The Future of Religious Freedom: Rights, Recognition, and Resistance in the 21st Century

Abstract

This article examines the dynamics of religious freedom through conceptual, legal, and geopolitical lenses. It discusses the tensions between individual and collective rights, as well as negative and positive liberties, while exploring the semantic shift from religious tolerance to belief pluralism. Drawing on comparative jurisprudence and global case studies, this examination explores the impact of digital transformation, intersectionality, and transnational governance on religious freedom. The paper argues for a reconceptualization of religious freedom as a pluralistic, contextual, and rights-based commitment that transcends both Western legal traditions and theological exclusivism.