Continuing the Conversation About Comparative Ethics

This essay clarifies my stance on the distinctive facets of C hristianity as a sole paradigm for a liberal interpretation of I slam in the area of human rights. It attempts to demonstrate the limits of applying a comparative ethics methodology without a firm grounding in historical studies that reveal the contextual aspects of the debate whether any religion, including I slam, is incapable of providing cultural legitimacy to the secular U niversal D eclaration of H uman R ights among M uslim traditionalists. In the absence of the “Church,” Islam has congruent scriptural resources to offer a distinctly enhanced system that works as an alternative to the uncritical secularization of moral‐spiritual scriptural resources. Critical evaluation of the political history of C hristianity and Islam reveals internal hermeneutical dynamics that lead to accommodation with the demands of secularization to advance human rights across cultures and nations.