Acton Line

On today’s episode, Acton’s director of research, John Pinheiro, speaks with Joe Creech, executive director of the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities. They discuss what’s changed in higher education (for better and worse) and what role the Lilly Network plays. Subscribe to our podcasts The Lilly Network

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Mark Clifford, award-winning journalist and historian of Hong Kong, about his new book Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic. Hong Kong has scores of billionaires, but only one of them dared stand up to China while the city’s freedoms were whittled away. What in Jimmy Lai’s extraordin...

Join Acton Institute’s president emeritus Rev. Robert Sirico as he hosts a live panel featuring Mark Simon, Mary Kissel, and William McGurn as they discuss the resumption of Jimmy’s trial in Hong Kong. Featured in Acton’s award winning documentary The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Fight for Freedom you will hear the insights of these close friends and associates of Jimmy as they examine h...

With decades of hindsight, the peaceful end of the Cold War seems to have been inevitable. But in the early 1980s, most experts believed the Soviet Union was strong and stable, and would last into the next century. Ronald Reagan entered the White House with no certainty of what would happen next, only an overriding faith in democracy and an abiding belief that Soviet communism—and the threat of nu...

This week, host Dan Hugger is joined by John Pinheiro, Anthony Bradley, and Dylan Pahman to discuss the results of the 2024 U.S. elections. What do the results say about American society, its politics, its parties, and its future? A wide-ranging conversation from pre-election polls to possible party futures. This episode is a crossover with our other podcast, Acton Unwind. An occasional roundtable...

While the challenge of poverty has always been a part of the human condition, the rise of modernity and the Industrial Revolution have made the problem more acute, particularly for Christians who know that the poor will always be with us and that we’ve been commanded to look out for the least of these. While we cannot rightly characterize C.S. Lewis primarily as an economic or political thinker, h...

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Jordan Ballor, Director of Research at the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy, about his Religion & Liberty cover story “The Faithful Christian and the Politics of the Tao”. They discuss the nineteenth and twentieth century Dutch political party, the Anti-Revolutionary Party, it’s most famous member the theologian and politician Abraham Kuyper, and t...

On today’s episode, Noah Gould, Acton’s Alumni and Student Programs manager, talks to author Caleb Franz about his new book, “The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father.”   Subscribe to our podcasts   The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father

Named after distinguished American theologian Michael Novak, the Acton Institute’s prestigious Novak Award rewards outstanding scholarly research concerning the relationship between religion, economic freedom, and the free and virtuous society.    In recognition of her outstanding research in the fields of family economics, law and economics, and public choice, the recipient of the 2024 Novak Awar...

For this episode of Acton Line, we’re bringing you one of the plenary talks from Acton University 2024. Robert and Berni Neal explore the complementarity of business and philanthropy, sharing their personal journey and philosophy on integrating wealth creation and ethical stewardship. Robert, a managing partner at Hager Pacific Properties, and Berni, a dedicated Catholic evangelist, discuss how th...

On today’s episode, we bring you a wide-ranging conversation between Acton librarian Dan Hugger and Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado from Acton University 2024. They discuss the religious heritage of India, democracy, and the promises and challenges of interreligious dialogue today. Subscribe to our podcasts Acton University Acton On-Demand

For this episode of Acton Line, we’re bringing you one of the plenary talks from Acton University 2024. Dr. Anthony Bradley, Acton Institute distinguished research fellow, delves into the complex relationship between childhood trauma and poverty. Drawing from extensive research, Dr. Bradley discusses how adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction can have long-...

How should you allocate your personal wealth? How do the decisions you make regarding personal wealth impact your character? In his Acton Lecture Series talk, Kenneth Elzinga discussed Christian stewardship and proposed a new way to think about the relationship between “donor” and “receiver.”  Before his lecture, Professor Elzinga sat down with Acton Alumni and Student Programs Manager Noah Gould...

Capitalism didn’t fail—it was ruined, says Ruchir Sharma.   In his new book, “What Went Wrong with Capitalism,” Sharma takes you back to the 19th century to illustrate how the reflexes of government have changed. From hands-off to hands-on, from doing too little to help in hard times to trying to prevent anyone from suffering economic pain ever.   The result? Expensive state guarantees for everyon...

Too much of the conversation about poverty, whether in government, among social service providers, or in churches, is animated by highly emotional conventions, trite melodramatic comparisons, and comfortable ideological clichés, says Ismael Hernandez.   But how can we change this? How can we do better? In his new book, “Rethinking Charity: Restoring Dignity to Poverty Relief,” Ismael looks at the...

For this episode of Acton Line, we’re bringing you one of the plenary talks from Acton University 2024. In this talk, Dr. Umi Waheeda, co-founder of the Al Ashriyyah Nurul Iman Islamic boarding school in West Java, Indonesia, shares her journey of transforming lives through education and entrepreneurship. Founded in 1998 during the Indonesian riots, the school provides free education, meals, accom...

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Daniel Silliman, historian and news editor for Christianity Today, about his new book, One Lost Soul: Richard Nixon’s Search for Salvation. Silliman argues that Nixon’s life was framed by a fundamentally theological struggle: He wanted to be loved by God but couldn’t figure out how. From an idiosyncratic Quaker childhood, to an explicitly modernist youth and...

In this episode, Acton’s director of research, John Pinheiro, speaks to Jeremy Beer from Acton University 2024 about the definition of philanthropy, the importance of philanthropy today, and why finding a way to connect identities is the key to success.  Subscribe to our podcasts   Jeremy Beer | AmPhil   Acton University   Acton On-Demand

In this episode, Acton director of marketing and communications Eric Kohn talks to Kevin Vallier about his book “All the Kingdoms of the World,” the conversations he’s had with young college students interested in ideas like Catholic integralism and post-liberalism, and where he thinks movements rooted in those ideas are at today.   Subscribe to our podcasts     Acton University   Kevin Vallier  ...

In today’s episode, we bring you one of the plenary talks from Acton University 2024. Here Dr. John Tomasi, a distinguished political philosopher and president of Heterodox Academy, delves into the critical role played by universities in supporting a free society.    Subscribe to our podcasts   Acton University   Acton On-Demand   Heterodox Academy 

Each summer, the Acton Institute welcomes a cohort of students to Grand Rapids, Michigan, as part of our Emerging Leaders Program. This leadership-development program is not your typical internship. Students from across the United States and around the globe get to participate in eight weeks of seminars, networking, and Acton events to develop professional experience, grow their network, and go de...

Common ground is hard to find in today’s politics. In a society teeming with irreconcilable political perspectives, many people have grown frustrated under a system of government that constantly demands compromise. More and more Americans on both the right and the left have come to blame the Constitution for the resulting discord.    But the Constitution is not the problem; it’s the solution, says...

In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of marketing and communications, sits down with financial expert David Bahnsen to discuss the current state of the American and global economies, where inflation is at, and the role of the Federal Reserve. Subscribe to our podcasts   Acton University   Acton On-Demand   Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life | David Bahnsen

In the 34-year history of the Acton Institute, never have we had an opportunity to combine Ludwig Von Mises and the Austrian school of economics with mixed martial arts. That is, until Renato Moicano presented us with just that opportunity at Acton University 2024.   Hailing from Brazil, Renato has been a professional MMA fighter since 2010 and currently competes in the lightweight division of the...

Gurcharan Das was born in Lyallpur, Punjab, during World War II. His mother noted in her diary that he was a restless child, and by age 3 was a “troublemaker.” He discovered one day, however, that he could also run—and he’s been running ever since. Gurcharan set out to become an engineer but wound up with a philosophy degree from Harvard instead. From there he abandoned a promising academic career...