Acton Institute audio files are now available via a “podcast.” A podcast is similar to an RSS feed (in fact it is an RSS feed) but the intention is to describe audio files. These files are read by a podcast aggregator which will automatically download the audio files associated with the podcast and allow you to listen to them on puter. Many aggregators will also automatically transfer the downloaded files to the music library on puter and even to your...

As events have unfolded over the weekend in Rome, Acton staff members have been called upon by many news organizations to lend some perspective on the legacy of Pope John Paul II. Father Robert Sirico, president of the Acton Institute, was a guest on the FOX News Channel yesterday. Kishore Jayabalan, director of the institute’s Rome office, has also been interviewed on CNN and FOX News. Keep abreast of the activities of Acton staff and media coverage at Acton’s special...

There’s a provocative post from Bryan Caplan over at EconLog about “the odd factoid that faith in government dramatically increased after 9/11.” ...

Yesterday, The Connection with Dick Gordon, an NPR program, had two Catholic intellectuals on the show to discuss “John Paul II’s Life and Legacy.” What was troubling was the way these professors described the pope’s economic thought. The guests were Lisa Sowle Cahill, professor of theology at Boston College, and Lawrence Cunningham, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. You can listen to the broadcast here at the show’s website. Below is a rough transcript of the relevant...

Tuesday’s Washington Post says that Internal Revenue Commissioner Mark Everson is the government official to help us make sure that our contributions are received by legitimate charities. In a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, which is currently discussing increased charity regulation, Everson noted, “We can see that tax abuse is increasingly present in the [Exempt Organization] sector,” and unless the government takes effective steps to curb it, such organizations risk “the loss of the faith and support that the...

This month’s School Reform News, a publication of the Heartland Institute, has an interview with J.C. Huizenga, member of the Acton Institute’s Board of Directors, as well as founder and chairman of the National Heritage Academies, “Bringing the Profit Motive and Moral Values to Education.” ...

Rev. Zandstra discusses the experiences of his life, which led him “from an interest to a profound appreciation for Pope John Paul II.” Read the full text here. ...

Law professor Ronald J. Rychlak discusses some of the developments in tort law in the United States, as well as some of the proposed reforms. “As legislators and other lawmakers consider future planned reforms to the tort system, the goal must be to return to a system which affirms the dignity and intrinsic value of the person and munity by placing blame only on those who cause damage, not simply on those who have deep pockets,” he writes. Read the...

“Where did Pope John Paul II stand on economic issues?” Father Robert Sirico answers this question in an article appearing today on National Review Online, “Papal Economics 101: Freedom and truth.” ...

Crux Magazine, a new e-zine and sister publication of Touchstone Magazine, has an insightful analysis and summary of some of the recent trends in scientific studies of religion. In “Survival of the Metaphysically Fittest,” John D. Martin examines conclusions about religion and evolution: “To put it as bluntly as possible, non-religious persons, in purely evolutionary terms, experience a significant selection disadvantage in terms of longevity and reproductive success. The irreligious live shorter lives, less healthy lives, produce fewer offspring, and...

Jonah Goldberg on NRO takes issue with interpreting the pope according to left-right categories. Here’s the last paragraph: “Some of John Paul the Great’s detractors saw his ‘social conservatism’ as a contradiction to his criticism of capitalism run amok, or regarded his opposition to the death penalty as at odds with his opposition to abortion. John Paul confounded so many because his views on these and other issues were unswervingly consistent with a vision of the world bound not by...

Think governmental corruption is only a problem in the developing world? Think again. The American media are beginning to cover a burgeoning scandal in Canada. The Canadian media, meanwhile, have been stifled by an order from a Canadian judge limiting the dissemination of information, so as to not prejudice potential jurors. Check out a summary of the scandal here As Osvaldo Schenone and Samuel Gregg write in A Theory of Corruption, “We must recognize that all societies, no matter how...