Acton Line

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.

We bring you a conversation between Acton’s Director of Communications, Eric Kohn, and the Jack Miller Family Foundation’s Director of Freedom Initiatives, Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg. In this episode, they discuss a new surge in antisemitic violence in America as tensions between Israel and Gaza continue to grow. Jews have been beaten in broad daylight, synagogues have been vandalized, pro-Israel demonstrations have resulted in riots, and major cities across the Unites States have experienced explosive growth in antisemitic attacks. Journalist Bari Weiss wrote in her new article, “We saw them on Thursday, when pro-Palestinian protesters threw an explosive device into a crowd of Jews in New York’s Diamond District. We saw them on Wednesday, when two men were attacked outside a bagel shop in midtown Manhattan. We saw them on Tuesday, at a sushi restaurant in West Hollywood, when a group of men draped in keffiyehs asked the diners who was Jewish, and then pummeled them. And in a parking lot not far away, when two cars draped in Palestinian flags roared after an Orthodox man fleeing for his life. And in the story of the American soccer player Luca Lewis, cornered by a band of men in New York demanding to know if he was a Jew.” How did this happen, and why is this hate becoming a trend? How to Fight Anti-Semitism: Bari Weiss The New Furies of the Oldest Hatred Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast National Review: Action Institute's Father Robert Sirico Cautions Against Despair Chilling video captures the moment socialism morphs into anti-Semitism Terror in New York: Is anti-Semitism on the rise? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We bring you a conversation between Acton’s Director of Communications Eric Kohn and Congressman Peter Meijer, who took office in January as the representative for Michigan’s 3rd congressional district, and recently visited the Acton Building. They discuss bipartisanship, leadership, the often counterintuitive incentive structure that exists in the US Congress and much more. Representative Peter Meijer Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does hard work pay off? Do workers enjoy the fruits of their labor? Can a child living in poverty grow up to be financially successful? These are the questions Dr. Michael R. Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, answers in his new book, The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It). Populists on both sides of the political aisle routinely announce that the American Dream is dead. According to them, the game has been rigged by elites, workers can’t get ahead, wages have been stagnant for decades, and the middle class is dying. This rhetoric is dangerous and wrong. Dr. Strain shows that on measures of economic opportunity and quality of life, there has never been a better time to be alive in America. Markets, populism and a fading American dream – Acton Institute PowerBlog The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It) - Book AEI - American Enterprise Institute Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Police reform, police training, foot pursuit policy, how to comply, lack of parenthood, and why we are so preoccupied with race. It’s been a year since the death of George Floyd and a lot has changed and a lot hasn’t. Dr. Anthony Bradley from King’s College presents effective solutions on how we can promote human flourishing in black communities. Acton Line podcast: Anthony Bradley on George Floyd, police reform, and riots When police get it wrong (repeatedly): The rule of law and police reform How Christians should think about racism and police brutality Derek Chauvin guilty, but riots will hurt Minneapolis for generations Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acton Line brings you a conversation with Dylan Pahman and Alexander Salter. Pahman is a research fellow here at Acton Institute and serves as executive editor of our Journal of Markets and Morality. Salter is an associate professor of economics at Texas Tech University, and research fellow of the university's Free Market Institute. In this episode they discuss the relationship between money and liberty. In his article, The American Tradition of Ordered Liberty, Salter writes that “The United States is an experiment both in revolutionary freedom and communal virtue. In other words, our public institutions reflect an ongoing quest for ordered liberty. Without understanding the sources of ordered liberty, we cannot come to grips with our own institutions.” This “source of ordered liberty” is found in the four pillars that Russell Kirk writes of in his book, Roots of The American Order. The first pillar is Jerusalem where we derive our Judeo-Christian tradition. The second is Athens with our classical Greek intellectual tradition. Third, is Rome, giving us our Roman legal tradition, and the fourth is London — our English constitutional tradition. “Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London — these are the antecedents of ordered liberty in America. Each tradition left its mark on American social and political institutions, and continues to influence them today.” The American Tradition of Ordered Liberty – AIER Money and the Rule of Law - Salter’s book Free Market Institute Reading Russell Kirk – Acton Institute PowerBlog Sirico on Russell Kirk and populism – Acton Institute PowerBlog Video: Samuel Gregg on Russell Kirk’s contributions to conservatism The History of Freedom in Antiquity - Lord Acton Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between our director of communications, Eric Kohn, and