Acton Lecture Series

There are competing creation “myths” regarding American liberty. The Jamestown, Va., settlers of 1607 have vied with the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony in New England for dominance in America’s self-understanding of its origins. In this presentation, delivered as part of the 2019 Acton Lecture Series, Alan Crippen argues that these narratives have obscured the role of William Penn and his “holy experiment” of Pennsylvania as the most influential seedbed of American liberty. Subscribe to our podcasts  Acton Lecture Series  Faith and Liberty Discovery Center Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On May 5, 1994, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas delivered the keynote address at the Acton Institute’s Fourth Anniversary Dinner. His remarks were entitled, “Religion and the Constitution of Liberty.”    Subscribe to our podcasts    About Clarence Thomas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we bring you a presentation that was delivered as part of the 2021 Acton Lecture Series, featuring Rachel Ferguson, Ph.D., speaking on black liberation through the marketplace.    Viewing America’s record on individual rights and constitutional order through a classical liberal lens, Ferguson sees the undeniable and blatant injustices perpetrated against black Americans. But she also discovers black entrepreneurs overcoming extraordinary obstacles and a black community that has created flourishing institutions and culture.   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  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Doar, a Morgridge Scholar and the president of the American Enterprise Institute, explores the history and future of welfare policy in America. Weaving together personal anecdotes and statistical insights, he explains the significant progress that has been made to alleviate poverty in past decades. At the same time, Doar maps out many of the obstacles still standing in the way of further advances. Based on decades of experience and the influence of his father's public service, Robert outlines the most important features of an effective anti-poverty program that promotes work, family life, and civil society and that lays the groundwork for a more prosperous America. This presentation was delivered as part of the 2019 Acton Lecture Series.    About Robert Doar  Acton Lecture Series    Subscribe to our podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America has experienced a surge in populism in recent years that has turned the established order of our politics on its head. Where does such a movement come from? What can history tell us about where it's going? And what can statesmen do to channel this political outrage for the good of all the people? In this episode, we bring you a presentation that was delivered as part of the 2016 Acton Lecture Series, featuring Ben Domenech, co-founder and publisher of The Federalist, speaking on the rise of American populism. Domenech looks at the history of populism in America, from Andrew Jackson to William Jennings Bryan, and traces that strain of politics straight through to the rise of Donald Trump. According to Domenech, the roots of the current populist uprising in America can be traced to the failure of elite institutions to address or even acknowledge the problems and needs of average citizens.  Subscribe to our podcasts   About Ben Domenech    The Federalist: Culture, Politics, Religion  Hosted on Acast. S

On November 17, 2021, an audience of Acton supporters and friends gathered in Grand Rapids, Michigan to celebrate Rev. Robert A. Sirico’s three decades of leadership of the institute as he officially transitioned to the role of President Emeritus. Sirico’s remarks were a reflection on those years of work in service of the cause of liberty, the current state of political and social discourse in the United States, and his vision for how the Acton Institute can help to bridge the vast social divides that exist today. Subscribe to Acton Vault, Acton Unwind, & Acton Line Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our world is a world of ever evolving technology. Every positive advancement in digital technology inevitably comes with an encroachment on privacy whether it be in business, health, families, or freedom. From rampant cancel culture and propaganda on social networks to data collection and surveillance, social manipulation has become the new digital contagion—influencing our behavior and threatening our security. Protection from the omnipresence of digital tech can come in many mediums whether it be political and economic reforms, challenges in the judicial system, or decentralizing the power of the state and large corporations. How much technology is too much? How can innovations in digital technology be used to serve the masses instead of manipulating them? In this episode, we’re bringing you a presentation that was delivered as part of the 2021 Acton Lecture series featuring Michael Matheson Miller speaking on his new book, Digital Contagion: 10 Steps to Protect your Family & Business from Intrusion, Cancel

