The Transit Lounge

Alison Atkinson-Phillips

The inaccurately named Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Melbourne recently was not a parliament in the sense of a decision-making body, or even in terms of having actual representatives from all the world’s religions — although organisers claimed to have 220 religions and spiritual traditions represented.

In most sessions, there was a domination of local (Australian) and North American voices, perhaps reflecting the fact that the Parliament’s headquarters is in Chicago, where the first Parliament was held over 100 years ago, and the first modern Parliament held in 1984.

Meera Atkinson

It’s a stereotype that men are violent, defensive and emotionally unavailable, that the only way they know how to relate to each other is on a football field or stilted one syllable small talk over a beer. For many men this is not far from the truth; but some of them are reading to fight the conditioning.

Ash Horton works in men’s ministry at the Anglican Unichurch in Perth. A leader of the ironically named Unichurch “Fight Club”, Ash refers to it as, “A ministry for the blokes,” mostly young men aged between 15 to 26.

What’s life like for a young female minister of religion in today’s world? How does she negotiate relationships and can she get a date?

Kym Pryor

When I found out I was to lose my job earlier in the year, it seemed to me that my whole world was collapsing.  I little suspected that such a circumstance would open the door to a life-changing opportunity—a glimpse of life East Timor style.

Cath James 

The traditional wedding reception is structured around the food, with the promise of dessert after the speeches. The food at weddings speaks volumes: Have they paid a lot of money for it? Is it chicken or beef? Are the servings so large that most leave food on their plates? Food in a wealthy country is often not about sustenance, but it says a lot about our culture and what we value.