Aside for the secretaries of state, those lofty roles at the Home Office, MOD, Exchequer, and Foreign office, the ministers of the UK are a cast of roles that expand, and contract based on the whims and political needs of the Prime Minister. Within their portfolios those MPs and Lords are immensely powerful - able to reshape whole sectors of British society, grant or refuse government contracts and planning permission, and intervene in matters throughout the country. And yet, few members of the British Public could name every single minister and fewer still could say the extent of each minister's responsibilities. We like to imagine that they are competent, prepared, and entirely in control, and we hold them to standards as though they are. But they are often none of those things. These men and women serve at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. Any misstep or scandal can invite media attention, public outcry, and their swift departure. At the same time, their resignations can shatter political alliances and bring down Prime Ministers and even governments. Their positions are, therefore, both immensely powerful and precarious. In Fifteen Minutes of Power, Peter Riddell draws on interviews with former ministers, conducted on behalf of the Institute of Government, to reveal the fraught existence of these powerful men and women.

Aside for the secretaries of state, those lofty roles at the Home Office, MOD, Exchequer, and Foreign office, the ministers of the UK are a cast of roles that expand, and contract based on the whims and political needs of the Prime Minister. Within their portfolios those MPs and Lords are immensely powerful - able to reshape whole sectors of British society, grant or refuse government contracts and planning permission, and intervene in matters throughout the country.

And yet, few members of the British Public could name every single minister and fewer still could say the extent of each minister's responsibilities. We like to imagine that they are competent, prepared, and entirely in control, and we hold them to standards as though they are. But they are often none of those things.

These men and women serve at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. Any misstep or scandal can invite media attention, public outcry, and their swift departure. At the same time, their resignations can shatter political alliances and bring down Prime Ministers and even governments. Their positions are, therefore, both immensely powerful and precarious. In Fifteen Minutes of Power, Peter Riddell draws on interviews with former ministers, conducted on behalf of the Institute of Government, to reveal the fraught existence of these powerful men and women.

In this 2012 issue of the CSIOF Bulletin we have a rich collection of contributions addressing two main themes: Islam and its primary texts and Christian-Muslim relations in the contemporary world. Bernie Power has provided several stimulating articles that consider fundamental questions for Christians relating to the nature of God and the role of Muhammad. As part of this discussion he asks whether it is even possible to study the tradition of another religion. Christina Cirucci and Brent Neely then consider various angles on the Bible and Qur'an, taking account of both textual and narrative elements. The second section of feature articles casts a spotlight on diverse contexts in the Islamic world: Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Mali and Nigeria. It is difficult to examine such locations without considering the experience of Christians living under Islamic majorities. Andy Bannister gives shape to this issue in his excellent analysis of religious persecutions, its causes and roots. The Communiques and reviews provide information on various lectures and related activities at a number of different locations in Australia and overseas, as well as perspectives on several recent books of interests to our readership.

The papers in this volume fall into two parts. Part Oneaddresses the much-discussed topic of jihad, providing various angleson this question. Part Two focuses upon particular countries and cultures. CONTENTS: (1) Introduction - Peter Riddell. (2) Fighting the Unbelievers: Various Perspectives on Qur'an 9:29 by Muslim Theologians - Denis Saveliev. (3) The Kharijites - John Kingsbury. (4) Greater and Lesser Jihad: Competing or Complementary Perspectives. (5) The Vision for Pakistan: Muslim State of Islamic State - John Bales. (6) A New Day for Islamist Politics in Modern Turkey - Richard Duncalfe. (7) Issues Affecting the Relationship between Islam and the State in Australia - Richard Bath. (8) Is Islam Compatible with 21st Century Western Values and Ideals? - Theo Kalmbach.

This Bulletin issue predominantly considers the study of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations. The first two articles provide different angles on the question of unity and diversity within the world of Islam, considering the elements of "glue" that bind the rich variety across the Islamic world. The remaining articles present papers delivered at two very different conferences. The articles on the Hadith and the Da'iyya were presented as papers by CSIOF researchers at an inter-institutional Day Conference held at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne on 4 August 2010. One year earlier, on 2-3 October 2009, a conference was held in Melbourne to mark the centenary of the great 1910 Edinburgh missions conference. The Melbourne gathering is described in the editor's brief contribution, followed by the two plenary addresses. Two communiques follow, providing windows into Christian- Muslim issues in Germany and Britain. Then comes a series of reviews of books and films, covering wide-ranging topics and locations of relevance to the study of Islam. This issue of the Bulletin concludes with a summary of news and activities from the CSIOF over the last twelve months. TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES Islam: Unity in Diversity 1 Islam: Unity in Diversity 2 Muslim Scholars Address the Hadith Making of a Missionary: the Da iyya Australia Looks Towards Edinburgh Christian Mission Among Other Faiths Contextual Mission: An Australian Perspective COMMUNIQUES Graduate Seminar in Theology in Stuttgart The Islamic Republic of Britain? A Personal Odyssey REVIEWS The Story of the Qur'an The Banquet: A Reading of the Fifth Sura of the Qur'an Approaches to the Qur'an in Contemporary Indonesia Islamic Legal Thought in Modern Indonesia God's Battalions World of the Spirits The Wedding Song The Third Choice A God who Hates The World Turned Upside Down Another Attack on the Reliability of the Bible CSIOF NEWS AND ACTIVITIES Postgraduate Research Seminars on Islam 2010