Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'religion'

July 10, 2007

Religion, Race, and Hierarchy

I ran across this review essay by J. Daniel Hammond responding to S.J. Peart and D. Levy’s The Vanity of the Philosopher: From Equality to Hierarchy in Postclassical Economics over at SSRN, “In the Shadows of Vanity: Religion and the Debate Over Hierarchy.” Continue Reading...
June 29, 2007

Gerson on Obama at the UCC

In today’s WaPo, former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson opines on Senator Barack Obama’s recent address to a gathering of UCC faithful (HT). In “The Gospel Of Obama,” Gerson writes, “By speaking at a gathering of the United Church of Christ — among the most excruciatingly progressive of Protestant denominations — he was preaching to the liberal choir. Continue Reading...
June 28, 2007

Media Bias and the ‘Fairness Doctrine’

The confluence of two recent headline-making stories has the potential to impact the practice of free speech, political or otherwise, in this country. First, let’s discuss the question of media bias that has surrounded the offer made by Rupert Murdoch to purchase the Wall Street Journal. Continue Reading...
June 06, 2007

The Church and Globalization

Economic globalization has lifted millions out of dire poverty and is an unparalelled engine of wealth creation. But, like other economic systems, it needs the moral framework that the Church provides to guide it as a humane force for good. Continue Reading...
May 31, 2007

A Few Notable Quotables

Jim Wallis: “I’m believing more and more that politics alone cannot overcome poverty and our other great social problems.” (See also: Pentecost 2007, featuring Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama.) Continue Reading...
May 30, 2007

Speaking of Milton Friedman…

Speaking of Milton Friedman, here’s a link to a paper that looks interesting: “Transcendental Commitments of Economists: Friedman, Knight, and Nef” (HT: Organizations and Markets). Acton president Robert A. Sirico’s reflection on Friedman’s legacy last year noted, “Friedman was a true Enlightenment disciple and feared that truth claims could lead to coercion.” Continue Reading...
May 23, 2007

Austrians at Acton University 2006

A contingent from Austria that attended last year’s Acton University produced a video on their experiences: Want to learn more? Register for next month’s Acton University 2007 (June 12-15, 2007) today. Continue Reading...
May 21, 2007

The (civil) religion test

Commentators call it “The Religion Test.” What does it mean when the Constitution says there should be no religious test for holding office in the United States? Historically it has plainly meant that no candidate, be they a Quaker, a Baptist, a Pentecostal or a Mormon can be barred from office because of their religion. Continue Reading...
April 04, 2007

Home runs against Hitler

Over the weekend I had the chance to see an airing of the 1998 documentary, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg on Detroit public television. The film does an excellent job portraying the life of a baseball superstar complicated by social and political events in the 1930s and 1940s. Continue Reading...
March 22, 2007

Christianity and communism in China

Kishore Jayabalan reported yesterday on the latest happenings with the Acton Institute’s office in Rome and the most recent installment of the Centesimus Annus Conference Series, “The Religious Dimension of Human Freedom.” Continue Reading...