Greek court rules on 'blasphemous' book

A court in Athens has begun hearings into whether to order a ban on a best-selling book which describes Jesus Christ having sexual fantasies.

The novel, called "M to the Power N", by a former communist member of parliament, Mimis Androulakis, has been denounced by many bishops of the Greek Orthodox church.

It's already been banned in northern Greece after a judge said she feared social unrest if the book went on sale.

The hearing in Athens will decide whether to overturn the ban or extend it to the rest of the country. The BBC correspondent in Greece says no one can remember a book being permanently banned there since the time of the military junta.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service