diff -r 9585441a4bfb -r 5a72c00c4ae4 lib/template.py
--- a/lib/template.py	Sun Feb 08 00:29:36 2009 +0200
+++ b/lib/template.py	Sun Feb 08 02:29:23 2009 +0200
@@ -28,45 +28,51 @@
 
     pass
 
-def render (tpl, **params) :
-    """
-        Render the given template, returning the output as a unicode string, or raising a TemplateError
-    """
-
-    try :
-        return tpl.render_unicode(
-            # global helper stuff
-            h           = helpers,
-
-            # render-specific params
-            **params
-        )
-    
-    # a template may render other templates
-    except TemplateError :
-        raise
-
-    except :
-        details = exceptions.text_error_template().render()
-
-        raise TemplateError("Template render failed", status='500 Internal Server Error', details=details)
-
 class TemplateLoader (mako.lookup.TemplateLookup) :
     """
         Our own specialization of mako's TemplateLookup
     """
 
-    def __init__ (self, path, fileext=TEMPLATE_EXT) :
+    def __init__ (self, path, fileext=TEMPLATE_EXT, **env) :
         """
-            Initialize to load templates located at path, with the given file extension
+            Initialize to load templates located at path, with the given file extension.
+
+            The given **env list is supplied to every template render
         """
 
         # store
         self.path = path
         self.fileext = fileext
+        self.env = env
+            
+        # build the TemplateLookup
+        super(TemplateLoader, self).__init__(directories=[path], module_directory=CACHE_DIR)
+    
+    @staticmethod
+    def _render (tpl, env, params) :
+        """
+            Render the given template with given env/params, returning the output as a unicode string, or raising a TemplateError
+        """
+
+        # build the context from our superglobals, env, and params
+        ctx = dict(
+            h       = helpers,
+        )
+        ctx.update(env)
+        ctx.update(params)
+
+        try :
+            return tpl.render_unicode(**ctx)
         
-        # XXX: separate cache?
-        super(TemplateLoader, self).__init__(directories=[path], module_directory=CACHE_DIR)
+        # a template may render other templates
+        except TemplateError :
+            raise
+
+        except :
+            details = exceptions.text_error_template().render()
+
+            raise TemplateError("Template render failed", status='500 Internal Server Error', details=details)
+
 
     def lookup (self, name) :
         """
@@ -84,7 +90,7 @@
             Render a template, using lookup() on the given name
         """
 
-        return render(self.lookup(name), **params)
+        return self._render(self.lookup(name), self.env, params)
 
     def render_to_response (self, name, **params) :
         """
@@ -108,9 +114,15 @@
     @classmethod
     def render_file (cls, path, **params) :
         """
-            Render a template, using load() on the given path
+            Render a template, using load() on the given path. No global environment vars are defined for the render.
         """
 
-        return render(cls.load(path), **params)
+        return cls._render(cls.load(path), dict(), params)
 
-
+    @classmethod
+    def render_template (cls, template, **params) :
+        """
+            Render the given template object. No global environment vars are defined for the render.
+        """
+        
+        return cls._render(template, dict(), params)