Nate Hochman about young conservatives and what’s happening today on the young right. Nate is a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute, a previous contributor to Acton’s Religion & Liberty magazine, and, in my opinion, one of the sharpest and most interesting voices among the young conservatives out there. This episode is a little different from previous episodes of Acton Line in that it’s much more a conversation between Nate and Eric than the typical interview we host. We hope that you find it interesting and revealing about where some of the intellectual energy is amongst young conservatives, what’s informing how they see the world, the state of the nation and of American culture, and how they think our national political and cultural problems should be addressed. Toward a Conservative Environmentalism - Nate Hochman Nate Hochman on Twitter (@njhochman) Is Critical Race Theory un-American? Rise of the national conservatives with Matthew Continetti The particular genius of conservatism The Virtue of Liberalism Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we speak with Helen Raleigh on her new book, Backlash: How China’s Aggression has Backfired. This book sets out to provide a comprehensive overview of China’s domestic and international aggressions and how they overplayed their hand. We discuss China’s actions in the South China Sea, their cultural tyranny with their social credit system, oppressive international trade, and their handling of the Covid-19 outbreak. Raleigh was born and raised in communist China, and has 1st hand experience of the cultural and political changes and the socialist experiments that millions of Chinese people had to endure - including her family. In her book she writes, “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) likes to compare itself to the sun. The party has wielded the power to determine the life and death of over one billion people for more than seventy years and is resolved to maintain such control for many more years to come. No matter how many skyscrapers arise in China, no matter how much China’s economy has shifted to depend on international trade and access to international markets, the nature of the Chinese Communist Party has never changed and it never will.” There are ongoing protests in Hong Kong, and an overwhelming international distrust in the CCP. The United States future with China is a great unknown with a new administration in the White House. Backlash: How China's Aggression Has Backfired - Book The Coming Global Backlash against China - Helen Raleigh Helen Raleigh on how China is destroying Hong Kong's freedom - Acton Line Helen Raleigh on how Communist China's coverup caused a pandemic - Acton Line Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Smith once said, “Every man, as long as he does not violate the laws of justice, is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest in his own way, and to bring both his industry and capital into competition with those of any other man.” In this episode, Acton brings you a conversation with political scientist and scholar, Dr. Donald Devine and Eric Kohn, director of communications here at the Acton Institute. Devine’s new book, The Enduring Tension: Capitalism and the Moral Order, is a much needed commentary on the sustaining nature of morality and the free market. Devine states that in order for free markets to thrive, there are two missing components: morality and tradition. In his book, Devine writes, “The moral assumptions of the Western traditional mythos, in which individuals have been created free and equal, are indispensable to legitimizing a pluralist, federalist, traditionalist, capitalist society with free markets and localized powers under a limited central state — a society where liberty and order coexist in creative tension. If its legitimizing source is forgotten or denied, civilization will likely fail.” If our culture continues toward this steep path of socialism, what is left is an oppressive bureaucracy, and a centralized totalitarian government. Devine writes that what truly sustains humanity derives from Judeo-Christian beliefs, beginning with the initial doctrine of God who made us in His own image, endowing us with a moral worth that exists permanently in every person. This was the faith of the American Founders. The Fund for American Studies - Donald Devine The Enduring Tension: capitalism and the moral order Journal of Markets & Morality Is there an intrinsic morality of the free market? - Acton Commentary Free-market Economics - Acton Research Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acton Line brings you a conversation with theologians Darrell Bock and Jonathan Armstrong, and Dan Churchwell -- Acton’s director of program outreach. In this episode, they discuss the pros and cons of virtual reality and its impact on Christian worship. Bock and Armstrong recognize that the world is changing faster each day as we discover new ways of navigating this seemingly infinite digital space. According to the World Economic Forum, we are entering into a Fourth Industrial Age. This age is characterized by a fusion of technologies that blur the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. In their book, Virtual Reality Church, Bock and Armstrong layout a strategy on how to joyfully communicate the teachings of Jesus Christ through disruptive technologies in this new digital age. They examine how this can affect how we worship in person, but also how we can leverage virtual reality to evangelize the Christian faith where many are persecuted. Virtual Reality Church is a guide on how to integrate revolutionary technologies into our everyday Christian life