An international group of theologians met recently at Luther Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota, USA, to develop critical theological responses to 'empire' in the context of a divided and unequal world.

Both the Easter story and recent political dramas in the Middle East highlight deep questions about power, says Colin Morris. They show that the power of life is about persuasion.

A slave market whipping post once stood where the high altar now rises inside Zanzibar's 127-year-old Christ Church Cathedral. Here the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, began the Eucharist on 18 February 2007 with prayers asking "forgiveness for the past, mercy for the present, and humility for the future" - writes Bob Williams for Episcopal News Service USA.