The Church of Scotland has announced the members of its new Commission on the Purposes of Economic Activity, which will take two years exploring basic ethical and moral questions.

Opinion is divided about how far the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has gone in its proposals for how to make the banks pay for the crisis, says Owen Tudor. For some, it has taken some unexpectedly radical steps forward, but for others it has not yet produced an adequate solution.

Church and fair finance groups are due to meet in Edinburgh to look at what ethical and socially responsible banking and investment can mean for churches and the wider community.

In his New Year Message, the Archbishop of Canterbury has urged reconsideration of the importance placed on material wealth, stressing the need to 'turn outwards' and appreciate the treasure of our fellow human beings instead.