Abstract

The paper seeks on the one hand to outline the basic confessional understanding of human dignity among Christian churches (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox), and on the other to sketch the historical, institutional, and theological reasons that lead to their different positions in the making of the human society and in the public discourse with regard to ethical issues where human dignity is at stake. While they share the biblical theme of human beings are created in God's image as the theological ground for human dignity, the churches differ among themselves in the way they use this concept in dealing with the meaning of culture for their self-understanding and public representation in every-day social life.