Acton Line

In this episode of Acton Line, Eric Kohn, our director of marketing and communications, sits down with Samuel Goldman, associate professor of political science at George Washington University, to discuss the history of our American national identity as explored in his new book, “After Nationalism: Being American in an Age of Division.” Goldman lays out the history of American national identity and offers new inspiration for how we can live together despite our current polarization and division. Subscribe to our podcasts After Nationalism: Being American in an Age of Division God's Country: Christian Zionism in America Loeb Institute for Religious Freedom About Samuel Goldman Politics & Values Program at George Washington University Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of marketing and communications, sits down with Matt Brown, sports journalist and author of the “Extra Points” daily newsletter. They discuss the economic system behind college athletics and athletes’ compensation in general. Subscribe to our podcasts Extra Points with Matt Brown Extra Points Podcast What If?: A closer look at college football's great questions | By Matt Brown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan Hugger, research associate and librarian here at Acton, sits down with Dr. Micah Watson, associate professor and executive director of the Paul Henry Institute at Calvin University, to discuss Congressman Paul Henry and his leadership in shaping the way Christian politicians live out their faith within their public service. The Paul Henry Institute seeks “to understand the role of faith in public life across time, from the earliest efforts of ancient peoples to organize their laws and institutions to present-day tensions between religion and the modern state.” Subscribe to our podcasts About Dr. Micah Watson Henry Institute for the study of Christianity and politics 5 Things that Christianity brings to our understanding of politics | Acton Institute Controversial Christianity: Understanding faith and politics | Acton Institute Our Mission & Core Principles | Acton Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special edition of Acton Line, featuring Ian Rowe, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, speaking on his new book, “Agency.“ On Wednesday, March 16, Rowe visited the Acton Institute for a discussion in front of a live audience with Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of marketing and communications. Rowe spoke on how we can inspire young people as they make the passage into adulthood. All children should be taught that a path to a successful life exists and that they have the power to follow it. Subscribe to our podcasts "Agency" by Ian Rowe | Book About Ian Rowe American Enterprise Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan Churchwell, director of program outreach here at Acton, sits down with James Whitford, executive director of Watered Gardens Ministries, to discuss the challenges of poverty we face here in our communities. Whitford supports the economic principle of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity is a social practice where neighbors help neighbors so the state doesn’t have to intervene. This discourages reliance on the welfare state and avoids government bureaucracy. Subscribe to our podcasts Watered Gardens Ministries The Principle of Subsidiarity Build Together: Why lived experience is essential for crafting poverty solutions God doesn't need your good works (but your neighbor does) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan Hugger sits down with Acton’s director of research, Samuel Gregg, to discuss his new book, “The Essential Natural Law.” They explore the fundamental principles of natural law and their place in Western thought and tradition. How does natural law deepen our understanding of economics, justice, human rights, private property, and the rule of law? Is our path to increased human flourishing contingent on the principles of natural law being applied? Subscribe to our podcasts About Sam Gregg Fraser Institute “The Essential Natural Law” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of communications, sits down with Joseph Lehman, president of the Mackinac Center, to discuss the “Overton Window” and the influence it continues to play in politics. How can we use it to understand changing ideas in our culture and the marketplace? Subscribe to our podcasts Joseph G. Lehman, President of the Mackinac Center Mackinac Center for Public Policy The Overton Window | Mackinac Center The Overton Window: The Most Misunderstood Concept in Politics | The Daily Wire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan Hugger sits with Daniel Silliman, journalist and news editor for Christianity Today, to discuss his new book, "Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith." Silliman argues that the formation of evangelical identity does not stem from institutions or political stances but from Christian fiction and Christian publishing in general. In light of this, he explores the questions, what is evangelicalism, and what is evangelical subculture? Subscribe to our podcasts Business Matters 2022 — 50% off registration with promo code PODCASTBM22 About Daniel Silliman What's True About Christian Fiction | Christianity Today Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith | Daniel Silliman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sarah Negri, research project coordinator at the Acton Institute, sits down with David Michael Phelps, dean and director of program development at Harmel Academy of the Trades, to discuss the dignity of human work and how it is tied to our freedom to create value in the world and its connection to virtue. Why is formation in virtue important for skilled laborers? Who was Léon Harmel, and what was his impact on Catholic social teaching? Subscribe to our podcasts Business Matters 2022 — 50% off registration with promo code PODCASTBM22 Laborem Exercens, encyclical by John Paul II Rerum Novarum, encyclical by Leo XIII The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture by Fr. Jean Leclercq, O.S.B. The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Iain McGilchrist Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew Crawford The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction by Matthew Crawford Harmel Academy of the Trades Léon Harmel: Pioneer of the Just Wage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since its announcement in