I am contemplating some research on freedom of speech and its relation to Christianity (naturally), and its (partial) roots in a Christian understanding of persuasion.
I suggest you should include the UN framework for freedom of speech, including ICCPR and subsequent declarations, etc. A number of us including your colleague Andrew Cameron put a lot of effort last year into the issue of freedom of conscience, thought and religion which is also relevant to freedom of speech.
Re your reference to persuasion, I heard a talk given by the RC Bishop of Townsville, Michael.... several years ago who spoke on the four voices of the church, the prophetic, the academic/professional, the persausive and the artistic - well worth following up on. I found what he said very helpful in my own work.
Bishop Jeremy Taylor - 'The Liberty of Prophesying' is essential reading. First book (I believe) arguing that one ought not persecute a person because they differ from you on a point of doctrine. Taylor argued for freedom of speech, utilsiing xian doctrine, before the secular version of the argument was made. You can read the text for free at: http://books.google.com/books?id=m3MsvjhzVVwC
MLK's Letters is 2nd'd. here. Though not Christian, I really think there is much to be mined in Foucault's "Fearless Spoech" and as a bonus, it is available for free on the web.
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Hi Michael,
I suggest you should include the UN framework for freedom of speech, including ICCPR and subsequent declarations, etc. A number of us including your colleague Andrew Cameron put a lot of effort last year into the issue of freedom of conscience, thought and religion which is also relevant to freedom of speech.
Re your reference to persuasion, I heard a talk given by the RC Bishop of Townsville, Michael.... several years ago who spoke on the four voices of the church, the prophetic, the academic/professional, the persausive and the artistic - well worth following up on. I found what he said very helpful in my own work.
Bishop Jeremy Taylor - 'The Liberty of Prophesying' is essential reading.
First book (I believe) arguing that one ought not persecute a person because they differ from you on a point of doctrine. Taylor argued for freedom of speech, utilsiing xian doctrine, before the secular version of the argument was made.
You can read the text for free at: http://books.google.com/books?id=m3MsvjhzVVwC
Obviously O'D has a few things to say about this in Desire of the Nations. But I take it you already had that on your list.
Various bits of Gibbon's Decline and fall... might need to be dealt with one way or another.
‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ by Martin Luther King Jr.
John Milton's "Areopagitica, a Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing," ought to certainly be included among such readings.
MLK's Letters is 2nd'd. here.
Though not Christian, I really think there is much to be mined in Foucault's "Fearless Spoech" and as a bonus, it is available for free on the web.
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