Andrew Klavan is a screenwriter, author, and two-time Edgar Award winner. Among his works are the internationally bestselling crime novels True Crime and Don't Say a Word. Both books were adapted into screenplays and went on to Hollywood success—the former directed by Clint Eastwood and the latter directed by and starring Michael Douglas.  A prolific author, Klavan has also written thrillers for young adults, such as the bestselling Homelanders series, and a number of nonfiction works, including the religious memoir A Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ. That personal story formed the basis of his keynote address at the Acton Institute’s 29th Annual Dinner on October 15, 2019.  In that address, Klavan shared the story of his journey from atheism to faith in Jesus Christ and laid out his views on how to speak about faith in a culture that has largely abandoned not only biblical truth but the very idea of truth itself. About Andrew Klavan  True Crime & Don't Say a Word The Great Good Thing:

Distributism is a political and economic theory under which the means of productions would be redistributed to as many people as possible, as part of an effort to decentralize power to the greatest extent possible, and to protect the rights of smaller political and economic units against the encroachments of both central government and big business. While distributists and free market advocates can find some common ground, there remain significant differences between the two groups.   On February 18, 2016, the Acton Institute hosted a debate on the topic of distributism.  Arguing in favor of distributism was Joseph Pearce, who at the time was writer-in-residence at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tenn., and the director of the college’s Center for Faith and Culture. Currently, Pearce is director of book publishing at the Augustine Institute and editor of the St. Austin Review. On the side of free markets was Jay Richards, assistant research professor in the Busch School of Business and the academic content lead

