Resident Evil – Horror Film and the Construction of Religious Identity in Contemporary Media Culture. Written by Paul Teusner Paper presented for the Qualifying Examination of the Master of Theology (Theol.M.) Melbourne College of Divinity August 2002 Supervisor: Rev Dr Peter Horsfield Cultures are meaning making organisms. Participation in a culture offers human life a [...]

On Sunday April 28, 1996, 35 people were killed by one gunman, Martin Bryant, at Port Arthur, Tasmania. In June 96, two months after the shootings, I conducted research in two high schools in Tasmania – one in the north of the state and one in the south, near Hobart which is one hour’s drive [...]

The terrible events of Sunday April 28, 1996, when a lone gunman killed 35 people at Port Arthur, Tasmania, shocked most Australians. Waves of disbelief and grief washed over the peaceful and tranquil holiday isle of Tasmania. All through that long Sunday my gaze was riveted to the television as the drama unfolded because of [...]

Much contemporary church practice assumes the role of marriage and family. On many church notice boards people can read of a family service, children and youth groups and family support programmes like crèche and parenting courses. These practices are often embedded in what is understood as traditional family values – the ‘nuclear family’, the raising [...]

Three Quests 
Young people searching for meaning at the cinema 
By Jonathan Sargeant

 One of the common questions asked by anyone who has a concern about the effect the medium of films may have on young people is this…”What kind of meaning can young people possibly be deriving about humanity, about the world, and the [...]