Richard John Neuhaus is calling it “one of the most important books on world poverty in a very long time.” It’s Paul Collier’s The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It. Neuhaus’s discussion is thorough so I won’t reiterate. Suffice it to say that I’m intrigued by the book’s arguments. I’ve always thought the question of when to intervene militarily—self-evidently one of the key foreign policy questions—is also one of the thorniest...

For the next few days, Ray Nothstine and I will be attending the Maranatha Christian Writers’ Conference in Muskegon, MI. As there’s something of interest to pass along and occasion permits, we’ll keep PowerBlog readers updated throughout the week. There’s some excellent background on the thirty year history of the conference in this last weekend’s Grand Rapids Press, “Area woman’s passion became ministry.” ...

The Acton Institute has just refreshed its online look. Go to www.acton.org to see pletely redesigned Website. All of your favorite content is still available but it should now be easier to find and keep track of. Here is a short list of improvements that you may note: Updated navigation: We now use a horizontal drop-menu system along the top of the website to make finding the content you want a little bit easier.Now@Acton: Find the most current content right...

They say that those who can’t do, teach. But what if you can’t teach? From the AZ Republic: “Hundreds of students in Arizona are trying to learn English from teachers who don’t know the language, state officials say.” I’ve never been too attracted to the whole “English-only movement,” but I would think the language should at least be the sine qua non of our educational system. That is, we should be teaching English and other languages. Some of the examples...

Bilal Sambur, Ph.D., is assistant professor on the faculty of divinity at Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta, Turkey. He is a guest scholar this summer at the Acton Institute. Islam, Democracy and Turkey By Bilal Sambur The inauguration of Abdullah Gul as Turkey’s new president has provoked a great deal of discussion — and anxiety — about the rise to power of a man who is an observant Muslim with a background in Islamic politics. Instead of anxiety, the world...

Darkness and light have been used to symbolize powerful metaphors in literature, art, film, and all sorts of creative venues. In Scripture, darkness and light are often used to evoke good and evil. In the 9th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man born blind, who furthermore is brought into the fullness of light through faith in Christ. Jesus, however, implicates the Pharisees, by saying, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that...

This mentary by Anthony Bradley, “Obviously, Sports Do Not Build Character,” (along with our poll question) made me think of the series of articles appearing in the current issue of Christianity Today, which included a cover story on the NFL and an editorial addressing faith and the NBA. And that made me think of this parody (HT: the evangelical outpost): Update: See also the new “Centre for the Study of Sport and Spirituality.” ...

The Acton Institute’s 2007 Samaritan Award winner for outstanding private, voluntary charitable service has been awarded to the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches, Inc. Their mission statement reads, “To address, remedy, and prevent child abuse and neglect by creating safe, healthy, and permanent homes for children.” One of the outstanding aspects of the program is their belief in not abandoning those who participate in their program just because they reach a certain age. Participants are allowed to stay involved and seek...

From WPBF: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A pioneering megachurch pastor and prominent Christian broadcaster has died in Fort Lauderdale. The Rev. D. James Kennedy died early Wednesday morning at his home due plications from cardiac arrest in December. The 76-year-old Kennedy had not been seen publicly since then; his retirement was announced on Aug. 26. Kennedy took the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale from a congregation of 45 in 1959 to a megachurch of nearly 10,000 members today....

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in the UK has given generic approval allowing “human-animal embryos to be created and used for research.” According to a Christian Science Monitor report, Evan Harris, “a lawmaker on a mittee that has oversight in this field,” says that “No scientist I have found has provided scientific reasons as opposed to religiously based ethical reasons for not proceeding,” he adds, even though mittee “looked high and low for such scientists.” Typically the case...