Acton Line

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Micah Watson, the William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar Chair at Calvin College, to discuss the views of C.S. Lewis on democracy, specifically as they relate to the area of education. Lewis was not a fan of democracy, and worried about the effect of democratic inclinations within a culture on the quality of education systems. Watson - joined by Acton Institute Senior Research Fellow Jordan Ballor and Director of Programs and Education Paul Bonicelli - explores the thought of Lewis on this vital topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're excited to talk to John Stonestreet, President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. We examine the major contributions of Christianity to western culture, try to figure out if there's a reasonable system of thought that could replace it in our society, and explore a bit of what the secular left has replaced Christianity with. Spoiler alert: it's sex. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we talk with Brent Waters, Jerre and Mary Joy Stead professor of Christian social ethics at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and author of Just Capitalism: A Christian Ethic of Economic Globalization. The market economy is often criticized as being unjust and harmful to the poor, but Waters makes the argument that global capitalism is well-suited to provide the material goods that are a necessary prerequisite for human flourishing, thus offering the most realistic and promising way for Christians to exercise the preferential option for the poor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, international trade attorney and Cato Institute Adjunct Scholar Scott Lincicome joins us to give us the real story on the benefits of international trade for the United States, and dispels some myths about the impacts of trade on U.S. industry and consumers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Radio Free Acton, we talk with Anne Rathbone Bradley, Ph.D. She serves as Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, and joins us to talk about the vital role that economic freedom plays in lifting people out of poverty. We also address some of the common clichés that are used to attack the market economy, and even take a short peek into the political economy of Al Qaeda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we welcome back John Wilsey - Assistant Professor of History and Christian Apologetics and Associate Director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary - and hand over the reins of the podcast to him as he talks with author and social theorist James Poulos about his new book, "The Art of Being Free: How Alexis de Tocqueville Can Save Us from Ourselves". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg about the life and impact of Michael Novak, who passed away on February 17, 2017. Novak, a Roman Catholic theologian, philosopher, and author, was a powerful defender of human liberty and made vital contributions to our understanding of the morality of the market economy. Novak's influence was an important factor in Rev. Robert A. Sirico's effort to found the Acton Institute, and he served as a mentor to many at Acton over the years. Gregg shares Novak's history, starting with his time on the left in the 1960s and 70s, and recounting his gradual shift toward conservative thought that culminated with the publication of his masterwork, 1982's "The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Judge Joseph Scoville, former United States magistrate judge for the western district of Michigan, to review the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court. We examine the qualifications and judicial philosophy of Judge Gorsuch, and address the question of whether or not the left is correct to accuse Republicans of "stealing" the seat from President Obama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute and the editor of the Cato Supreme Court Journal, to discuss the politics surrounding judicial nominations in modern America, and the judicial legacy that presidents leave behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we have a panel discussion on the prospects for a Christian Democratic political movement in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by Avik Roy, Opinion Editor at Forbes magazine and the founder and president of a new think tank, The Foundation for Research on Economic Opportunity. He's been an insightful critic of the health care reform process in the US since Congress began debating what would become Obamacare in 2009. Through his new organization, he's published a plan to reform the American health care system in a way that maximizes coverage in the population while significantly reducing the cost of health care for both consumers and the government. It's called "Transcending Obamacare." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with David LaRocca, philosopher, author, and filmmaker, who has released a documentary on Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur Brunello Cuccinelli. Cucinelli has built a successful company by creating high-quality apparel, but more interesting than that is the philosophy that undergirds his business and all of his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, discusses the prospects of the movement for liberty and free markets in the Latino community on this edition of Radio Free Acton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with cultural historian and author Victoria Coates on the capacity of democracy to inspire great works of art. Coates is the author of David's Sling: The History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art, and spoke on the topic as part of the 2016 Acton Lecture Series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, Jordan Ballor - Acton Research Fellow, Director of Publishing, and Executive Editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality - talks with Benjamin Domenech, Publisher of The Federalist, about the current populist moment in American politics, the roots of American populism, and what the possible outcomes of the current populist uprising may be for the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we're joined by John Wilsey, Assistant Professor of History and Christian Apologetics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, to discuss Alexis de Tocqueville's masterwork "Democracy In America." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with Karl Zinsmeister, Vice President at Philanthropy Roundtable, about efforts to improve public education outcomes over the years, why charter schools are succeeding where past reform efforts have failed, and the role of private philanthropy in fostering that success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we speak with Jordan Ballor, General Editor of the Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology, a major series of new translations of Abraham Kuyper’s key works. We discuss the genesis of the project, and examine what Kuyper has to say to modern Christians and why his contributions remain relevant a century after their initial publication. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acton Institute Research Fellow Kevin Schmiesing joins us on this edition of Radio Free Acton to discuss the latest book release from the Acton Institute, "One and Indivisible: The Relationship Between Religious and Economic Freedom." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week on Radio Free Acton, we sat down with Acton Institute Director of International Outreach Todd Huizinga to preview the then-upcoming Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom. This week, we're back again with Todd to review the stunning results of the referendum, the reactions to it in both the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the prospects for EU reform and British prosperity in the near and long-term future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.