to be better evangelizers. Virtual Reality Church Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the difference between propriety and virtue, and how does this relate to the constant abuse of free speech we see today? According to economist and philosopher, Adam Smith, propriety is the extent to which our actions accord with social expectations; which themselves are subjective and you could say are relationally determined. Virtue, on the other hand, is the extent to which an action is well-intended and the extent to which it produces that intended result. Acton Line brings you a conversation with Acton Institute’s Dylan Pahman, research fellow, and Eric Kohn, director of communications. Pahman is also the managing editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality, a peer reviewed academic journal published by The Acton Institute, that promotes intellectual exploration of the relationship between economics and morality from both a social science and theological perspective. In this episode, they discuss free speech, the cancel culture, and the difference between propriety and virtue. Journal of Markets & Morality Clobbering free speech with the Constitution The constitutional way to defeat cancel culture The solution to ‘cancel culture’ is true community Why do we embrace ‘cancel culture’? Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are bringing you a conversation with Trent Horn, staff apologist for Catholic Answers, and Eric Kohn, the director of communications here at Acton. In this episode, they discuss Horn’s new book, Can a Catholic be a Socialist? Horn explains that, “Societal injustices are the result of deeper moral evils like greed, envy, indifference, and selfishness. However, simply reordering society so people aren’t poor can’t eliminate these vices (and doesn’t solve poverty, either).” Some Catholics who claim to be socialists look at government as an altruistic solution - if done correctly - to solve all the world's problems with their infinite resources and boundless regulation. This simply just isn't the case. Horn writes that “Governments are really just groups of individuals who have been given weighty responsibilities. Those individuals are not immune to the effects of vice; in fact, the temptations that government officials face make them more susceptible to sin and the magnitude of the problems they face make them more prone to error." According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, socialism is dangerous. Government interference can and will threaten individual freedom and liberty. The Church teaches the principle of “subsidiarity,” which “opposes all forms of collectivism. It sets limits for state intervention. It aims at harmonizing the relationships between individuals and societies. It tends toward the establishment of true international order.” We must work towards building a free and virtuous society. As long as humans are running our governments, there will be no “utopia.” The solution is not an overarching government, the solution starts and ends in our homes, where we build virtuous families, and care for our communities. As Horn puts it, “so we can have confidence and peace that in applying ourselves with hard work and diligence we can joyfully participate in God’s co-creation—a task we are urged to take up for the good of our families and our communities.” Can a Catholic be a Socialist? Is Raphael Warnock right that ‘the early church was a socialist church’? Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Acton Institute president and co-founder Rev. Robert Sirico joins John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, to discuss Mackey’s new book, “Conscious Leadership.” This conversation was part of Acton Institute’s Business Matters online conference. Leading experts and CEOs discussed the current challenges, and ethical principles needed for businesses to thrive in the midst of COVID-19, civil unrest, and political turmoil. A conscious leader, as Mackey defines it, is one who’s more conscious of their purpose, emotions, and what motivates them to move forward in a successful direction with their business. He says that “business people create the most value in the world more so than any government in history.” A conscious leader creates value for their customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and communities. He furthers his point by saying that “there should be no contradiction between purpose and profit, as they belong together.” Mackey, also the author of “Conscious Capitalism”, explains the benefits provided to society by entrepreneurs and the free market, while also discussing engaging topics like the effects of raising the federal minimum wage, Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods, and more. Business Matters 2021 playlist Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business Conscious Capitalism and the Higher Purpose of Business Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we are bringing you a conversation with Stephanie Slade, the managing editor of Reason Magazine, and Eric Kohn, the director of communications here at Acton. In this episode they discuss the philosophy of fusionism. Slade writes that Fusionism is the marriage of two value sets: liberty & virtue. “Liberty - in the classical sense of freedom from aggression, coercion, and fraud; and virtue - in the Judeo-Christian sense of submission to God's commands.” In this unifying value set, we can see fusionism as a “distinct philosophical orientation unto itself.” Rather than a tug of war between two philosophies which we see played out today, fusionism introduces the idea that liberty and virtue should have never been separated. With