March 2013 Archives

March 11, 2013

Audio: Kishore Jayabalan and Al Kresta Discuss Papal Candidates

Late last week, director of the Acton Institute’s Rome office spoke on Ave Maria’s Al Kresta in the Afternoon. Since the conclave to elect a new pope is set to start on Tues. Continue Reading...

March 11, 2013

At the Vatican Conclave: The Lull before the Storm

ROME — For all the ‘Vaticanisti’ (journalists specializing in the Vatican) sitting around Rome and interviewing one another for the last several weeks, the wholesale consumption of high blood pressure medication took a precipitous drop on the announcement Friday afternoon that the Conclave to elect the new pope would occur on Tuesday, March 12, one day later than I had predicted several weeks ago. Continue Reading...

March 11, 2013

Chuck Colson, Compassion, and Criminals

As Joe noted last week, over at Think Christian, H. David Schuringa highlights the primacy of the church’s ministry to prisoners and their families. He points to efforts both great and small: Over the last 20 years, prison ministry has finally gotten back on the church’s agenda. Continue Reading...

March 11, 2013

Women of Liberty: Hildegard of Bingen

(March is Women’s History Month. Acton will be highlighting a number of women who have contributed significantly to the issue of liberty during this month.) “This strange child” is how Hildegard was once described. Continue Reading...

March 08, 2013

Is the Church Responsible for the Reduction in Crime?

America has a lot big problems—and we American’s like them to have one big cause. We also prefer that they have one big solution (preferably fixable by our big government). Take, for example, violent crime. Continue Reading...

March 08, 2013

Education by and for civil society

If we assume that the institutions of civil society, like churches, recreation centers, fantasy football leagues, and book clubs are essential for a flourishing society, it becomes very important to determine how such institutions are developed, maintained, and promoted. Continue Reading...

March 08, 2013

International Women’s Day: Please Stop “Helping” Us So Much

International Women’s Day has been celebrated on March 8 since 1911, when Clara Zetkin, a member of the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed the yearly event that has its roots in women’s suffrage. Continue Reading...

March 08, 2013

Integrating Faith, Work, and Economics by the Power of the Holy Spirit

Over at the IFWE blog, Art Lindsley continues his series on the gifts of the Spirit, offering seven reasons the gifts of the Holy Spirit matter for our work. “Whether working in creation or regeneration, the Spirit constantly empowers us to carry out the callings God places on our lives,” Lindsley writes. Continue Reading...

March 08, 2013

Ralph Baer and the Art of Innovation

In the video below, Ralph Baer, the “father of video games,” explains why he still invents at 90 years old. “What do you expect me to do?” he asks. He likens invention to the work of a painter. Continue Reading...

March 07, 2013

Welfare Spending Equals $47,000 and a Ford Fiesta Per Family

When it comes to proving support for those in poverty, a significant number of economists, politicians, and pundits support direct transfer of money—just giving the poor cash. There are many moral and practical reasons I think that option is a suboptimal means of aiding the poorest of our neighbors. Continue Reading...