Religious-liberty litigants have won 18 of their past 19 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, 14 of them unanimously or by supermajority vote. But a number of those decisions have been on narrow legal grounds and have not resolved the continuing tension between secular culture and those trying to live their faith in the public square. In this episode, John Bursch, vice president of appellate advocacy at Alliance Defending Freedom, discusses where we’ve been and where we might be going when it comes to America’s “first freedom”: religious liberty. This presentation was delivered on Oct. 28, 2021 as part of the Acton Lecture Series. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault  Alliance Defending Freedom Bio | John Bursch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the market economy rooted in greed and self-interest? Jeffrey Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, says no. Many degrees of love are at the core of what it means to exchange, invent, speculate, and produce. True love of neighbor cannot neglect private ownership, the profit motive, and personal vision, all of which are necessary for a vibrant economy that works for everyone.  This presentation was delivered as part of the 2015 Acton Lecture Series. Subscribe to Acton Vault, Acton Unwind, & Acton Line Brownstone Institute Bio | Jeffrey A. Tucker  Latest Book | Liberty or Lockdown The Purges Have Begun Why Masks? Control, Power, and Revenue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Thursday, Sept. 23, Rev. Robert A. Sirico, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, debated Joshua Davis, executive director at the Institute for Christian Socialism, at the St. Augustine's Catholic Center at the University of Idaho on the question of Capitalism vs. Socialism: How does each system serve a Christian conception of a healthy society? Subscribe to Acton Vault, Acton Unwind, & Acton Line Capitalism vs Socialism: How does each system serve a Christian conception of a healthy society?  What is capitalism? The deceit of 'democratic socialism'  How socialism fosters an envious, covetous worldview Why capitalism is worth conserving 9 big questions about democratic socialism  An aid to defining 'capitalism' 'Inclusive capitalism'? Why not simply 'capitalism' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a president "good" or "bad"? Are historians always the best judge of such things? Or should we be getting second opinions?  In this lecture, Larry Reed, president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education, offers his answers to these questions while taking us on a stroll through the triumphs and follies of some of the men who have occupied the White House. Reed’s presentation was delivered as part of the 2014 Acton Lecture Series. More from Larry Reed  Foundation for Economic Education  Subscribe to Acton Vault, Acton Unwind, & Acton Line Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Between Catholics and Protestants, the list of common beliefs, values, and practices is much longer and more substantive than the differences. (Assuming, of course, they are not heretics to their own traditions.) Why, then, has our alliance been so weak in stemming the tide of public secularization, immoralism, and decadence? In this episode, we bring you a lecture that was delivered as part of Acton University 2018, featuring Peter Kreeft speaking on the commonalities enjoyed by Catholics and Protestants. The Official Peter Kreeft Site Think locally, act locally | Acton Commentary  Abraham Kuyper | Religion & Liberty Subsidiarity and Sphere Sovereignty: Christian Reflections on the Size, Shape and Scope of Government  The Principle of Subsidiarity | Religion & Liberty  What is Subsidiarity? | Acton Power Blog Subscribe to Acton Vault, Acton Unwind, & Acton Line Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we are bringing you a presentation that was delivered as part of the 2014 Acton Lecture Series featuring John “Chuck” Chalberg as he plays the role of G.K. Chesterton. In his performance, Chesterton speaks about America, which he thought was the only country with the soul of a church.  He also addresses the state of the family, past and present.  His starting point and end point is this: "Without the family we are helpless before the state." Is GK Chesterton Still Relevant? Why, Yes Video | An Evening With GK Chesterton Acton Lecture Series  Subscribe to Acton Vault, Acton Unwind, & Acton Line Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 11th, 2001 terrorists struck the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. A fourth hijacked airliner was crashed in a field near Shanksville, Penn., after a group of passengers rushed the cockpit to take the plane back. The attacks resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans. This attack challenged the way we celebrate our fundamental freedoms here in America.   One month later, The Acton Institute had its 11th Annual anniversary Dinner. The dinner featured a keynote address by journalist and political commentator, Tony Snow, as well as comments by Fr. Robert Sirico. A New York firefighter tells his story of 9/11  Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse describes how the socialist ideal of equality has played an independent role in the breakdown of the family, arguing that socialism has attacked the family directly and has adopted policies that have led to demographic collapse.  This presentation was delivered as part of the 2008 Acton Lecture Series.  Bio | Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D The Ruth Institute   Acton Lecture Series  Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're bringing you a plenary session featuring a conversation with Fr. Robert Sirico and Michael Novak which was delivered as part of Acton University 2012. The life of Novak has been a story of intellectual exploration, with philosophy, Roman Catholic theology, and economics as the pillars of his career. Novak has changed the hearts and minds of millions to rethink how we approach human anthropology within the free market.  Novak was a public intellectual, author, professor, and former US Ambassador among many other things. He was the George Frederick Jewett Chair in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and the 1994 recipient of the million-dollar Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. He has authored more than 45 books on philosophy, theology, culture, and economics, including his masterpiece, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism.  Novak passed away on February 17th 2017 at his home in Washington at the age of 83. About Michael

In this episode, we're bringing you a plenary speech given by Joel Salatin which was delivered as part of Acton University 2015. Salatin is a full-time, third generation alternative farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. He speaks on defending small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm.   His farm, Polyface Inc, the “Farm of Many Faces” has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Gourmet, and countless other radio, television and print media. Joel Salatin | Bio  Polyface Farm - We Are Your Clean Meat Connection  Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For over half a century America has been suffering from a growing but strangely overlooked crisis: a flight from work by men in the prime of life. Just before the COVID-19 crisis, almost 7 million men 25-54 were neither working nor looking for work. Employment rates for prime aged U.S. men mirrored those near the end of the Great Depression. In the wake of the COVID-19 shock, America's 'men without work’ problem has become even more acute. In this episode, we're bringing you a presentation that was delivered as part of the 2021 Acton Lecture Series featuring Nicholas Eberstadt, as he outlines the dimensions of the problem, examines some of its causes, discusses its far-reaching implications, and speculates about possible solutions. Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis Covid relief bill’s side effects on our future economy How to rebuild the economy after COVID-19 Bio | Nicholas Eberstadt, Ph.D. Acton Lecture Series Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.