LESSONS IN LEVERAGING LEGAL PROTECTION FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Religious freedom law is at its core a narrative of the human person. Its successful practice builds on assumptions about who human beings are, where rights come from. Yet in each country where the international religious freedom lawyer works, she contends with multiple challenges. There are four key lessons in leveraging legal protection for religious liberty: 1) Legal analysis can reach a level of particularity that general rhetoric cannot; 2) The wrong narratives can obscure real issues and, when adopted by states, undermine the ability to govern well; 3) States commit postural errors that undermine fundamental principles; 4) It is vital to choose your battles wisely. © 2012 Copyright Institute for Global Engagement.