Democracy and Human Rights
Religious pluralism challenges both established and emerging democracies. Immigration patterns in the Atlantic world have confronted Christian and secular majorities with growing religious minorities, and a growing Muslim population in particular. In the developing world, religious and ethnic diversity complicates transitions to stable democratic rule in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. How do diverse religious traditions approach democracy and human rights? How can foreign and domestic policies best accommodate religious diversity and foster religious freedom in practice? What is the global impact of religion within the United States – a country that combines tremendous power with a political culture shaped by religious beliefs and practices? Center programs examine these and related questions through student and faculty research, events, and publications.
At the Center
In Spring 2008, the Berkley Center launches The Future of Political Theologies Program. » more
On October 24, 2007, His Excellency Ibrahima Dia, the new Mauritanian Ambassador to the U.S., came to the Berkley Center to discuss Mauritania’s Transition to Democracy and status as the Islamic world’s newest democracy. Ambassador Dia personally witnessed the historic events and invites discussion on what the transition means to Mauritania and the region and how to bolster U.S. engagement there. » more
In April 2007, the Center worked with Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive’s On Faith to organize What it Means to be Muslim in America, a symposium featuring leading Muslim-Americans. The symposium, a collaboration with the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, explored different perspectives on Muslim identity in American society, including how Islam can be understood as a moral compass, a political agenda, and a spiritual journey. » more
In March 2007 the Center sponsored major conference on Religion and the Global Politics of Human Rights. Tom Banchoff (Georgetown) and Robert Wuthnow (Princeton) served as co-conveners. Among the participants brought together to explore how religion intersects with global human rights conversations were Robert Hefner (Boston University), Pratap Mehta (New Delhi), and Yvonne Haddad (Georgetown). » more
Around the University
The Center for Democracy and Civil Society within the Department of Government seeks to expand and to deepen theory, research and teaching on the relationship between democratic governance and civil society.
The M.A. in Democracy Studies in the Department of Government is a course of study for those working on behalf of democratic change in a wide range of professional and academic settings, in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
The International Human Rights Colloquium at the Law Center brings leading national and international scholars to campus.
Database Information
Faith 2008 Database
Religion and American democracy are inextricably linked. The Faith 2008 database tracks the role of religious rhetoric in the current presidential campaign. Users can compare and contrast the statements of candidates, filtering by party and topic to explore the evolution of controversies over time.
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Faculty Profile
Patrick Deneen
In his book A Democratic Faith (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005), Patrick Deneen, an Associate Professor in the Department of Government, argues that democracy's most ardent supporters often express a need to "transform" human beings in order to reconcile the reality of human self-interest with the democratic ideal of selfless commitment. This "transformative impulse" is frequently couched in religious language, such as the need for political "redemption." This is all the more striking given the frequent accompanying condemnation of traditional religious belief that informs the "democratic faith." Through studies of Plato, Tocqueville, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Christopher Lasch, Deneen articulates a form of “democratic realism” centered on the importance of humility, hope, and charity.
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