Sold into slavery, Joseph is put in charge of Potiphar’s household. Potiphar “entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph” (Genesis 39:4-5 [NIV]).You may not recognize it, but this is one of the first mentions of both stewardship and economy in Scripture. The word es from the Greek word oikonomia, which refers to...

While the Democratic and Republican parties disagree on just about every other issue, there is one area where they seem to mon ground. That is the issue of trade and, unfortunately, neither of the two major political party’s platform takes a liberal position on the issue. Director of Research at the Acton Institute, Samuel Gregg, recently highlighted in an article for The Stream how the two parties have taken positions against free trade and how ultimately this will hurt the...

Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and munities. Conversely, not having a job can adversely affect spiritual and psychological well-being of individuals and families. Because unemployment is a spiritual problem, Christians in America need to understand and be aware of the monthly data on employment. Each month highlight the latest numbers we need...

Many view Labor Day as a celebration of all forms of work. The origins of the e from the labor union movement, which for some is not so laudable. This leads some free-market advocates to refer instead to “Capital Day.” One might be tempted to respond as parents often do when kids ask why there is a separate Father’s or Mother’s Day but no “Kid’s Day.” The answer: Every day is Kid’s Day. Perhaps every day is Capital Day and...

On SundayPope Franciswill declare Blessed Teresa of Kolkata — Mother Teresa — a saint at a canonization service tobe held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Here are five facts you should know about the nun who became renownedfor serving the poor: 1.Mother Teresa was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in what is now part of modern Macedonia. At the age of 18 she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto, a group of nuns...

Acton Research Fellow and Director of Poverty, Inc. Michael Matheson Miller joins host Bill Meyer on The Bill Meyer Show on KMED Radio in Medford, Oregon, to discuss how to genuinely help those around the world who remain mired in poverty. He notes that often, foreign aid tends to support the “big three” items: education, infrastructure, and health care. But the question remains: are these things the cause of wealth, or are they the result of wealth? The answer to...

Note: This is the thirdin a series examining the positions of several minorparty and independent presidential candidates onissues covered by the Acton Institute. A previous series covered the Democratic Party platform (see here and here) and the Republican Party Platform (see here and here). Although minor parties —often called “third parties” to distinguish them from the dominant two — have always been a part of American politics, the dissatisfaction with the Republican and Democratic parties in the current election season...

Update: Thomas D. Williams at Breitbart now has a report on the Soros donations, based on the Sirico essay. George Soros’ Open Society Policy Center recently had a large set of documents exposed by the international organization, WikiLeaks. It turns out that these documents revealed information of how Mr. Soros’ organization made large monetary donations to two faith-based organizations in the amount of $650,000. Acton Institute president, Acton’s Rev. Robert Sirico talks about the Open Society Policy Center leaks and...

Approximately 1 in 50 Americans are at risk of anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction caused by such conditions as food allergies or exposure to the venom of bee stings. Fortunately, people at risk of anaphylaxis can get a prescription for an epinephrine autoinjector that goes by the brand name EpiPen.By self-injecting epinephrine at the onset of anaphylaxis they can be stabilized long enough to seek medical treatment. In 2007, the cost was approximately $100 (the medicine in...

On Sunday, Mother Teresa of Calcutta became St. Teresa (though Pope Francis said, “We will continue to call her Mother Teresa.”). Mother Teresa was the 29th saint canonized by Pope Francis during his three-year pontificate. While 29 may sound like a lot, Francis’s per-year average (9.7) is just slightly more than Pope Benedict’s pace (6.4 a year) and much, much slower than Pope John Paul II, who averaged 18.2 a year. Still, the increase in the rate of saint-making means...