Fusionism, we see this unbreakable bond between these two philosophies. Thus people can freely choose to live out their individual rights and freely live out the teachings of Christianity. The founding fathers believed that virtue and liberty were, according to Slade, “Mutually reinforcing—and that neither could survive long without the other. A free society depends on a virtuous populace.” The question we explore in this episode is this: If a free society requires morality, how do we live virtuously in an age that rejects it? Stephanie Slade - Reason Magazine Is There a Future for Fusionism? - Stephanie Slade The Future of Fusionism - Jordan Ballor Fusionism and Western Civ - Jordan Ballor Free marketers should take social conservatives’ concerns more seriously - Sam Gregg The Conservative Fight over the Size of Government - Sam Gregg Will-to-power conservatism with Stephanie Slade - Acton Line Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To listen to economic nationalists, national conservatives and certain politicians, you would believe that we’re in a period of mass deindustrialization. Employment in American manufacturing has been declining since the early 1980s. And manufacturing’s share of the economy has been declining since 1970. These trends, they argue, pose not just social and economic challenges to the country, but national security challenges, as well. The response from some political leaders in Washington is arguments for increased economic protectionism, tariffs, and subsidies to shore up the American manufacturing sector and the support people who work in it. But is deindustrialization really happening? In this episode, we speak with Scott Lincicome, senior fellow in economic studies at the Cato Institute, about his new paper: “Manufactured Crisis: ‘Deindustrialization,’ Free Markets, and National Security.” In it, Lincicome argues that the data paint a picture of the American economy and manufacturing base that is strong and resilient, even as it and the larger economy undergo disruptions, the consequences of which are in most cases beneficial, and in other cases better addressed by policy choices other than protectionism. Scott Lincicome - Cato Institute Manufactured Crisis: “Deindustrialization,” Free Markets, and National Security - Scott Lincicome Busting the ‘Deindustrialization’ Myth - Scott Lincicome Tariffs (That Biden Won’t Remove) Threaten the U.S. Manufacturing Recovery (That Biden Wants) - Scott Lincicome Scott Lincicome on how free trade benefits everyone - Acton Line Scott Lincicome on how free traders crippled the free trade consensus - Acton Lecture Series Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On February 17, 2021, conservative radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh passed away at the age of 70. From his humble origins as a rock music DJ in Cape Girardeau, MO, Rush rose to become one of the most recognizable names and voices in radio history, media history and of the modern American political scene. Enabled by the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, The Rush Limbaugh Show went national in 1988, bringing Rush and his “Excellence in Broadcasting” network to radios from coast to coast. At its peak, the program was heard on over 600 radio stations and attracted more than 20 million listeners a week.A cheerleader for conservative causes, Rush was no stranger to controversy. Indeed, in many ways he courted it by, in his own words, illustrating absurdity by being absurd. In doing so, he inspired derision from his opponents as well as the loyalty of his listening audience. What is the significance of Rush Limbaugh to American conservatism and what influence did he have our modern political culture? In this episode, we talk with Matthew Continetti, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, about Rush’s legacy and his place in conservative history and conservative politics. Matthew Continetti - American Enterprise Institute Rush Limbaugh, RIP: 6 quotations on socialism, the Founding Fathers, and life - Rev. Ben Johnson Rush Limbaugh on clergy who accept socialism - Rev. Ben Johnson Rise of the national conservatives with Matthew Continetti - Acton Line Register for Business Matters 2021 Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and governments across the country ordered most businesses closed, people have increasingly turned to online services like Amazon to meet their needs. As a result, Amazon’s sales soared as the company reported a 37% increase in revenue in the third quarter of 2020, with total revenues north of $96 billion. This, in turn, has led to some increased scrutiny on people like outgoing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, whose personal net worth increased by at least $28 billion since the onset of the pandemic. Voices like former Clinton administration labor secretary Robert Reich have pointed to this growth in personal wealth, complaining that despite this massive increase in their personal wealth, they have refused to provide paid sick leave, raises, hazard pay, and more to their employees, who are all suffering real hardships. But is this an accurate picture of what is happening? In this episode, we speak with David Hebert, director of the Center for Markets, Ethics and Entrepreneurship and chair of the economics department at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. Hebert argues that people like Reich misunderstand, purposefully or not, what this “accumulation of wealth” means to both Bezos personally and to a company like Amazon, and how it has been a benefit to consumers and workers alike. David Hebert - Aquinas College COVID-19 pandemic economics - Acton Line COVID-19 