西方之間的「人類觀」來解決其衝突。基督教的「人類觀」認為人既是自由的超越歷史與文化的抽象物（abstract），但也是生存於其歷史及文化環境之中（cultural），因此，從「抽象─普世」與「歷史─文化」這兩者兼具的角度來定義人及人權，可以為「人權普遍性原則與文化相對主義」之間的衝突找到交會共通的出路；再者，基督教的「人類觀」同時認為，人既有善性仁慈（benevolent），也有墮落罪惡（sinful），由人所建構的國家政府在行使公權力時同樣具有這種雙面性，據此，一方面冀望以道德法律作為國際規範，而另一方面則認知權力和自保才是國家行為最根本的決定因素，從而為「普遍性人權與國家的主權」之間的爭議，尋覓一條中庸的出路。 當代基督教的人權觀 目 錄 第一章 緒論……………………………………………………………………1 第一節 研究動機及目的………………………………………………………1 第二節 概念界定與說明………………………………………………………3 第三節 研究途徑與研究架構…………………………………………………5 第四節 相關文獻評析…………………………………………………………7 第二章 基督教人權觀的立論基礎………………………………………11 第一節 人權的「超越性」基礎……………………………………………11 一、「超越性」之基礎的必要性…………………………………………11 二、質疑論者的觀點………………………………………………………15 三、對質疑論者的答辯……………………………………………………19 第二節 人權之聖經立論依據………………………………………………23 一、 聖經與人權……………………………………………………………23 二、 聖經可靠性之探討……………………………………………………33 三、 上帝形象作為人權之基礎……………………………………………40 第三節 自然法作為人權立論依據…………………………………………45 一、 自然法與上帝的形象…………………………………………………45 二、 肯定自然法作為人權根基……………………………………………48 三、 自然法作為人權基礎的斟酌…………………………………………52 第三章 基督教人權觀的體系……………………………………………58 第一節 完整不可分割之人權觀…………………………………………58 一、 三階段之人權觀………………………………………………………58 二、 人權如福音之不可分割………………………………………………65 第二節 人權與其優先順序………………………………………………74 一、 基督教人權觀之優先順序……………………………………………74 二、 人權優先順序之辨與調和……………………………………………81 第三節 權利與其相對之義務……………………………………………86 一、 個人與群體之權利義務的辨明………………………………………86 二、 來代的權利與這代的義務……………………………………………91 三、 自然的權利與人類的義務……………………………………………98 第四章 當代人權爭議與基督教人權觀…………………………………109 第一節 人權普遍性原則與文化相對主義…………………………………110 一、 爭議雙方的論點………………………………………………………110 二、 基督教的觀點…………………………………………………………114 第二節 普遍性人權與國家的主權…………………………………………121 一、 爭議的緣起與論點……………………………………………………121 二、 基督教的觀點…………………………………………………………124 第五章 結論…………………………………………………………………136 第一節 人權的立論基礎……………………………………………………136 第二節 人權的體系與內容…………………………………………………140 第三節 「解決當代人權爭議」芻議………………………………………143 第四節 綜合結語與省思……………………………………………………146 【參考書目】………………………………………………………………151

The aim of the thesis is to investigate theological understandings in conjunction with the baptism of children and to develop such of these understandings as can be seen to be “trovärdiga” (credible or trustworthy) in the contemporary context of Church of Sweden. The theoretical point of departure is taken in a hermeneutical theological method of correlation between interpretation of “Situation” and interpretation of “Tradition”. A trustworthy theology emerges in a critical and/or constructive encounter between the interpretation of Tradition and the interpretation of Situation. Such an encounter can be established within an area of problematics. Three problem areas are identified that are present in the Swedish context of baptizing children in Church of Sweden. A) The first problem area concerns the theological interpretation of the relationship between those baptized and those not in a pluralistic society. B) Theological interpretation of “destruction” and what the theological tradition names original sin. How can a trustworthy baptismal theology be developed that takes suffering, oppression, the ecological crisis, seriously in the present situation and at the same time handle or solve the problems related to the theological tradition of original sin? C) How can a trustworthy baptismal theology solve or handle the problems related to a dichotomous construct of the relationship between God and the world? Four types of material are analyzed: sociological and statistical material, ecumenical theological resources for interpreting baptism, two different orders of baptism at use in Church of Sweden and baptismal liturgies celebrated according to these orders of baptism, and primarily Oriental Orthodox traditions of the Baptism of Jesus. Several understandings are developed and among them three over-arching concepts found fruitful for solving or handling the problems concerned: the baptismal tradition connected to the Baptism of Jesus interpreted in the light of A Trinitarian Theology of Creation that understands baptism as an expression of The Mystery of Creation, The Sacrament of Creation . / Kolla att datum 16 oktober blev rätt!Kolla att de tre kursiveringarna på sista avsnittet i abstarct inte flyter samman till en enda (jfr pdf).Gordon Lathrop är professor emeritus från Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, och Yale Divinity SchoolKirsten Busch Nielsen är professor i systematisk teologi vid Köpenhamns universitet (opponenten)

