In a review of Flourishing Faith,Chad Brand’s Baptist primer on faith, work, and economics,pastor David Daniels summarizes thewhy behind thewhat: But why should Baptists care about political economic theories anyway – especially over-burdened, time-starved pastors? Aren’t Baptists concerned with spiritual matters: evangelism, discipleship and church-planting? Anticipating the question, Brand provides five excellent reasons why Christians should understand economic theory. The Bible speaks to economic issues: acquiring and disposing of money and property, fair wages, and stewardship of the earth.Understanding political...

Samuel Gregg recently reviewed Rodney Stark’s new book, How the West Won: The Neglected Story of the Triumph of Modernity. Gregg begins by pointing out that discussion of Medieval Europe “is invariably understood as a period of unmitigated darkness–so much so that words like “feudal” are used today, even by many well-informed Catholics, as synonyms for backwardness.” How the West Won seeks to analyze as well as mon misunderstandings and myths about how the West developed. Stark begins his argument...

“In this part of the country, land is life,” says a young Ugandan woman. “Good dreams are about your land.” But widows and orphans are often denied access to their own land because of “property grabbing.” As Jesse Rudy, the International Justice Mission Director in Uganda explains, property grabbing occurs when a man dies in Uganda and his relatives force the widow and her children off of their land, claiming it as ancestral “family land” disowning the widow from the...

I have already weighed in on the recent hubbub over whether bakers, florists, and photographers should pelled by law to serve ends they deem unethical and in violation of their consciences. Over at First Things, Eric Teetsel of the Manhattan Declaration offers some helpful embellishment on that last bit — conscience — arguing that Christians ought to be far less blind and arbitrary when es to the shape and scope of their stewardship and service. As for the case at...

Are you special? Do you have intrinsic dignity? Are “human rights” something that you have by virtue of the fact that you’re a human being, or are you no different from any other creature on the planet? These are all vitally important questions, the answers to which will shape the way you view yourself and other people, and deeply impact the sort of society that you attempt to build. On this edition of Radio Free Acton, Paul Edwards talks with...

North Korea has lately been featured in dozens ofnews articles about a recent United Nations report on human rights abuses and now thanks to a new photo from NASA. The photo above wasjust released — taken from the International Space Station. While the surrounding countries are twinkling with light, North Korea pletely blacked out save for a small dot that is Pyongyang. U.S. News & World Report lists some of the unpleasant facts of life in North Korea, including frequent...

I have five kids. I thought I was sane, but apparently, I’m living a crazy alternative lifestyle. Freestyle halfpipe skier David Wise won gold at Sochi. NBC, rather than being impressed with his world-class athleticism, focused on his “alternative lifestyle.” You see, Wise is married to Alexandra, and they have a young son. Wise is also considering ing a pastor. San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers has had his critics in terms of his play, but there are also critics...

Let’s stick with the hunting metaphor for a moment. In terms of our justice system, “johns” have pretty much been “catch and release.” You catch the (usually) guy, slap him with a misdemeanor, and let him go. Don’t want to embarrass him, his family, put his job in jeopardy. Thankfully, with rising awareness of human trafficking, this is changing. In today’s New York Times, columnist Nicholas Kristof sheds some light on what’s happening in Chicago. Several police officers are waiting...

Dr. Seuss is renowned for his insights into human nature and development, along with an ability municate these insights in a way that is so straightforwardly simple that children can grasp the lesson immediately and intuitively. Consider, for instance, the case ofThidwick the Big-Hearted Moose. Thidwick is a moose who cares about others, and so when the occasion arises, Thidwick is happy to share space on his antlers with a bug who needs somewhere to stay.But Thidwick’s generosity sets a...

Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing, a procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open. The larger fissures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formation and into the wellbore, from where it can be extracted. Fracking has resulted in many oil and gas wells attaining a state of economic viability, due to the level of extraction that can be reached. Fracking has been...