and crony capitalism - Noah Gould Register for Business Matters 2021 Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we look around the country and the world, we see towering barriers are holding millions of people back, and institutions that should help everyone rise that are not doing the job. We see crumbling communities and one-size fits all education. Businesses rig the economy. Public policy stifles opportunity and emboldens the extremes. As a result, this country is quickly heading toward a two-tiered society. People are looking for a better way. In the new book, “Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for the Top-Down World,” authors Brian Hooks and Charles Koch contend that today’s challenges call for nothing short of a paradigm shift – away from a top-down approach that sees people as problems to be managed, toward bottom-up solutions that empower everyone to realize their potential and foster a more inclusive society. Such a shift starts by asking: What would it mean to truly believe in people? In this episode, we speak with Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together and co-author of “Believe in People.” In the book, Hooks and Koch maintain that the only way to solve the really big problems – from poverty and addiction to harmful business practices and destructive public policy – is for each and every one of us to find and take action in our unique role as part of the solution. Brian Hooks - Stand Together Believe in People - Charles Koch & Brian Hooks Register for Business Matters 2021 Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the course of two weeks in January 2021, the stock price for GameStop – the brick-and-mortar video game retailer – rose by a shocking 1,500 percent. Suddenly, a handful of hedge funds who had shorted GameStop’s stock, betting that the stock price would go down, found themselves the victim of what’s called a short squeeze. What made this wild ride on Wall Street different is that the short squeeze was organized and coordinated by retail traders, primarily on online chat forms like Reddit and Discord, and executed on retail, commission-free investing apps like RobinHood. What actually happened in the GameStop short squeeze? Are there are identifiable heroes and villains in this story? In what way is this a financial manifestation of our populist political moment? And, how particularly should Christians think about this market rollercoaster? In this episode, we talk with David Bahnsen – the founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group – to simply and clearly explain the GameStop story, and what is likely to come of it. David Bahnsen - The Bahnsen Group Dividend Cafe - The Bahnsen Group Capital Record Podcast - David Bahnsen Sirico & Bahnsen: Liberty & Morality in the Midst of Crisis - Acton Institute Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The question of how to reconcile our faith and our work is a permanent challenge after the fall into sin. In the Hebrew scriptures we read that God judges Adam: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” Recent years have seen a reinvigorated discussion, and even a broad movement, focused on the intersection of faith and work in the modern world. What does our worship have to do with our work? And what might our work have to do with our worship? Today, Acton senior research fellow Jordan Ballor talks with the coauthors of a new book focused on these questions. Matthew Kaemingk is assistant professor of Christian ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary and Cory Willson is Jake and Betsy Tuls Associate Professor of Missiology and Missional Ministry at Calvin Theological Seminary, and together they are the authors of Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy. Matthew Kaemingk - Fuller Theological Seminary Cory Willson - Calvin Theological Seminary Work and Worship - Matthew Kaemingk & Cory Willson Get Your Hands Dirty: Essays on Christian Social Thought (and Action) - Jordan Ballor Work: The Meaning of Your Life - Lester DeKoster Faithful in All God's House - Gerard Berghoef Matthew Kaemingk and Cory B. Willson on Work and Worship - Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Wisdom and Work: Perspectives on Human Labor from Ecclesiastes - J. Daryl Charles Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past several years, American institutions have faced challenges that have placed an enormous amount of stress and strain on them. Some of those challenges have been emergent phenomenon, while other challenges have been intentionally inflicted by political actors. In addition to the institutions themselves faltering for their own internal reasons, and in some senses being fed by that faltering, the American people have lost confidence in the legitimacy of government, business, media, and more. The downstream effects of this institutional crisis and loss of confidence have been higher than usual embraces of conspiracy theories and other forms of unreality. The January 6th riot at the United States Capitol was a striking and vivid example of the consequences of these problems. In this episode, Yuval Levin, director of social, cultural, and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute and the editor of National Affairs, explains these institutional crises, the failures of political leadership in this populist age, the growing embrace of forms of unreality, and what can be done about it. Yuval Levin - American Enterprise Institute National Affairs Failures of Leadership in a Populist Age - Yuval Levin (National Review) Trump's rebellion against reality - Yuval Levin (The Dispatch) The four cultural crises revealed by the D.C. riots - Rev. Ben Johnson (Acton Institute) Yuval Levin on why trust in institutions is declining - Acton Line Yuval Levin on the search for solidarity in the age of Trump - Acton Lecture Series Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re bringing you another conversation from our recent Poverty Cure Summit. The Poverty Cure Summit provided an opportunity for participants to listen to scholars, human service providers, and practitioners address the most critical issues we face today which can either exacerbate or alleviate poverty. These speakers discussed the legal, economic, social, and technological issues pertaining to both domestic and global poverty. Rooted in foundational principles of anthropology, politics, natural law, and economics, participants had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of poverty and identify practical means to reduce it and promote human flourishing. In this conversation, moderator Scot Bertram talks with Anne Rathbone Bradley, the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and the academic director at The Fund for American Studies, and Iain Murray, vice president for strategy and senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and author of the recent book, “The Socialist Temptation.” They discuss the reasons why socialism is not an effective method for reducing poverty and helping the poor regain their dignity. Highlighting the inconsistencies in thought that prevent it from ever working in practice, the panel addresses why socialism seems to be an attractive option to some young Americans and how economic freedom can point the way toward a more prosperous country for all. Anne Rathbone Bradley - The Fund for American Studies Iain Murray - Competitive Enterprise Institute Scot Bertram - Hillsdale College The Socialist Temptation - Iain Murray Anne Rathbone Bradley on eliminating poverty through economic freedom - Acton Line Anne Rathbone Bradley on why Christians must support economic freedom - Acton Lecture Series The socialist temptation with Iain Murray - Acton Line Poverty Cure Summit Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode is a rebroadcast that originally aired in March of 2019, but holds incredible relevance to conversations we’re still having today. This conversation with Tim Carney, editor at the Washington Examiner and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, explores the subject matter of his 2019 book, “Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse." To the extent that the "American Dream" is fading away in parts of the country, the problem isn't pure economics. Nor is it a case of stubborn old white men falling behind because they refuse embrace progress. Carney argues that the root cause of our problems – crumbling families, despair, and political dysfunction – is the erosion of community and local, civil institutions, most especially church. The result of a secularizing country is a plague of alienation for the working class, as people struggle to build families and improve their lives without the support structure they need. Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse - Tim Carney Video: Tim Carney On The Threat To Liberty From Big Business More churches, more flourishing: The secret to success in middle America - Joseph Sunde Lyman Stone on the decline of religiosity in the United States - Acton Line Subscribe to Acton Institute Events podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been a challenging year. A global pandemic, violent unrest in the streets of major American cities, and a divisive presidential election have all challenged us in different ways, testing the strength of civil society and institutions at both the local and national level Throughout the year, Acton’s president and co-founder, Rev. Robert Sirico, has offered commentary on these events as they unfolded. Now, at the end of the year, Rev. Sirico reflects on the year as it comes to a close, to see how we handled the unique trials we encountered in our public life in 2020, and how the principles articulated by the Acton Institute guided us through these trying times and will continue to provide a mechanism for gaining understanding and perspective on our world in 2021. Rev. Robert Sirico's COVID-19 commentaries Rev. Robert Sirico on the Grand Rapids riots Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social capital – the capacity of people to cooperate towards common aims – is an indispensable element of a free and prosperous society yet many studies demonstrate that it has been steadily eroded in recent decades. Social pathologies such as the breakdown of the family, addiction, and deaths of despair are strongly correlated with weakening social ties and norms. The decline in social capital has had devastating real world consequences. In this episode, Acton’s Dan Hugger talks with Maryann and Barry Keating, authors of the new book Rebuilding Social Capital, about the idea of social capital, its erosion, how economics and Catholic Social Teaching help to clarify the concept, and what their new research suggests is the path forward to rebuilding social capital. Rebuilding Social Capital at Acton Book Shop - Maryann & Barry Keating Excerpt from Rebuilding Social Capital - Maryann & Barry Keating Centesimus annus Gaudium et Spes Mater et Magistra ‘Values of Americans: A Study of Ethics and Character, Harris Interactive Report Produces by Boy Scouts of America Youth and Family Research Center’ ‘4-H Experiences Contributing to Leadership and Personal Development of 4-H Alumni’ ‘From Mutual Aid to Welfare State: How Fraternal Societies Fought Poverty and Taught Character’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.