Ce mémoire porte sur la pensée politique du juriste allemand Carl Schmitt, plus précisément sur sa critique de l’universalisme libéral. Sur la base d’une analyse de ses principaux textes, nous démontrons que la pertinence de cet auteur controversé réside dans le défi renouvelé que présente son antinormativisme pour la pensée politique contemporaine. Nous soutenons qu’il y a chez Schmitt un souci constant de rattacher le droit à l’ordre concret, qu’il soit institué ou reçu. Nous démontrons ensuite comment l’antinormativisme se prolonge en droit international dans la critique de l’universalisme, entendu comme l’ambition de penser le politique à partir de l’humanité comme sujet unique. D’une perspective décisionniste, l’universalisme masque des intérêts impérialistes qu’il convient de dénoncer ; d’une perspective institutionnaliste, l’universalisme néglige l’ordre spatial concret sur lequel repose le droit international. Nous affirmons que Schmitt démontre l’importance de préserver l’autonomie de la science juridique envers la morale et la technique. / This essay examines Carl Schmitt’s political theory and more specifically his critique of liberal universalism. The aim is to show that the relevance of this controversial writer lies in the renewed challenge that his antinormativism represents to contemporary political theory. I maintain that there is in Schmitt’s thinking a constant attempt to establish the modalities of a relationship between law and order, whether it be instituted order or given order. I further illustrate how schmittian antinormativism, in international law, gives rise to a critique of universalism, understood as the attempt to think the political from the perspective of humanity considered in its unity. From a decisionist perspective, universalism hides imperialistic interests that must be unveiled; from an institutionalist perspective, universalism neglects the concrete spatial order on which international law is grounded. It is thus argued that Schmitt demonstrates the significance of preserving the autonomy of jurisprudence towards moral and technic.

L’augmentation croissante du nombre de nouvelles maladies et des possibilités de traitements existants ou en cours d’étude et ayant pour but la guérison des patients atteints, ont amené les chercheurs à pousser davantage leurs recherches biomédicales sur des sujets humains. La conduite de recherches biomédicales sur des sujets humains est une étape cruciale pour la compréhension de la maladie et, par conséquent, l’avancement des connaissances permettant d’éradiquer un jour certaines maladies répandues à l’échelle planétaire, tel le virus de l’immunodéficience humaine (VIH) causant le syndrome d’immunodéficience acquise (SIDA). Aujourd’hui, ces importantes recherches sont conduites partout à travers le monde mais plus particulièrement dans des pays en développement où les populations sont davantage vulnérables. C’est précisément à cause de cette pratique que différents acteurs de ce milieu ont reconsidéré certains aspects éthiques de ces recherches. Ce mémoire examine donc les différentes normes éthiques en vigueur qui gouvernent la recherche sur des sujets humains, afin de voir comment celles-ci tiennent compte des caractéristiques des populations des pays en développement. Cette comparaison nous guide ensuite vers un survol de trois approches philosophiques pour fins d’application à la recherche biomédicale sur des sujets humains et ce, par le biais d'une étude de cas. Suite à ces trois étapes et à la lumière d’une analyse critique des différents écrits recensés sur le sujet, une conclusion s’impose quant à l’importance de renforcer l’application des normes éthiques universelles entourant la recherche biomédicale sur des sujets humains et ce, justement parce celle-ci est surtout conduite sur des populations vulnérables de pays en développement. / With a growing number of new human diseases being discovered, along with existing or novel treatments being explored for their cure, researchers are more than ever seeking to extend their biomedical trials on human subjects. Research with human models is a crucial step for the proper understanding of diseases and therefore advancing the science and technology required to eventually eradicate global diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causing acquired immune deficient syndrome (AIDS). At present, these important studies are conducted across the world, but more specifically, in developing countries with more vulnerable populations. This very practice has caused many stakeholders to reconsider certain ethical aspects of human studies. In this thesis, an examination of the various ethical norms for tests on human subjects will be presented in order to understand how they account for the characteristics of populations in developing countries. This will provide the framework for a case study analyzing three philosophical approaches to biomedical research on human subjects. Finally, a critical review of the field’s literature leads to the imperative conclusion of strengthening universal norms surrounding ethical biomedical research involving humans, specifically as vulnerable populations in developing countries are becoming more frequenctly the subjects.

