Module 1 — Foundations: Concepts and Philosophical Foundations of ForB

Week 1 of the Certificate Programme in Freedom of Religion or Belief · 5 notional learning hours.

Establishes a shared vocabulary and conceptual map: freedom of religion, belief, conscience and thought; the individual and communal dimensions of belief; and the philosophical and ethical foundations of religious liberty.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module you will be able to:

• Define ForB and related concepts (conscience, thought, worship, manifestation, conversion, apostasy)
• Distinguish the forum internum from the forum externum
• Explain the principal philosophical justifications for religious freedom
• Relate ForB to human dignity, the common good and Ubuntu

Key topics

• What is religion? What is “belief”? Defining the protected sphere, including non-religious and minority convictions
• Forum internum vs. forum externum; limits of permissible restriction (legality, necessity, proportionality)
• Philosophical foundations: natural law and human dignity; Locke, Spinoza, Bayle; Kant and Mill
• African and communitarian foundations: Ubuntu, the common good and the relational self
• The Golden Rule across traditions
• Tensions: individual rights vs. community cohesion; tolerance vs. relativism; freedom vs. public order

How this course is delivered

• A live session (90–120 minutes) on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, with a subject lead
• An interfaith panel addressing the theme from several traditions
• Recorded micro-lectures, readings and resources you can download (low-bandwidth friendly)
• A practical assessment activity

You can take this module on its own, or follow all eight modules through the full Certificate Programme.