Acton Line

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Bruce Edward Walker talks with Ray Nothstine, Opinion Editor of the the North State Journal and Editor at the Civitas Institute, on the alternative country music genre. Then, Caroline Roberts interviews Jordan Ballor, Senior Research Fellow and Director of Publishing at the Acton Institute, on the link between Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Abraham Kuyper, and Thanksgiving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Caroline Roberts talks with Rev. Ben Johnson, Senior Editor at the Acton Institute, about the Religion & Liberty Transatlantic publication. They discuss the publication's purpose, goals, as well as the spirit and struggles that Americans and Europeans share. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker, Caroline Roberts, Daniel Menjivar, and Jordan Ballor hold a roundtable discussion on Marvel's latest movie release, Thor: Ragnarok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Dylan Pahman, Managing Editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality at the Acton Institute, speaks with Matt Kibbe, President and Director of Free the People, about political cronyism. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker discusses the movie Thank You for Your Service and the depiction of veterans in media with veteran Miguel Alejos. Interested in diving deeper into the discussion on political cronyism? Join Acton and Matt Kibbe for Acton on Tap on November 19 at New Holland Brewing in Grand Rapids, MI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Marc Vander Maas talks to Joe Carter, senior editor at the Acton Institute, on wealth creation versus redistribution of wealth. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker discusses recent jazz releases with Daniel Montgomery, former director of marketing and design at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Caroline Roberts talks with Fr. Ben Johnson, Senior Editor at the Acton Institute on the pitfalls of sin taxes. Then, on the Econ Quiz segment, Caroline speaks to Anne Rathbone Bradley, Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics and visiting professor at Georgetown University, about the impact of Amazon and whether or not it is a monopoly. On the Upstream segment, Caroline and Bruce Edward Walker talk about the life and work of the late science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, John Couretas, Director of Communications at the Acton Institute, speaks with Daniel J. Mahoney, Professor of Political Science at Assumption College, on the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker and Daniel Menjivar talk about Blade Runner 2049. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Caroline Roberts talks with Ben DeGrow, Director of Education Policy at The Mackinac Center for Public Policy, about school choice, previewing his panel presentation at Acton's upcoming Education and Freedom event. Then, Caroline Roberts hosts another Econ Quiz with guest Dave Hebert, Professor of Economics at Aquinas college on the topic of the week: tax reform. Finally, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker talks with Jonathan R. Eller, Chancellors Professor of English at the Indiana University School for Liberal Arts and Director of the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies about the life and legacy Ray Bradbury. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Paul Bonicelli, Director of Programs and Education at the Acton Institute talks about Acton's upcoming Education & Freedom conference and the future of education in America with Tom Lindsay, Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Higher Education. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker talks with Sam Buntz, writer at The Federalist, about The Devil and Father Amorth, a new documentary by William Friedkin, director of the classic 1973 movie The Exorcist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Caroline Roberts talks with Paul Kengor, Professor of Political Science at Grove City College about his new book on the extraordinary relationship between President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker talks with James Hohman, Director of Fiscal Policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy about the recent horror films It and Mother!. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Radio Free Acton, we are joined by Mollie Hemingway, Senior Editor at the Federalist who speaks with Acton's Sarah Stanley about fake news and the breakdown of trust in media institutions. Following that, Bruce Edward Walker speaks with musician and writer Robert Dean Lurie about the music of Fleet Foxes and R.E.M. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Radio Free Acton we have Joe Carter, senior editor for Acton and Adjunct Professor of Journalism at Patrick Henry College talking with Caroline Roberts about Antifa, the Alt Right, and how Christians should respond to the messages of both groups. Following that, Bruce Edward Walker speaks with Gregory Wolfe about the art of Renee Radell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Radio Free Acton we have Gleaves Whitney, director of Grand Valley State's Hauenstein center for Presidential Studies talking with Bruce Edward Walker on Russel Kirk and the Conservative Mind. Following up on that is another great Upstream segment with Titus Techera on the new Amazon series Comrade Detective, and how the communist satire is pro-free market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's edition of Radio Free Acton we have Bruce Edward Walker talking to Sam Karnick on Prog Rock. After that we have Caroline Roberts interviewing economist Victor Claar on the morality of price gouging. Then to top it off we have another edition of the Acton Mail bag, this time featuring Rev. Robert Sirico in the chair to answer some questions from our interns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, Bruce Edward Walker speaks with Ismael Hernandez of the Freedom and Virtue Institute about "Detroit," the new film from Katheryn Bigelow about the Algiers Motel incident during the 1967 Detroit riots, particularly discussing how this film does or does not reinforce harmful narratives within the black community in the United States. We follow that up with a conversation between assistant producer Caroline Roberts and Jacqueline Isaacs about her contribution to the book "Called to Freedom: Why you can be Christian and Libertarian." