Every Australian Christian should read this book. An outrageous claim? Then read on. Most Christians rightly react to the idea of child sexual abuse with abhorrence. At the same time, they often have difficulty really believing that it happens commonly, especially in the church.

The Bible for Dummies is exactly the kind of book appropriate for someone wanting to be introduced to the Bible, and to make sense of what for many unbelievers and even new Christians is an intimidating and difficult volume.

Veteran surfer Glyndyn Ringrose, 30, fought off stiff competition from local boy Kirk Flintoff to win last month's Jesus Pro-Am Surfing Contest at Maroubra beach. The warm autumn sun brought out a strong crowd to see the 130 elite surfers vie for a share in the $7000 prize pool. But the competition, organised by Christian Surfers, wasn't about money. In his acceptance speech Glyndyn said: “The reason we are here is Jesus; he gives us direction and hope. I am just so stoked to know him.”

Over the last few months we have probably all seen enough footage of tanks, bombs and injured children to last a lifetime. There are some industries that inevitably thrive on the misery of others, and the news media is one of them. Not that I'm suggesting they all enjoy it (I suspect the frontline correspondents would probably rather be anywhere else when the missiles shake the floor), but you can't escape the fact that wars equal ratings…

In the wake of the Diocese of New Westminster's decision last year to bless same-sex unions, debate over which one of two Canadian bishops will have episcopal oversight of conservative parishes in the Diocese represents the latest round in the ongoing controversy.

Mention of the Battle of Waterloo tends to conjure up in one's mind rows of soldiers in formation facing the enemy; likewise sailors manning ships in the Battle of Trafalgar. Even the more recent Battle of Britain suggests primarily airmen, planes, bombs and anti-aircraft fire, but the reality is a far more complex array of personnel and a diverse sequence of events.

Warfare in the name of religion is the most talked about topic right now. Certain elements in Islam - call them extremists or fundamentalists, or simply men and women who take their sacred writings seriously - have declared a holy war against the enemies of their faith. Of course, Christianity, as much as Islam, has had a tradition of holy war. Just as one finds within the Muslim world a variety of opinions regarding the waging of war, similarly Christians have historically taken different stances, the most notable being pacifism and the ‘just war' tradition.

Christian ministry for Howard Dillon has always had a practical edge. Half a lifetime ago, as a young Anglican minister, he signed on for a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was sent to the hospital at Vung Tau, about 60 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City.