Roundup: Gender equality, disaster myths, jubilee, blasphemy, cinema, prayer and evangelism

Governments to promote gender equality in the Pacific

Gender equality in the Pacific will be bolstered through a regional initiative announced today by the Australian Prime Minister at the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands.

Debunking disaster myths

Theologian explores the nature of God’s power in disasters

Renewed call for economic jubilee

Hundreds of activists across the UK are signing up to a new Jubilee for Justice call for countries afflicted by debt.

Blasphemy and the law

While the pain caused to believers by the defilement of cherished religious symbols and teachings is real and traumatic, laws that criminalise “defamation” of religion or inciting religious hatred are doctrinally unsound and legally dangerous.

From the Widsom of St Cinemas

If one visits the arthouse theatres of Mount Athos today and asks moviegoing monks who they would recommend for spiritual reading, the name of St Cinemas will sometimes hear his name whispered, muttered, or carefully unspoken. Yet his influence on cinephile spirituality goes on in little-known circles of the moviegoing faithful.

Want prayer?

Progressive evangelism means first and foremost living out, in a very visceral way, the baptismal promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons and loving your neighbour as yourself. It assumes that Christ is already present. The goal is not to bring people to church but to reveal the presence of church between you and the person you’re talking to.