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Radio Free Acton we have guest Jacqueline Issacs on the show to preview her Acton on Tap lecture and talk a little about why you can be a libertarian Christian; she is interviewed by senior research fellow Jordan Ballor. After that Bruce Edward Walker is on the show with Upstream, talking to summer intern Anita Chen about War for the Planet of the Apes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Radio Free Acton, the co-founder and President of the Acton Institute - Rev. Robert A. Sirico - stops by to field questions from our summer interns, and Bruce Edward Walker, Dan Hugger, and Charissa Reul discuss "Baby Driver" in our Upstream segment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Radio Free Acton, Bruce Edward Walker welcomes Ray Nothstine of the North State Journal to "Upstream" to review Christopher Nolan's latest film, "Dunkirk." Then Walker speaks with Seth Bartee of the Kirk Center on Russell Kirk's wisdom on leisure, work, and how Christians can best impact society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk with Jim McGann (senior lecturer of International Studies at the Lauder Institute, director of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program and senior fellow, Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania) about the world of think tanks - what they are, what they do well, and where they can improve their effectiveness. Then RFA Chief Cultural Correspondent Bruce Edward Walker joins the show to lead a discussion on the latest entry into the Marvel cinematic universe, Spiderman: Homecoming. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Radio Free Acton we have an interview from Acton University with Chris Armstrong, author of the new book "Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C.S. Lewis." We look at the difference between modern and medieval Christians, and what makes a good story. Then it's another edition of Upstream with Forbes cultural correspondent Bruce Edward Walker on the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival and the Rock and Roll culture of the time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk to Thomas Kidd professor of history at Baylor, Associate Director of Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion and author of the new book Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father. After that, Bruce Walker and Marc talk about the recently released Mavis Staples concert album I'll Take You There: An All-Star Concert Celebration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk with Acton Research Fellow and Managing Editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality Dylan Pahman on his new book, "Foundations of a Free and Virtuous Society." Then on Upstream with Bruce Edward Walker, we catch up on current horror films and television, with discussions on Alien: Covenant, Twin Peaks, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk with John Lauck - founding president of the Midwestern History Association, the associate editor and book review editor of the Middle West Review, and an adjunct professor of history and political science at the University of South Dakota - about his new book on the American Midwest, "From Warm Center to Ragged Edge". Then Bruce Edward Walker shares his review of the latest work from former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters on our cultural segment, Upstream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we talk with Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg about the surprising results of the snap parliamentary election in the UK that saw the conservatives lose their majority in the House of Commons, and discuss what this means for the Brexit process and British politics in general. We're also excited to introduce a new segment on Radio Free Acton: Upstream with Bruce Edward Walker. We'll be talking about culture in this regular feature - movies, music, literature, and more - and we start with a review of Wonder Woman, the latest film from DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawrence Reed is the President of the Foundation for Economic Education, and he joins us on this edition of Radio Free Acton to talk about his new book, "Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character, and Conviction". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined in studio by Dr. John Mark Reynolds, President of the St. Constantine School, to talk about beauty, and whether or not we can truly know if something is beautiful or not. We also talk about the St. Constantine School and how the educational model they use differs from the more common pedagogy seen in American education today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Micah Watson, the William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar Chair at Calvin College, to discuss the views of C.S. Lewis on democracy, specifically as they relate to the area of education. Lewis was not a fan of democracy, and worried about the effect of democratic inclinations within a culture on the quality of education systems. Watson - joined by Acton Institute Senior Research Fellow Jordan Ballor and Director of Programs and Education Paul Bonicelli - explores the thought of Lewis on this vital topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're excited to talk to John Stonestreet, President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. We examine the major contributions of Christianity to western culture, try to figure out if there's a reasonable system of thought that could replace it in our society, and explore a bit of what the secular left has replaced Christianity with. Spoiler alert: it's sex. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we talk with Brent Waters, Jerre and Mary Joy Stead professor of Christian social ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and author of Just Capitalism: A Christian Ethic of Economic Globalization. The market economy is often criticized as being unjust and harmful to the poor, but Waters makes the argument that global capitalism is well-suited to provide the material goods that are a necessary prerequisite for human flourishing, thus offering the most realistic and promising way for Christians to exercise the preferential option for the poor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, international trade attorney and Cato Institute Adjunct Scholar Scott Lincicome joins us to give us the real story on the benefits of international trade for the United States, and dispels some myths about the impacts of trade on U.S. industry and consumers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Radio Free Acton, we talk with Anne Rathbone Bradley, Ph.D. She serves as Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, and joins us to talk about the vital role that economic freedom plays in lifting people out of poverty. We also address some of the common clichés that are used to attack the market economy, and even take a short peek into the political economy of Al Qaeda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we welcome back John Wilsey - Assistant Professor of History and Christian Apologetics and Associate Director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary - and hand over the reins of the podcast to him as he talks with author and social theorist James Poulos about his new book, "The Art of Being Free: How Alexis de Tocqueville Can Save Us from Ourselves". