Roundup: Dead Sea Scrolls, Palestinian statehood, climate justice, Wangari Maathai, ethics classes, James Haire

Dead Sea Scrolls online: a window on Judaism in the time of Jesus

Five of the Dead Sea Scrolls are now online. More could be coming in the years ahead. The Dead Sea Scrolls show the diversity of Jewish religious thought around the time of Jesus.

Western Christians should support a Palestinian statehood

The majority of Christians and church leaders in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip support the Palestinian bid to seek full statehood at the United Nations.

Call for action on climate justice

Climate change is impacting human life and nature in severe ways. Yet it is the vulnerable who suffer most. As the life of such people is dependent on eco-systems for survival, churches join hands with other faith based organizations to support their cause, stressing an ethical aspect in the debate on climate change.

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, dies at 71

Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist who began a movement to reforest her country by paying poor women a few shillings to plant trees and who went on to become the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, died here on Sunday. She was 71

Nile told to drop ethics class fight

Most religious groups that conduct scripture classes in schools have urged the Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile to drop his campaign against ethics classes, arguing the fight is over.

UQ’s Emmanuel College honours renowned fellows

The University of Queensland’s Emmanuel College installed three high-profile Honorary Fellows in the presence of Queensland Governor Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC during its Centenary Year Founders’ Day service recently.