Recent policy debates over direct cash grants to parents from the federal government expose our society’s dysfunctional attitudes toward work and parenting. Over at the Detroit News, I have some thoughts and (mostly) concerns. Or as I put it, “The creation of a new, permanent entitlement program for parents seems particularly unwise while our federal debt skyrockets and reform for already existing entitlement programs is so desperately needed.” Oren Cass worries that universalizing a child benefit “goes too far” by...

Ideas are inherently social. Teaching and learning, talking and listening, and all forms of salutary social change are cooperative. As the prophets teach, “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” (Amos 3:3) The Acton Institute’s mission “to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles” naturally extends beyond itself. As such, the Acton Institute seeks to equip and empower others who share its mission. One of the ways it does...

The Bible says that eth by hearing, but some believe eth by earmarks. One congressman pared government spending with eternal salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. Earmarks are dedicated spending amendments that congressmen often attached to larger, “must-pass” legislation. They fund projects in thee congressman’s home district, typically awarding the contract to a specific vendor. Since most earmarks support indefensible projects that could never garner enough votes to pass on their own, congressmen often trade votes or use them to...

This essay won third place in the essay contest of the Acton Institute’s 2020 Poverty Cure Summit, which took place on Nov. 18-19, 2020. The author will receive a $1,000 prize. Her essay is presented as it was submitted, with only light, grammatical edits. – Ed. The author of the following quotation has been hotly debated, but I fear that its significance has been forgotten: “You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” COVID-19...

West Virginia’s schools have historically ranked among the lowest in the nation, even as spending per student continues to rate well above the national average. Unfortunately, instead of pushing for reform, teachers unions and state legislators have fought vigorously to protect the status quo. In 2018, teachers went on strike for nine days, demanding higher pay and better benefits. In 2019, they stayed home again, protesting the state’s decision to legalize charter schools and offer various alternatives. This past January,...

What are the keys to properly analyzing business opportunities, discovering new markets, and troubleshooting barriers to growth? Business degrees, books, and seminars may equip leaders with a technical knowledge of these problems – but in a new podcast, Acton Institute President and Co-founder Rev. Robert A. Sirico identifies two core mental and spiritual traits that incline entrepreneurs toward success. Rev. Sirico joined best-selling author and top-rated Forbes leadership speaker Brad Formsma in episode 64 of “The Wow Factor,” a podcast...

In its first show for the Disney+ streaming ic giant Marvel explores in the hit series Wandavision a depth of storytelling that reaches beyond the stereotypical good-versus-evil battle of so many superhero tales. It explores the inseparability of human creativity and the condition of our hearts. The final episode was released on March 5. This post contains spoilers. Wandavision features the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), and the Vision (Paul Bettany), two secondary (though not anymore, I hope) heroes...

As American culture has grown increasingly hostile to Christianity, many have responded with calls to “take our country back” for God, promoting a mix of tailored strategies to dominate specific sectors of society – from politics, to business, to the media and beyond. The efforts vary in their energy and effectiveness, but as cultural elites give way to various forms bative conformity, Christians appear to be ever more drawn to their own spiritualized versions of the same. In assessing such...

As the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight and we see some hope on the horizon, politicians in our nation’s capital are considering significant proposals to address the crises of the working poor and child poverty. The plans, most prominently those championed by President Joe Biden and Sen.Mitt Romney, focus on both the particular challenges of the pandemic as well as the ongoing and structural difficulties of work and parenting in our modern economy. Although they differ in...

A recent article on the Powerblog celebrating the work of delivery drivers, who never seem to be included in the definition of an “essential worker,” reminded me that we do not spend enough time thinking about work from an economic or theological point of view. This series will present a biblical theology of work in three parts over ing weeks, reflecting on both the spiritual and economic significance of work. I begin with three brief anecdotes that illustrate why this...