Leading theologian Professor Russel Botman has declined to stand as a candidate in South Africa's forthcoming elections for a party that has broken away from the country's ruling ANC.

The Bible needs to be re-read from the viewpoint of women so as to shatter "institutionalised patriarchy", which is reinforced by "conservative" biblical interpretation, says a leader of a prominent group of women theologians.

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.

Some 25 theologians from all over the world will gather on 5-8 December 2006 in Cret-Berard (near Lausanne, Switzerland), to discuss why and to what extent the persistence of cruelty can be considered as an important theme for theological reflection.