"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt.5:3)

Led by Paul Woolley, director of ecumenical think-tank Theos, this stream looked at the challenge and message issued to us through Jesus' words in the Beatitudes, and the way in which the media is effective in communicating this message.

The beatitudes were held up in comparison to the words of John Lennon's 'Imagine' and C.S Lewis' 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' as examples of a world view being presented to an audience. The ensuing discussions focused on the comparative possibilities and realities of these worlds, and the different ways in which they are presented. As both consumers and producers of media, how can Christians communicate the ideals of the beatitudes to wider society in the most effective manner, whilst staying faithful to the truth of the Gospel? In a society which can often seem hostile to faith and unaware of religious values, the call of the beatitudes must remain as strong as ever; the way in which this call is and should be lived out through Christians in the media can take many different forms, as the contributions offered to this stream demonstrated.