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January 17, 2013

Happiness, work, and the eternal quest for meaning

In my cautionary post on the constant temptation to indulge in earthbound economics, I mentioned that even seemingly noble, intangible features such as “happiness” can be just as futile and vain when pursued on our own terms and for our own limited purposes. Continue Reading...
January 16, 2013

Debating Food Equality in New York

The Food Bank For New York recently released their annual report on the state of hunger in the city and the growing disparity between low-income New Yorkers and New York City’s professional class. Continue Reading...
January 16, 2013

Audio: Samuel Gregg Discusses ‘Becoming Europe’ on Relevant Radio

Recently  Samuel Gregg, was interviewed by Sheila Liaugminas of Relevant Radio. They discuss Gregg’s latest book, Becoming Europe. Listen to the interview here: [Audio:http://bonhoeffer.acton.org/acton_media/mp3/2013/2013-01-15_Gregg-3.mp3] Michael Novak, author of The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, says this about the book: If you don’t know Samuel Gregg’s writing, you don’t know one of the top two or three writers on the free society today: free in its culture, free in its politics, and free in its economy. Continue Reading...
January 16, 2013

Audio: Ray Nothstine on Gun Control

Ray Nothstine, managing editor of Religion & Liberty, was recently on Relevant Radio with Drew Mariani to discuss the issue of gun control.  According to the Chicago Tribune: President Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping plan to reduce gun violence…that would require criminal background checks for all gun sales and a ban on military-style assault weapons. Continue Reading...
January 16, 2013

The Idle Ents

Last week I had the pleasure of participating in the First Kuyper Seminar, “Economics, Christianity & The Crisis: Towards a New Architectonic Critique,” held at the VU University Amsterdam. I gave a paper on “The Moral Challenges of Economic Equality and Diversity,” which focused on envy as a moral challenge particularly endemic to market economies: “Since envy arises out of inequality, envy and inequality go together. Continue Reading...
January 15, 2013

Audio: Samuel Gregg discusses ‘Becoming Europe’ in two new interviews

Samuel Gregg, director of research at the Acton Institute, recently had two interviews discussing his latest book, Becoming Europe. Here is his interview on the Armstrong & Getty Show: [audio:http://bonhoeffer.acton.org/acton_media/mp3/2013/2013-01-15_Gregg.mp3] Here is his interview on the Dennis Miller Show: [audio:http://bonhoeffer.acton.org/acton_media/mp3/2013/2013-01-15_Gregg-2.mp3] Continue Reading...
January 15, 2013

What is the Purpose of Our Government?

If we asked many of our fellow Americans today “What is the purpose of government?,” undoubtedly, we might be barraged with some vexing or comical answers. But I’m not one to believe that a good deal of our citizens can’t answer this question quite intelligibly. Continue Reading...
January 15, 2013

Access vs. Ownership in ‘Collaborative Consumption’

New rental markets are popping up all over the place, as detailed by a recent Wall Street Journal article. The trend is beginning to drive a larger movement labeled by some as “collaborative consumption,” wherein “sharing” is pushed as a way of “reinventing old market behaviors.” Continue Reading...
January 14, 2013

C.S. Lewis on transcendent economics

I recently discussed our pesky human tendency to limit and debase our thinking about economics to the temporary and material. Much like Judas, who reacted bitterly to Mary’s outpouring of expensive ointment, we neglect to contemplate what eternal purposes God might have for this or that material good and the ways through which it might be used or distributed. Continue Reading...