November, media buzz has surrounded the University of Austin in Texas (UATX), newly founded to push back against a growing illiberal tide of “wokeness” and “cancel culture” in higher education. According to its website, UATX is “dedicated to the fearless pursuit of truth” and seeks to promote freedom of inquiry and ideological independence. Today on Acton Line, Dylan Pahman interviews Dr. Pano Kanelos, president of UATX, to dig deeper than the social media hot takes to discover the truth of what UATX is really all about. Subscribe to our podcasts Business Matters 2022 — 50% off registration with promo code PODCASTBM22 The University of Austin About Dr. Pano Kanelos The University of Austin is scaring all the right people Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a conversation with Acton’s librarian and research associate Dan Hugger, the Honorable Mark T. Boonstra, author of “In Their Own Words,” presents powerful insights into the minds of our Founding Fathers on the subject of religion. It’s clear now more than ever that our country is no longer the one inhabited by our Founding Fathers. Boonstra claims that we have essentially lost our relationship to God. According to our country’s sacred documents, we were established as one nation under God, our rights were given by God, we appealed to God for protection, and freedom to worship God was a primary concern. Things are a bit different now. In his book, Boonstra brings to light what our Founding Fathers truly believed about America as a nation united under God. Subscribe to our podcasts Buy the Books — “In Their Own Words” About Mark T. Boonstra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a conversation with Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of program outreach, Alan Noble, author of "You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World," presents powerful insights into the anxiety and unease many feel today. He describes how a single line from the Heidelberg Catechism reframes our identity and helps us better understand ourselves, our families, our society, and our God. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Use code aipod22 to get 30% off the book Details about the book Excerpt About Alan Noble Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we continue the conversation from our last episode, Dan Hugger and Dylan Pahman move the discussion forward on the Acton Institute’s vision for a free and virtuous society. We examine the Institute’s 10 core principles, which serve as the bedrock of who we are and what we do—namely, we seek to integrate religious truths (virtue) with free market principles (sound economics). Subscribe to our podcasts About Dan Hugger About Dylan Pahman Our Mission & Core Principles Lord Acton's philosophy should guide our next two centuries Foundations of a Free & Virtuous Society — Acton Bookshop A Legacy of Liberty — Acton Bookshop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we enter into this new year, we reflect on the Acton Institute’s vision for a free and virtuous society. In this episode of Acton Line, Acton’s librarian and research associate, Dan Hugger, sits with Dylan Pahman, research fellow and executive editor of Acton’s Journal of Markets and Morality, to discuss the Institute’s mission and core principles. This is part one of a two-part series. Subscribe to our podcasts About Dan Hugger About Dylan Pahman Our Mission & Core Principles Lord Acton's philosophy should guide our next two centuries Foundations of a Free & Virtuous Society — Acton Bookshop A Legacy of Liberty — Acton Bookshop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November of 2021, Fr. Robert A. Sirico passed the torch of the presidency of the Acton Institute to Acton co-founder Kris Mauren. In this episode, Eric Kohn sits down with Mauren to discuss Acton’s vision for a free and virtuous society in 2022 and beyond. Subscribe to our podcasts About Kris Mauren Acton Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If we face America’s racial history squarely, must we conclude that the American project is a failure? Conversely, if we think the American project is a worthy endeavor, do we have to lie or equivocate about its past? In this episode, Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of program outreach, sits with Rachel Ferguson, economic philosopher at Concordia University Chicago, to discuss her new book, Black Liberation Through the Marketplace. Exhausted by extremism on both left and right, a majority of Americans—black and white—still love this country and want to do right by all its citizens. In Black Liberation Through the Marketplace, Rachel Ferguson leaves readers with a better understanding of black history and creative ideas for how to make this nation one that truly enjoys liberty and justice for all. Subscribe to our podcasts About Rachel Ferguson Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America Anthony Bradley on why black lives matter Acton Lecture Series with Rachel Ferguson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Eric Kohn sits down with Neil Chilson, research fellow for technology and innovation at Stand Together, to discuss his new book, Getting Out of Control: Emergent Leadership in a Complex World. Instead of trying to control people, systems, and protocols, Chilson explains how leaders must pursue the art of influence to lead and win. Subscribe to our podcasts Getting Out Of Control: Emergent Leadership in a Complex World About Neil Chilson Stand Together Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Eric Kohn sits down with Yuval Levin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and editor-in-chief of National Affairs, to discuss his new article featured in The Dispatch, "The Changing Face of Social Breakdown." Levin notices a strange cultural trend. Although things may look great from a mere statistical perspective, something more ominous is going on in the background. Levin writes: “This mix of seemingly good and bad news is no paradox. The good news is often just one consequence of the bad. There are fewer divorces because there are fewer marriages. … There are fewer abortions because there are fewer pregnancies. … There are fewer out-of-wedlock births because there are fewer births in general. … Fewer teenagers are dying in car accidents because fewer teenagers are getting driver’s licenses. There is less social disorder, we might say, because there is less social life. We are doing less of everything together, so that what we do is a little