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg about the life and impact of Michael Novak, who passed away on February 17, 2017. Novak, a Roman Catholic theologian, philosopher, and author, was a powerful defender of human liberty and made vital contributions to our understanding of the morality of the market economy. Novak's influence was an important factor in Rev. Robert A. Sirico's effort to found the Acton Institute, and he served as a mentor to many at Acton over the years. Gregg shares Novak's history, starting with his time on the left in the 1960s and 70s, and recounting his gradual shift toward conservative thought that culminated with the publication of his masterwork, 1982's "The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Judge Joseph Scoville, former United States magistrate judge for the western district of Michigan, to review the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court. We examine the qualifications and judicial philosophy of Judge Gorsuch, and address the question of whether or not the left is correct to accuse Republicans of "stealing" the seat from President Obama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute and the editor of the Cato Supreme Court Journal, to discuss the politics surrounding judicial nominations in modern America, and the judicial legacy that presidents leave behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we have a panel discussion on the prospects for a Christian Democratic political movement in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Avik Roy, Opinion Editor at Forbes magazine and the founder and president of a new think tank, The Foundation for Research on Economic Opportunity. He's been an insightful critic of the health care reform process in the US since Congress began debating what would become Obamacare in 2009. Through his new organization, he's published a plan to reform the American health care system in a way that maximizes coverage in the population while significantly reducing the cost of health care for both consumers and the government. It's called "Transcending Obamacare." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with David LaRocca, philosopher, author, and filmmaker, who has released a documentary on Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur Brunello Cuccinelli. Cucinelli has built a successful company by creating high-quality apparel, but more interesting than that is the philosophy that undergirds his business and all of his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, discusses the prospects of the movement for liberty and free markets in the Latino community on this edition of Radio Free Acton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with cultural historian and author Victoria Coates on the capacity of democracy to inspire great works of art. Coates is the author of David's Sling: The History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art, and spoke on the topic as part of the 2016 Acton Lecture Series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, Jordan Ballor - Acton Research Fellow, Director of Publishing, and Executive Editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality - talks with Benjamin Domenech, Publisher of The Federalist, about the current populist moment in American politics, the roots of American populism, and what the possible outcomes of the current populist uprising may be for the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by John Wilsey, Assistant Professor of History and Christian Apologetics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, to discuss Alexis de Tocqueville's masterwork "Democracy In America." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with Karl Zinsmeister, Vice President at Philanthropy Roundtable, about efforts to improve public education outcomes over the years, why charter schools are succeeding where past reform efforts have failed, and the role of private philanthropy in fostering that success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with Jordan Ballor, General Editor of the Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology, a major series of new translations of Abraham Kuyper’s key works. We discuss the genesis of the project, and examine what Kuyper has to say to modern Christians and why his contributions remain relevant a century after their initial publication. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acton Institute Research Fellow Kevin Schmiesing joins us on this edition of Radio Free Acton to discuss the latest book release from the Acton Institute, "One and Indivisible: The Relationship Between Religious and Economic Freedom." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week on Radio Free Acton, we sat down with Acton Institute Director of International Outreach Todd Huizinga to preview the then-upcoming Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom. This week, we're back again with Todd to review the stunning results of the referendum, the reactions to it in both the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the prospects for EU reform and British prosperity in the near and long-term future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acton Institute Director of International Outreach Todd Huizinga, author of "The New Totalitarian Temptation: Global Governance and the Crisis of Democracy in Europe", discusses the upcoming British referendum on leaving the European Union on this edition of Radio Free Acton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, Acton Institute President Rev. Robert A. Sirico sits down with the host of EWTN's The World Over, Raymond Arroyo, for a wide-ranging discussion that touches on the life of Mother Angelica, the power of story, and the pontificate of Pope Francis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Radio Free Acton, Magatte Wade joins us to discuss the challenges and rewards of being an entrepreneur in Africa. Too often, people in the West tend to think of Africa as a place to send aid rather than a place to engage in Trade. Magatte is working to change that attitude while building the local economy in her native Senegal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

William B. Allen, Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy in the Department of Political Science and Emeritus Dean, James Madison College, at Michigan State University, joins the podcast to talk about what the 2016 presidential race says about the national character of the United States, and about the importance to liberty of freedom of conscience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acton Institute Director of International Outreach Todd Huizinga joins us on this week's edition of Radio Free Acton to discuss his new book, The New Totalitarian Temptation: Global Governance and the Crisis of Democracy in Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.