L’approche des capabilités a été caractérisée par un développement fulgurant au cours des vingt-cinq dernières années. Bien que formulée à l’origine par Amartya Sen, détenteur du Prix Nobel en économie, Martha Nussbaum reprit cette approche dans le but de s’en servir comme fondation pour une théorie éthico-politique intégrale du bien. Cependant, la version de Nussbaum s’avéra particulièrement vulnérable à plusieurs critiques importantes, mettant sérieusement en doute son efficacité globale. À la lumière de ces faits, cette thèse vise à évaluer la pertinence théorique et pratique de l’approche des capabilités de Nussbaum, en examinant trois groupes de critiques particulièrement percutantes formulées à son encontre. / The capabilities approach has seen significant development over the past quarter century, branching out into a variety of fields and directions. Originally developed by Nobel Prize Laureate Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum has sought to extend this approach beyond its mainly instrumental role into a tangible foundation for a full-fledged ethical-political theory of the good. However, this move has attracted a great number of criticisms levelled against Nussbaum’s specific version of the capabilities approach. In this thesis, I identify three main groups of observations under which said criticisms can be classified, and assess their respective strength and tenability.

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Islam, its texts and lived practice, finds growing importance within the global discourse on bioethics, as there is an increasing Muslim population and burgeoning interest in biomedical research and biotechnologies in the Muslim world. The aim of this thesis is to assess if and how Islam influences the ethical decision making of researchers, REC (researcher ethics committee) members, guideline developers and Islamic scholars in the biomedical research context. I began addressing this question by first reviewing the literature that has been published to explore the role that Islam plays in the literature on biomedical research ethics. There is evidence that some Muslim countries have developed "Islamic" guidelines. That is, guidelines with the explicit aim of setting out Islamic values and stating their relevance to the ethics of research. A review of research guidelines employed within countries with a significant Muslim population, was carried out, to investigate the role of Islam in such guidelines. The literature and guideline review revealed that although international guidelines have been adapted to incorporate Islamic views, studies have shown that the latter are of limited practical application within a "Muslim country" setting. An empirical study was carried out in two case study sites to assess the extent to which Islam influences ethical decision making within the context of biomedical research. 56 semi-structured interviews were carried out in Malaysia (38) and Iran (18) with researchers, REC members, guideline developers and Islamic scholars to understand whether Islam influences what they consider to be an ethico-legal problem, and if the latter emerges, then how such issues are addressed. The empirical study indicates five main conclusions. The first is that Islam and its institutional forms do impact ethical decision making in the day-to-day practice of biomedical research in countries with a Muslim population and/or in the research careers of Muslim researchers. Secondly, it shows that there are many distinctive mechanisms, such as the involvement of Islamic scholars, the process of ijtihad (independent reasoning) and the production of fatawah (legal edicts), by which Islam does identify and develop ethical views about biomedical matters. Thirdly, HIV/AIDS poses major challenges to the world of Islam as it does the rest of world. The epidemic raises issues that touch on cultural sensitivities that are important to Islamic societies and this study has shown that no simple or single response was observed to the ethical issues arising from HIV/AIDS. Fourthly, researchers face practical challenges when deliberating women's autonomy in contexts where Islam is appropriated within 'male dominated' contexts. The role and status of women is disputed in such contexts with views ranging from women needing their husband's permission to leave the home to men and women having equal freedoms. Finally, this study describes and analyses how the personal faith of researchers and their deep commitment to Islamic ethics and law influences their understanding of their legal and moral accountability and ethico-legal decision making. It shows that researchers adopt multiple roles and are required to balance numerous value systems and priorities and face moral anxiety and frustration when these different moral sources are in conflict. Overall, this study indicates that, in the countries studied, Islam does influence biomedical research ethics, and that this can be appreciated through the growing reference to Islam and its scriptural sources in biomedical research ethics literature, research ethics guidelines and the role of Islam in the day-to-day practice of biomedical researchers in the case study sites, that has been captured in the empirical study.

The thesis explores the subject of purgatory and its relative value for modern people. It summarises: 1. The manner in which biblical texts used to underpin the doctrine; 2. The history of the doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church and the reaction to it during the Reformation and beyond; and 3. Contemporary formulations of purgatory and purgatory-like ideas. The thesis argues, from several perspectives, that a modern formulation of the doctrine is: 1. Reasonable; 2. Biblically consistent; 3. Meets the criteria of an established Tradition at practice within the Church; and 4. Is capable of assisting people in understanding and appreciating the existential questions of death and the after life. The thesis is approached from the angle of a Legal Counsel presenting an argument for acceptance of the thesis. / SYS THEOLOGY and THEOL ETHICS / MTH (SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY)

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