Ross Saunders led a series of studies at Christ Church, Lavender Bay during Lent in 1999. His insights into the people and events of Jesus’ time in Palestine brought a dramatically enlightening approach to the New Testament accounts of the crucifixion. Following each presentation there was opportunity for discussion and elucidation.

It should not surprise us to read a book about Christian institutions by the General Secretary of one of Australia’s largest religious institutions Bruce Kaye’s examination of "Who are we and where did we come from?" is thoroughly committed to the value of institutions. There is a need for ongoing re-examination, discussion and development. But the value of and need for an overall institution of collective churches governance is never in question.

The True History of the Kelly Gang is Peter Carey’s masterpiece. It represents the apex of his career-long concern to explode Australians’ self-identity.

Athough John Grisham’s reputation for suspenseful legal drama is solid, I was one of the uninitiated until I read The Testament. The experience proved to be less onerous than expected.

The Secret of Saint Nicholas deals with an issue that many parents, not just Christians, find very difficult – what to do about Santa?

In AD 33, after the First Easter, there were only 120 Christians in the world. Yet by AD 300 it has been estimated that there were about six million, or about ten per cent of the population of the Roman Empire. This dramatic growth continued so that by the mid 300's Christian numbers had swelled so that about one in every two person was a church member.

Holocaust literature is an overburdened realm. The moral freight that accompanies even the slightest efforts in this genre can sit heavily with reviewers and readers alike and has resulted in the honouring of some rather lightweight novels purely on the basis of their subject matter.

If the Gospel of John is the most enigmatic among the four gospels, then the Johannine letters certainly do not let the side down. Issues of context such as who was the recipient of the letters, and what were their purpose remain tantalizingly unclear.