Joe Carter

Joe Carter is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition, author of The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bible, and coauthor of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History’s Greatest Communicator. He also serves as an associate pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Va.

Posts by Joe Carter

What Pope Francis doesn’t understand about speculation

In a recent visit to a steel factory in Italy, Pope Francis said, “One sickness of the economy is the gradual transformation of entrepreneurs into speculators.” “The speculator doesn’t love his business, doesn’t love the workers, but only sees the business and workers as the means to make profit,” the pontiff added. Continue Reading...

An introduction to externalities

Note: This is post #36 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. What are externalities and what are the different kinds of costs? And what does this have to do with the rise of “superbugs”? Continue Reading...

15 Biblical foundations of environmental stewardship

Today is World Environment Day, the United Nations’ “most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment.” Though we may disagree on policy solutions, we here at the Acton Institute share the UN’s concern for the environment. Continue Reading...

Economic freedom eases poverty

“The poor will always be with us, but such a sobering reality does not free us from an obligation to work to alleviate the ravages of poverty,” says Trey Dimsdale. “On the contrary, Jesus’ statement only serves to remind us that every generation will face the question of how best to fulfill our holy obligations to them.” Continue Reading...

6 Quotes: Peter Augustine Lawler on virtue

Peter Augustine Lawler died last week at the age of 65. Lawler, who referred to himself as a “postmodern conservative”, was a distinguished political philosopher and public intellectual who frequently wrote about the role of virtue in the modern (or postmodern) world. Continue Reading...

What caused the Great Depression?

Almost 90 years have passed since the beginning of the Great Depression and yet most of us are still unclear on what caused America’s greatest economic collapse. The causes and precursors are complex, of course, but there are a few factors that we should know about. Continue Reading...

The DeVos budget: Toward a new paradigm of public education

“If school choice effectively functions as a standing critique of public education as well as being a potential solution to problems evident in the current system,” asks Hunter Baker in this week’s Acton Commentary, “how can public school advocates ever approve of an appointee like Betsy DeVos?” Continue Reading...