more tidy and controlled.” Subscribe to our podcasts About Yuval Levin "The Changing Face of Social Breakdown" by Yuval Levin Report | The Divided State of Our Unions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pope John Paul II was an artist, an author, an actor, a philosopher, and a theologian. But most important, he was a lover of freedom and liberty. In this episode, Reason magazine's managing editor, Stephanie Slade, sits down with Eric Kohn to discuss her new article on the pope who helped bring down communism. The Pope Who Helped Bring Down Communism Stephanie Slade on the future of fusionism Will-to-power conservatism with Stephanie Slade About Stephanie Slade Subscribe to our podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of communications, sits down with Dallas Jenkins, director of The Chosen, an online multi season TV series depicting the life of Jesus. Later in this episode, Kohn interviews Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus. The Chosen is the largest crowdfunded media project of all time. According to The Chosen website: “Season 2 was fully funded in November 2020. This time 125,346 people contributed a total of $10,000,000. 86% of people who funded Season 1 also funded Season 2, with an average contribution of $299.99.” Season 3 is over 90% crowdfunded. This has been achieved completely outside the Hollywood system, with no plans of ever being sold to a major studio. Watch | The Chosen TV How A Crowdfunded Christian TV Series Could Change Entertainment Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of communications, sits down with David L. Bahnsen to discuss his new book, There’s No Free Lunch. In his book, Bahnsen explores how the free market has enabled hundreds of millions of people to rise from the depths of poverty and achieve a higher quality of life. In fact, there is no better economic system for human flourishing. However, a contagion has begun infecting public opinion with regard to capitalism in general and free markets specifically. Call it socialism, progressivism, or leftism, more and more people each day are turning away from the time-tested free market that has been absolutely essential to the prosperity of nations around the world. The question is, Why? Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault There's No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths David Bahnsen on GameStop, RobinHood and market populism About David Bahnsen ‎Capital Record Podcast Sirico & Bahnsen: Liberty & Morality in the Midst of Crisis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dylan Pahman, executive editor and research fellow here at the Acton Institute, sits down with Kevin Schmiesing, director of research at the Freedom & Virtue Institute and coauthor and editor of the newly released Race and Justice in America. They discuss cultural tensions stemming from race and justice issues, the civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements, and how to move forward in a peaceful, unified manner. Race and Justice in America tackles the most enduring and provocative issues with a rare combination of intellectual sophistication and bracing realism. Featuring the writings of John Sibley Butler, Ismael Hernandez, and Kevin Schmiesing, this collection is an original and necessary contribution to our national discourse. Race and Justice in America: The Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, and the Way Forward Freedom & Virtue Institute About Kevin Schmiesing The Economy of Order: Justice Requires Love Acton Lecture Series - Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America Justice, applied equally Institutionalizing the critical race revolution America's two warring views of race Is Critical Race Theory un-American? Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digital technology has undoubtedly brought many benefits, but it has also come with growing threats to our privacy, our families and businesses, our mental health, and our freedom. Call it digital contagion. From cancel culture to fake news, from data collection and surveillance to outright social manipulation, we are bombarded by content that insidiously influences our behavior and threatens our security and even our livelihood. In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton's director of communications, sits down with Michael Matheson Miller, Acton senior research fellow, to discuss Michael's new book, Digital Contagion: 10 Steps to Protect Your Family & Business from Intrusion, Cancel Culture, and Surveillance Capitalism. Digital Contagion: 10 Steps to Protect your Family & Business from Intrusion, Cancel Culture, and Surveillance Capitalism Bio | Michael Matheson Miller Google and surveillance capitalism The panic over Big Tech Civil society in a time of pandemic Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Increasingly, people are turning to intermittent fasting to bolster their health. But we aren’t the first people to abstain from eating for a purpose. This routine was a common part of our spiritual ancestors’ lives for 1,500 years. In his new book, Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding your Soul―A Christian Guide to Fasting, Jay Richards argues that Christians should recover the fasting lifestyle, not only to improve our bodies, but to bolster our spiritual health as well. He draws upon forgotten insights from the Christian tradition on fasting and feasting and combines them with the growing body of modern scientific literature on ketogenic diets and fasting for improved physical and mental health, arguing that re-thinking our modern diet with an eye toward these ancient insights and new discoveries will lead us to a far more healthy and wholesome lifestyle. Today, Dylan Pahman, research fellow at Acton and executive editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality, talks with Jay Richards about his new book and how Christians can and should recover the fasting lifestyle, not only to improve our bodies, but to bolster our spiritual health as well. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul―A Christian Guide to Fasting | Jay W. Richards Jay W. Richards bio Acton’s 31st Annual Dinner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On October 3, 2021, Frances Haugen—the so-called Facebook whistleblower—appeared on 60 Minutes to detail her time with the social media giant, as well as the content of the thousands of internal documents that reveal, according to her, the "conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook.” Two days later, she was testifying before Congress, who had hauled Big Tech CEOs like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and others before them at least a half-dozen times in recent years. The conventional wisdom is that Big Tech and social media platforms like Facebook are a threat: to our way of life, to our democracy, and even to our happiness and our well-being. But is this threat real or just moral panic? Today, Acton senior research fellow Michael Matheson Miller talks with Robby Soave, a senior editor at Reason and author of the new book Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn’t Fear Facebook and the Future. In the book, and in this interview, Soave examines the recent kneejerk calls to regulate Big Tech from both sides of the aisle. He argues that we should balance our concerns about Big Tech with the consequences of altering the ecosystem that allowed tech to get big in the first place, cautioning us to at least ask the question, “Are we sure we really want to do this?” Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn't Fear Facebook and the Future | Robby Soave Whistleblower: Facebook is misleading the public on progress against hate speech, violence, misinformation | 60 Minutes Digital Contagion: 10 Steps to Protect your Family & Business from Intrusion, Cancel Culture, and Surveillance Capitalism | Michael Matheson Miller Scott Lincicome on Section 230 and social media | Acton Line Hold internet companies responsible for content on their platforms, not just the government | Paul Clyde, Acton Institute Acton’s 31st Annual Dinner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All children deserve the love and affection that come from being in a family. Most importantly, children deserve to have their needs met in a permanent and loving home. The original ideal of the foster care system was to provide such fundamental necessities until a child is reunited with his or her biological parents, or adopted. However, the present reality shows us something entirely different. The child welfare system has declined to the point where it now caters to the needs of the adults rather than to those of the children. In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton director of communications, sits with Naomi Schaefer Riley, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss her new book, No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives Bio | Naomi Schaefer Riley Anti-religious hostility takes aim at foster care and adoption agencies Our Foster Care System Is Becoming A 'Pipeline' For Human Trafficking Social justice crusaders are putting kids in the foster care system at risk Banter Podcast | Naomi on American child welfare Why kids in foster care end up sleeping in offices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the greatest writers of Western civilization. As we watch or read his plays, we are still able to draw applicable lessons on politics, our fallen human nature, and how one should relate to God and neighbor. In this episode, I sit down with Nicolas McAfee to discuss the political wisdom of Shakespeare's late plays. Bio | Nicolas McAfee is a fourth-year doctoral student studying political philosophy at the University of Dallas. He is currently writing a dissertation on the political wisdom of William Shakespeare’s late plays under the direction of Dr. Gerard Wegemer. By unpacking the power of narrative storytelling to shape communities for good or ill, Nicolas’ work aims to foster thoughtful engagement of political literature and healthy participation in civic life. A native of Upland, Calif., he and his wife currently live in Irving, Texas. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Playing Shakespeare: An Actor's Guide by John Barton Playing Shakespeare, The Two Traditions, 1984 A Guide to Shakespeare's Political Thought Can Shakespeare Survive Woke? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forced labor camps have been embedded in Chinese politics since the birth of the People’s Republic of China. Mao Zedong created and instituted these camps to terrorize and indoctrinate anyone who didn’t “fall in line.” Today these camps are more prevalent than ever. Not only are they hothouses for indoctrination and torture, but the products they produce are sold globally, generating more profit for the communist regime. In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton's director of communications, sits down with Weifeng Zhong, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to discuss Dr. Zhong's troubling research. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault The China Challenge: The West Struggles To Respond To Beijing’s Forced-Labor Camps Weifeng Zhong, Author at Discourse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday, October 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Acton Institute will host its First Annual Academic Colloquium on Markets & Morality. This year’s theme is “Neo-Calvinism & Modern Economics.” In this episode, Dan Hugger, librarian and research associate, and Sarah Negri, research project coordinator, both at the Acton Institute, sit down with Dylan Pahman, an Acton research fellow and executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality, to discuss why Acton is hosting an academic colloquium, what an academic colloquium is, and who should attend. Register here for the colloquium More details Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COVID-19 has impacted us in ways that will continue to affect us for generations. In this episode, I explore a very particular consequence of COVID: Children born during the pandemic have scored significantly lower on IQ tests. I sit down with Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, president and founder of the Ruth Institute, to unpack this disturbing phenomenon. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault The Ruth Institute Bio | Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D Love & Economics: It Takes a Family to Raise a Village Love and Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family Doesn't Work The Sexual State: How Elite Ideologies Are Destroying Lives and Why the Church Was Right All Along Covid-19: Children born during the pandemic score lower on cognitive tests, study finds Forbes deletes article on psychological damage of masking children - LifeSite School Mask Mandates Mean Trauma For Millions Of Children, Especially Those From Low-Income Families Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beatles will go down in history as one of the most prolific music acts of all time. Their music is still played in our homes and around the world and has influenced pop culture on a global scale. In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton's Director of Communications, sits down with Samuel Staley to discuss his new book The Beatles and Economics: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and the Making of a Cultural Revolution. Book | Beatles & Economics Pope John Paul, George, and Ringo on the harms of high taxes Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Music contained in this episode: Getting Better | The Beatles | 1967 I Want to Hold Your Hand | The Beatles | 1963 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | 1967 Here Comes the Sun | The Beatles | 1969 Everything in its Right Place | Radiohead | 2000 Come Together | The Beatles | 1969 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) | The Beatles | 1965 Tomorrow Never Knows | The Beatles | 1966 Strawberry Fields Forever | The Beatles | 1966 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds | The Beatles | 1967 Revolution | The Beatles | 1968 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Crisis” is a catch-all phrase used in modern rhetoric typically attached to any movement or belief that aims to point out an issue. However, it is as important as ever to rationally conclude what constitutes a crisis, and to what extent eras of “crises” defend government intervention. In this episode, Acton Institute’s research associate and librarian Dan Hugger sits down with participants of Acton’s Emerging Leader program, Grace Hemmeke, Ben Luker, and Jeremy Ward to discuss their Capstone project on the rights and responsibilities of government action in times of crisis. The three Emerging Leaders discuss the ordered role of the United States government during times of crisis through the Acton Institute’s framework of a free and virtuous society, characterized by individual liberty, and sustained by religious principles. Their research was prompted by the government’s role in the COVID-19 crisis, and is extended to practical judgement in both historical and current analysis of catastrophic periods. Are crises an agent in government force and control? And how will American society return to normalcy if and when this Coronavirus crisis is ever over? COVID-19 bailout unleashed a pandemic of fraud Is big government a near occasion of sin? COVID-19: the tyranny of experts Acton Line | Covid relief bill’s side effects on our future economy Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The events of 9/11 are forever etched in the hearts of all Americans. Most of us still remember exactly where we were when it happened. In this episode, Acton’s Director of Communications Eric Kohn sits down with Niels Jorgensen, a retired New York firefighter, who shares his story of what happened at ground zero that day. As we approach the 20th anniversary of September 11th, let us reflect on the bravery and courage that took place those two decades ago and to be especially thankful for all that God has given us. 20 for 20 podcast: 20 Stories for 20 Years Since 9/11 The Gift of a Second Chance Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Nathan Mech, program outreach project manager here at the Acton Institute, sits down with Ali Salman, co-founder of Islam & Liberty Network, to discuss his new book, Islam & Economics. Islam offers three moral principles of economic organization: ownership, wealth creation, and wealth circulation. Based on these principles, Islam and Economics derives a framework of operational institutional tenets for the economic organization of a society. It addresses all important business, policy, and equity issues that any economic system should resolve and broadens the discussion on the modern discipline of “Islamic economics.” In this conversation, they delve into the most contentious issue within Islamic economics, which is charging interest. They cover how Islamic banks have answered the Qur’anic prohibition on usury, and how Salman sorts through this problem. Next, they explore the Islamic view of taxation, and Salman made an Islamic argument that the only two permissible forms of taxation are wealth taxes and land use taxes. Based on his view of taxation, Salman built an Islamic case for a limited government. Islam & Economics: A Primer on Markets, Morality, and Justice Islam & Liberty Network On Islam available for first time in English Islam and Markets Islam and Freedom Bio | Ali Salman Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, Sam Gregg, and special guests Dan Hugger and Michael Miller discuss the ongoing developments in Afghanistan as we approach the 31st deadline. Then, they discuss the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill and how we can look to C.S. Lewis for guidance on how to respond. What is human infrastructure? Is the United States a civilization-building nation? Is all truth subjective? Subscribe to the Acton Unwind Podcast Biden’s ‘stimulus’ for a growing economy is all about central control Afghanistan I fought for lacks foundation for freedom A Taliban 9/11 - William McGurn Bio | Michael Miller Bio | Dan Hugger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time in more than 6 decades Cuban citizens are protesting in the streets against their communist government regime. In this episode, Dan Hugger, Librarian and research associate here at the Acton Institute sits down with a Cuban priest Fr. Alberto Reyes to discuss the horrors of communism in Cuba, the revolution, and how Christians should respond to it. As a quick note, in this interview, Fr. Reyes speaks in his native tongue, Spanish and we have translated his answers to English. The Tragedy of Communism in Cuba | Acton Vault Cuba Libre: Protestors call for an end to communism and oppression The crumbling façade of Cuban communism Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast About Fr. Reyes: Alberto Reyes Pías was born in Camagüey, Cuba, on May 26, 1967. He grew up in Florida, Camaguey, where he studied until finishing high school. At the age of 18 he entered the University of Medical Science in Camagüey. At the end of his third year of medicine he decided to leave university and start his ecclesiastical studies. He studied humanities and philosophy at the seminaries San Basilio Magno, in Santiago de Cuba, and San Carlos and San Ambrosio, in Havana. For his