Christians and other non-Islamic asylum seekers continue to be the targets of religious violence in detention centres around Australia, despite the efforts of Christian leaders to seek government help in protecting detainees.

In the wake of the recent State election the Rev Dr Gordon Moyes from the Christian Democratic Party (CDP) has described support from church leaders as ‘too little, too late'. Dr Moyes has been returned to the upper house in his own right and will join Fred Nile. But the Rev Ross Clifford, Principal of Morling Theological College, who also stood for the CDP, was not elected.

Rick Filmer, verger of St Andrew's Cathedral was pelted with stones and verbally abused as he stood inside the Cathedral entrance during a violent anti-war demonstration in Sydney Square on March 26.

First published on September 10, 2001, Stupid White Men is a book that very nearly wasn't. The 9/11 attacks made publishers Harper-Collins twitchy about selling a book which accuses George W Bush of ‘stealing' the presidency, argues for a reduction in spending on the defence forces and criticises almost every facet of modern American society.

In his introduction to I Heard A Voice, Archbishop Harry Goodhew lists his reactions to reading the book as pleasure, admiration for the author's courage, and being struck by the personal nature of the account of her life.

It is a common practice among Christians to meet regularly for short periods to pray and learn together from God's word. In my experience, such times are profitable in providing accountability, building deep relationships with fellow believers and being encouraged to persevere in the faith.

We Belong to the Land tells the story of Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian priest in Northern Galilee. It discusses a number of the tragic events that has afflicted Palestinians – Chacour's family is evicted from their village in Northern Gallilee in 1948, the massacre of 3000 men, women and children in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and Chacour's agonising visit to the Gaza strip in 1988 during the Intifada. However the main thrust of the book is on his work towards reconciliation.

Is it possible to reach a Christian position on war? In any discussion of war it is unlikely that ‘the Church' will speak with ‘one voice' on the matter. That is because of two complementary aspects of the Bible's teaching. On the one hand, the Bible teaches that people powerfully pursue their own goals at the expense of others—they ‘sin' against each other—and such a world requires rulers who sometimes enforce peace by means of coercion (while resisting the temptation to sin). Yet on the other hand, God intends for human societies to live in peace, without death and bloodshed, and redeems people for himself who are committed to this peaceful life, now and in future.