Religious Liberty

May 05, 2014

Explainer: The Supreme Court’s Ruling on Government Prayer

What was the Greece vs. Galloway case about? The short answer: The constitutionality of saying religiously specific prayers (e.g., praying in Jesus name) at government meetings and functions. The (slightly) longer answer: In the town of Greece, located in upstate New York, the Town Board sessions were opened by a prayer from local clergy, mostly leaders of Christian congregations although in a few instances members of other faith traditions offered the invocation (a Jewish man, a Baha’i leader, and a Wiccan). Continue Reading...

May 02, 2014

Religion & Liberty: An Interview with Russell Moore

Russell Moore talks and writes about a lot of topics as president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. He even writes about the legendary Johnny Cash. “Cash always seems to connect,” says Moore. Continue Reading...

May 02, 2014

Report: International Experts Examine Religious and Economic Freedoms

Zenit, the Catholic news service, published a recap of Acton Institute’s conference, “Faith, State, and the Economy: Perspectives from East and West.” The event, held in Rome on April 29, brought expert speakers from around the world to explore the complex relationship between religious liberty and economic freedom. Continue Reading...

May 01, 2014

Review – Faith, State, and the Economy: Perspectives from East and West

On Tuesday, April 29, the Acton Institute hosted the conference Faith, State, and the Economy: perspectives from East and West at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. This conference was the first in a five-part international conference series – One and Indivisible? Continue Reading...

April 29, 2014

Burke vs. Paine on Choice, Obligation, and Social Order

I recently read Yuval Levin’s new book, The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left, and found it remarkably rich and rewarding. Though the entire book is worthy of discussion, his chapter on choice vs. Continue Reading...

April 28, 2014

Is Knowledge Of Religion Important To Culture?

We Americans are rather ignorant about religion. We claim to be a religious folk, but when it comes to hard-core knowledge, we don’t do well. The Pew Forum put together a baseline quiz of religious knowledge – a mere 32 multiple choice questions – and on average, Americans only got about half of them right. Continue Reading...

April 22, 2014

Religious Repression and Economic Opportunity in the Middle East

This past weekend, Christians around the world commemorated the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to ponder how Easter was celebrated in the Middle East, the birthplace of Christianity and the region in which these very events unfolded. Continue Reading...

April 11, 2014