theological studies he was sent to Rome, to the Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. After completing his studies, he was ordained a priest in his hometown of Florida on December 12, 1996. After a few months serving provisionally in the parishes of Guáimaro and El Cristo, the latter in the city of Camagüey, he was sent as pastor to the area of Esmeralda, where he remained for six years. He was then sent to the Pontifical University of Comillas, in Madrid, to do a degree in psychology. Upon returning, he was assigned to the parish of Guáimaro, where he remained for six years. He decided to take a sabbatical in which he makes a pilgrimage on foot from Rome to Jerusalem. Upon returning he is sent as a volunteer to the parish of Maisí, in the easternmost tip of Cuba. Two years later he was appointed trainer of the San Agustín Seminary, in Camagüey, where he worked full-time for a year. Currently, he continues as a trainer of the Seminary of St. Augustine, as a spiritual father, and at the same time attends the parish of Esmeralda. He has published "Do my will. (History of a resistance)". A book that relates his vocational itinerary but is at the same time a reflection on how to find the meaning of one's life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and special guest Mustafa Akyol discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan, as the United States works feverishly to get Americans out of the country. How many refugees should the United States accept? What will rule by the Taliban look like? Have they changed at all, as some people have suggested? Then, Eric and Sam discuss the FDA’s final approval of the COVID vaccines, the lockdowns in Australia and New Zealand and the resistance they have produced, and whether our elites and civic leaders are more incompetent than they were in the past, or whether the velocity and availability of information just makes it seem that way. Subscribe to Acton Unwind on: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify More options Mustafa Akyol Reopening Muslim Minds with Mustafa Akyol - Acton Line Welcoming the stranger: The dignity and promise of Afghan refugees - Joseph Sunde Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Nathan Mech, program outreach project manager here at the Acton Institute, sits down with Mustafa Akyol, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, to discuss his new book, Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance. In his book, Akyol dives deep into Islamic theology, shares lessons from his own life story, and reveals how Muslims lost the universalism that made them a great civilization in their earlier centuries. Values often associated with Western thought like freedom, reason, tolerance, and science were historically part of Islamic philosophy but in recent generations have been cast aside to reach political ends. Mustafa Akyol | Bio Islam and Freedom Islam and Markets Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance Mustafa Akyol on the prospects for liberty in the Islamic world Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the collapse of the Afghanistan government as the United States withdraws from the country nearly 20 years after September 11th and the beginning of combat operations there. We were told a collapse might happen in a year. Instead, it took days. What lessons should be learned from this? And how are we to trust our institutions when they’re constantly shown to be either wrong or lying to us? August 15 marked the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon taking the United States off the gold standard. How much of the economic turbulence in the decades since can be blamed on this decision? And, what role can cryptocurrencies play in the future of monetary policy? Subscribe to Acton Unwind on: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify More options “Why, as a Muslim, I Defend Liberty” by Mustafa Akyol “Islam and Economics: A Primer on Markets, Morality, and Justice” by Ali Salman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As of May 2021, prices increased 5% over the course of one year – the sharpest increase in inflation since 2008. Inflation poses a palpable threat to the economic prosperity of America. Its prevalence is perpetuated by political institutions, corporations, and personal opinions. Big corporations and moguls will not necessarily suffer through significant change with a 5% increase in prices, the common citizen is more likely to be presented with financial hardships in their daily purchases. Guest Peter Jacobsen, Assistant Professor of Economics at Ottawa University and the Gwartney Professor of Economic Education as well as a staff member at the Foundation for Economic Education, sits down with Director of Communications, Eric Kohn, to discuss the problems inflation proposes to America’s economic processes. In this episode, Peter Jacobsen also speaks further on his newest article, “No, Higher Wages are Not a ‘Silver Lining’ of Inflation,” and the false notions that the general public has on inflationary trends. Understanding the escalation inflation undergoes due to COVID policies, the Federal Reserve’s reaction, and modern monetary theorists is timely and necessary in pinpointing solutions. The U.S. economy is in a difficult economic position, but by presently understanding the potential threat inflation poses, necessary steps can be taken to ensure a sound economic future. No, Higher Wages Aren’t a 'Silver Lining' of Inflation | Peter Jacobsen Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're thrilled to bring you a new podcast from the Acton Institute: Acton Unwind. Acton Unwind is a weekly roundtable discussion of news and current events through the Acton Institute's lens on the world: promoting a free and virtuous society and connecting good intentions with sound economics. Each week I’ll be joined by Dr. Samuel Gregg and other Acton Institute experts for an exploration of news, politics, religion, and culture. This week, we discuss the extension of the CDC's unconstitutional eviction moratorium, the Biden administration's economically problematic proposal for free community college, and the New Right's infatuation with Viktor Orbán's Hungary. Thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy Acton Unwind. ‘Small-Time Landlords “Hanging on By Their Fingernails” as Eviction Moratorium Drags On’ - National Review A Landlord Says Her Tenants Are Terrorizing Her. She Can’t Evict Them. - New York Times Making community college free has hidden costs - Detroit News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Genuine friendships are one of the core qualities of a great life. Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero called a friend “a second self.” British author C.S. Lewis exalted friendship as adding “value to survival.” Whether in antiquity or modernity, friendship plays an integral part in the richness of the human experience for men and women alike. However, recent studies have shown that the amount of friendships the average man has are on the decline. Daniel Cox, founder and director of the Survey Center on American Life and a senior research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with Acton Line producer Gabriel Geagea to speak further on his latest article published in the National Review, “American men suffer a friendship recession,” an article focused on the diminishing rates of male friendships in the United States and its implications on America’s social sphere. If friendship is indeed an inherent good, what threats does its absence present to modern American society? In addition to analyzing the root causes of this decrease in companionship and its effect on our nation’s social nature, Daniel and Gabriel discuss how emerging social norms can alter the ways in which society views friendships, and what society is to do to ensure good male friendships reappear as a strong thread in our American social fabric. Do the American people view friendship as essential and giving value to our survival, or is it seen as an unnecessary commodity? American Men Suffer Friendship Recession Bio | Daniel Cox The Survey Center on American Life American Enterprise Institute The joy of fatherhood: How sacrifice brings meaning to life Wilfred McClay on friendship new and old – Acton Institute PowerBlog How fatherhood leads to flourishing – Acton Institute PowerBlog Bridging Income Inequality: The Subsidiarity Of Friendship – Acton Institute PowerBlog Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early 1900’s, the Netherlands was under the rule of a dynamic prime minister, Abraham Kuyper. A multi-faceted figure, he implemented significant change in a vast array of sectors and contributed his work to Dutch society as a statesman, a journalist, a historian, a University founder, and a Calvinist theologian, among many other things. But what can contemporary economic and political reasoning gain from the work of a man who was not a conventional economist? In this episode, Dan Hugger, librarian and research associate here at the Acton Institute is joined by Peter Heslam, director of Transforming Business and a senior member of Trinity College at the University of Cambridge to discuss Kuyper’s teachings on Business & Economics. Heslam is also published widely on business, economics, religion, and is the author of Creating Christian Worldview: Abraham Kuyper’s Lectures on Calvinism. Hugger and Heslam discuss the life of Abraham Kuyper, his genius, and the role he plays in societal understanding in our modern age. Although not purely an entrepreneur or economist, Abraham Kuyper was able to comment on business and economics because he was engaged analytically in almost every sector of life, reflecting his belief that all spheres are interconnected under the sovereignty of God. For Kuyper, sound reasoning and action, no matter what sphere it pertains to, under the ordinance of God necessitates it as truth. Similarly, The Acton Institute is devoted to the mutuality and synthesis of economics and morals. When a worldview is good, true, and beautiful, the ultimate truth of every facet in human existence logically follows from one to another. Bio | Peter Heslam, D.Phil. Faith in Business Acton Bookshop | On Business & Economics Acton Bookshop | The Abraham Kuyper Collection Acton Line | How should Christians engage the world? In conversation with Abraham Kuyper Acton Line | Abraham Kuyper's "Common Grace" Abraham Kuyper: ‘The school belongs to the parents’ Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Industrial policy is making a comeback in political discourse as a key issue to be tackled in maintaining America’s dominance internationally. Industry has always been a greater reflection of the trademarks of America; its efficiency, economic values, and its entrepreneurial spirit. However, in America’s current understanding of industrial policy, among other issues, it leans towards the government seizing the role of the market for itself; to control the economy in job opportunities and losses, unaccompanied by the natural flow of the market. In this episode, Dr. Samuel Gregg, Acton Institute’s director of research is joined by Dr. Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to discuss the industrial soul of American society, and if it is to be adopted as a major governmental policy, its ramifications on the American economy. Also discussed are ideas like the word itself: “industry,” and how it has become politically opportunistic in the hasty push for its accompanied legislation, it is utilized as an umbrella term to push many other policies through that pertain to public sectors outside of industry itself, like education, R & D, and training. Innovation comes best from competition and creative freedom, not government intervention. The remaining question is: does a federal-centered industrial policy hinder American citizens and business’ ability to adjust to the ebb and flow of a natural economy? Bio | Veronique De Rugy Veronique de Rugy on The Made in America Podcast - Biden's Infrastructure Plan Infrastructure Insanity, by Dr. Veronique de Rugy Edmund Burke’s conservative case for free markets, by Dr. Samuel Gregg Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Generation Z is a demographic group born between the late 1990’s and early 2010’s and they are beginning to trickle into workplaces. The push for open mindedness to become the norm in modern society means “Gen Zers” have already been confronted with ideas like fourth wave feminism, intersectionality, the transgender movement, and wokeism throughout their upbringing. Along with receptivity for progressive ideals, Gen Z now claims the largest percent of college attendance in history. In fact, 59 percent of 18 to 20 year olds were enrolled in colleges in 2017, compared to 53 percent of similar aged students in 2002 for the millennial generation. In this episode, Acton Line Producer Gabriel Geagea sits down with Acton Institute’s college interns from our Emerging Leaders