Over at the Reformation21 blog, Michael pares what he calls the “scarcity mindset” of the world with the “abundance mentality” of God, noting that “the world as we see it is open to the creative and transformative power of the Lord God.” Although Jensen’s portrait of civilizational progress is undeservedly bleak (if anything, we’re learning to see beyond scarcity), and although he overstates theconflict between “growing populations” and “diminishing resources” (see Matt Ridley et al), he manages toframethe basic theology...

Acton Institute President Rev. Robert A. Sirico joined host Laura Ingraham on The Laura Ingraham Show while stuck in Washington, D.C. traffic resulting from the arrival of Pope Francis in the city. They discussed the the optics of the Pope’s arrival at the White House, ments there, and what to expect as the Pope addresses Congress tomorrow morning. We’ve posted the audio of the interview below; our thanks to The Laura Ingraham Show for the kind permission to share this...

Acton Institute External Relations Officer Peter Johnson wrote recently at The Federalist that “If Francis can imagine a way to affirm my generation’s devotion to the marginalized while delivering a stern warning against the sort of degenerate sentimentality and paternalism that advocating for the poor can engender, then I think Francis could have an astounding impact here.” He’s been called upon a number of times now to share his thoughts on this topic on a variety of podcasts, and we’d...

Based on their latest headline, it looks likesomeone from the Acton Instituteiswriting for the The Onion: Pope Francis Reverses Position On Capitalism After Seeing Wide Variety Of American Oreos As the article says: Admitting the startling discovery pelled him to reexamine his long-held beliefs, His Holiness Pope Francis announced Tuesday that he had reversed his critical stance toward capitalism after seeing the immense variety of Oreos available in the United States. “Oh, my goodness, look at all these! Golden Oreos,...

“Defending capitalism on practical grounds is easy,” writes economist Donald Boudreaux at the Mercatus Center. “It is history’s greatest force for raising the living standards of the masses.” What’s more difficult, it seems, is understanding its moral logic, spiritual implications, and which of each is or isn’t inherent to private ownership and economic exchange. At what level, for instance, is freely buying a gallon of milk at a freely agreed-to price from a freely employed worker at an independent grocery...

The Fall 2015 Acton Lecture Series kicked off on September 17 with an address from Donald Devine, Senior Scholar at the Fund for American Studies, and formerly – and most famously – Ronald Reagan’s Director of the Office of Personnel Management, where he earned the nickname “Reagan’s Terrible Swift Sword of the Bureaucracy” from the Washington Post. These days, he spends his time traveling around the country teaching Constitutional Leadership Seminars, andworking hard to save the marriage between libertarianism and...

The global conversation on poverty alleviation has taken some interesting turns over the past decade, with an increasing range of economists, government leaders, and even rock stars beginning to challenge the status quo of economic development and foreign aid. Contrary to the longstanding model of top-down solution-seeking, we are seeing a new emphasis on the power of markets and the importance of bottom-up “searchers.”And yet, even as we begin to make productive steps toward improved quality of life and widespread...

In the early 1950s, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Gertrude Elion developed the drug Daraprim bat malaria. Daraprim is now also used to fight toxoplasmosis, which infects people whose immune systems have been weakened by AIDS, chemotherapy and pregnancy. It’s such an important drug that it’s on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, among the most important medications needed in a basic health system. A single pill used to sell for $1, but the price was raised around 2010...

After years of working for a pany, you decide to start your own business designing websites. One of your first clients is a charity that focuses on teaching traditional religious customs and practices. While building the website, you link to other organizations that share some, but not all, of your charity’s views. You’ve mitted an arguable federal felony: Because information on the websites to which you link contained advocacy of religious extremism, you have broken the federal Patriot Act provision...

Lester DeKoster’s short book, Work: The Meaning of Your Life, sets forth a profound thesis and solid theological framework for how we think about work. Although the faith and work movement has delivered a host of books and resources on the topic, DeKoster’s book stands out for its bite and balance. It is remarkably concise, and yet sets forth a holistic vision that considers the multiple implications of the Christian life. The book was recently re-issued, along with the new...