ABSTRACT
The Christological tradition relating to justice and equity is firmly embedded in biblical interpretation. The role of biblical Christological passages advocating unconditional love and forgiveness was not especially prominent. Most discussion of the New Testament naturally tends to focus on Jesus Christ. Theologies of experience are useful in human rights contexts. In the modern theologies of Barth and Bultmann there is still an emphasis on eternal truths of reason in the idealist tradition. In a human rights-oriented Christology, more would be necessary on the kenotic theme of a self-dispossessing, loving God. Biblical texts have been used effectively to oppose most advances in modern human rights. In Christian evaluation of human rights issues, the traditional doctrine of sin has played a major role. Jill Schaeffer has made a good survey of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches' (WARC's) human rights involvement up to 1989.