program, Grace Hemmeke and Kara Wheeler, to discuss what it is like to be a young woman on a college campus in 2021. A University’s purpose is to train students in developing skills needed to perform a job and instill a desire for the pursuit of higher knowledge. Is this still the case in American Universities today? With educating a generation that is the most inclined to accept progressive ideals, what role, if any, do social beliefs play on a college campus? Camille Paglia: The fearless feminist The politically correct rule at Harvard Law Speech codes limit campus freedom Free Speech Still Not Free on College Campuses Terrorists or freedom fighters: What's the difference? Left-wing college administrators are a mirror of American political reality Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzanne Nossel, CEO of Pen America sits down with Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of communication to discuss her new book, Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All. Nossel, a leading voice in support of free expression, delivers a vital, necessary guide to maintaining democratic debate that is open, freewheeling, but at the same time respectful of the rich diversity of backgrounds and opinions in a changing country. Centered on practical principles, Nossel’s primer equips listeners with the tools needed to speak one’s mind in today’s diverse, digitized, and highly divided society without resorting to curbs on free expression. About Suzanne Nossel Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All Communist China forces shutdown of Apple Daily, stifling truth in pursuit of control ‎Acton Line | Dylan Pahman on free speech and cancel culture Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're bringing you a panel discussion featuring Betsy Devos and Sal Khan that was delivered as part of Acton University Online 2021. The Panel was moderated by Jeff Sandefer, entrepreneur and founder of the Acton School of Business. An educated citizenry is fundamental to securing a free and flourishing society. Innovation, technology, and entrepreneurial endeavors are transforming education in many ways. This panel examines common myths about learning and the provision of education, highlights the great entrepreneurial efforts to improve its quality and accessibility, and explores what the future holds in providing an education that secures creative opportunity, growth, and fulfillment for everyone. Bio | Sal Khan Bio | Betsy DeVos Bio | Jeff Sandefer America's Public Schools: Crisis and Cure - Chapter 1 What’s driving the decline of religion in America? Secular education A silver lining in the Golden State's school shutdowns The Myth of a Value-Free Education The Entrepreneur as Servant The Biblical Case for Entrepreneurship Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liberal Arts Education is a classical academic discipline that focuses on educating the whole person and is rooted in a lifelong study of transcendent, interdisciplinary knowledge. In June 2021, Dr. Margarita Mooney, an associate Professor in the Department of Practical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and Executive Director of the Scala Foundation, published her book “The Love of Learning: Seven Dialogues on the Liberal Arts” to promote liberal arts education for the improvement of education and human virtue. In this episode, Dr. Mooney discusses the purpose of a classical education, its preservation of moral virtue and human goodness, and its place in schools and society. Some schools and universities have built their base curriculum from a foundation of the Liberal Arts, while other individual teachers and professors are swimming against the stream by promoting its ideals: the pursuit of holistic, transformative knowledge, in their classroom. “The Love of Learning” tells the story of seven scholars who fell in love with learning, explores the roots that the Liberal Arts has in Western Tradition, and considers the beauty it offers our contemporary education. It also offers discussion questions between chapters to foster discussion in reading groups or for personal reflection. The Love of Learning: Seven Dialogues on the Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Education in a Free Society About Margarita Mooney Scala Foundation Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Along with more than half a million American deaths, lockdowns and federal mandates, the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it unprecedented government spending and economic disruption. In this episode, Acton Institute’s research fellows, Dan Hugger and Dylan Pahman evaluate the economic and moral implications of the COVID relief bill. In March 2021, the Biden administration passed a 1.9 trillion dollar COVID stimulus package to provide monetary aid for the American people under the guise of a “COVID relief bill”. However, a little less than 9% of this bill directly targets public health relief. In a live economy, how does this amount of government spending shape the future of America? Hugger and Pahman discuss the true purpose of a stimulus package, the Biden administration’s COVID relief bill itself and its effect on the future economy, how the American people should react morally, and if stimulus checks could have been rolled out in a more effective way. Will the fiscal legacy of the massive COVID relief bill remain or can America get back on track? Three core principles to evaluate the coronavirus stimulus Parenting after the pandemic: More freedom, less ‘safetyism’ States’ rights, federal behavior: Alabama and COVID-19 spending Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cultural American ideologies, which were historically influenced by Christian beliefs, have continued to deteriorate throughout the years. Faith in politics, rather than having a theological perspective, continues to grow aggressively. While our country is greatly divided, American culture turns to ideological politics for a solution. Shadi Hamid, senior fellow at the center of middle east policy at the Brookings Institution calls it, “religion without religion” in an article titled, "America without God," published in the Atlantic. America without God Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World Lyman Stone on the decline of religiosity in the United States What’s driving the decline of religion in America? Secular education Pastors less concerned as religious liberty declined: Poll Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.