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The traditional formula for understanding the relationship between the developed and the developing world is the following: Aid = Economic Growth. That is, foreign aid spurs economic development in poorer nations. A new study released by the National Bureau of Economic Research challenges this wisdom, however. “Aid and Growth: What Does the Cross-Country Evidence Really Show?” by Raghuram G. Rajan and Arvind Subramanian shows that “regardless of the situation — for example, in countries that have adopted sound economic policies...

Who argues that the environment doesn’t matter?

The Chicago Tribune has a story about the Evangelical Climate Initiative (ECI) launched February 8th. (See my initial response here.) Most reports of this story have been somewhat fair. But the Chicago Tribune story takes an unjustified swipe at evangelicals who disagree with the ECI statement. The reporter, Frank James, describes the disagreement among evangelical Christians this way: But environmental issues have proved divisive within the body of believers who identify themselves as evangelicals. Some who believe the world is...

Oil—the forbidden fruit?

There’s something like a question of theodicy implicitly wrapped up in the debate about global warming among Christians. It goes something like this: Why did God create oil? One answer is that the burning of fossil fuels is simply a divine trap for unwitting and greedy human beings, who would stop at nothing to rape the earth. Another answer is that there is some legitimate created purpose for fossil fuels. I’m inclined to think the latter, for a number of...

Religion and the EU

Kishore Jayalaban, Director of Acton’s Rome office, appeared on Kresta in the Afternoon yesterday to discuss a number of topics relating to religious freedom in the European Union, including abortion, homosexuality, “retrograde” Poland, and the troubles in Slovakia relating to the approval of a concordat with the Vatican. To listen to the interview, click here (3.1 mb mp3 file). It will also be available on Acton’s podcast, which is available for free through the iTunes Music Store. ...

‘With God’s help, we can stop global warming’

A few others have addressed this issue in previous posts, but I wanted to jump in with my two cents. Yesterday’s New York Times notes that a group of evangelical leaders have entered the debate over climate change: Despite opposition from some of their colleagues, 86 evangelical Christian leaders have decided to back a major initiative to fight global warming, saying “millions of people could die in this century because of climate change, most of them our poorest global neighbors.”...

Family and the new economy

On January 21, 2006, Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, author of Smart Sex: Finding Life-long Love in a Hook-up World and a Senior Fellow in Economics at the Acton Institute, gave this lecture at the Centesimus Annus Conference in Rome. Dr. Morse talks about the failure of the European welfare state to sustain economy and the demographic implications resulting from the “marginalization of the family.” Dr. Morse covers quite a bit of ground in this lecture, beginning with a critique of...

The most corrupt countries

Forbes is featuring a slideshow highlighting a series of the most corrupt countries around the world, based on findings from Transparency International. The list of the “The Most Corrupt Countries” includes Chad, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire, Angola, Tajikistan, Sudan, Somalia, Paraguay, Pakistan, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Under its current president, Nigeria is making a determined effort to clean up its act. President Olusegun Obasanjo has surrounded himself with a dozen senior government...

RELIGION & LIBERTY

After Two Elections, France Is Still Politically Divided. Can Christians Make a Difference?

　　Like the rest of the country, French evangelicals went to the polls on Sunday for the second round of parliamentary elections in what became a showdown between the far right and the rest of the country. The Nouveau Front Populaire (New Popular Front), a fragile new coalition of leftist parties, formed a Republican front with the centrist parties allied with...

May 1, 2026

250 Years of Jeffersonian Constitutionalism

　　Thomas Jefferson’s Summary View of the Rights of British America, composed sometime in the latter half of this month, 250 years ago, ought to be regarded as among the most fundamental primary sources informing our understanding of the spirit and history of the American constitutional tradition, but it is rarely considered in this way. Rather, it has served mainly as...

May 1, 2026

Are You Second

　　Are You Second-Guessing God? 　　By Cindi McMenamin 　　“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 　　Nor are your ways My ways,” declares theLord. 　　“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 　　So are My ways higher than your ways 　　And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) 　　Have you ever second-guessed God, by wondering if He really knew what He...

May 1, 2026

UK Evangelicals Look Ahead to Potential Changes After Labour Victory

　　The United Kingdom elected a new prime minister in a landslide win for the Labour Party, a significant shift of political power after 14 years of Conservative-led government. 　　Neither party secured the majority of the countrys evangelical vote, but evangelicals of varying affiliations will be following how the new Labour government addresses areas of concern for the church, including the...

May 1, 2026

Murthy’s Maddening Modesty

　　The long-awaited Supreme Court case concerning social media culminated not with a bang but with a whimper. Murthy v. Missouri ruled on the Biden Administration’s efforts to shape social media platforms’ content-moderation policies. But the Court ruled not on the case’s merits but on standing. Writing for a 6–3 majority, Justice Amy Coney Barrett reasoned that the plaintiffs—two states and...

May 1, 2026

The Real Reason for Submission

　　The Real Reason for Submission 　　By: Jennifer Waddle 　　Submit to one anotherout of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbandsas you do to the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,his body, of which he is the Savior. (Ephesians 5:21-23) 　　I am sad at the way today's...

May 1, 2026

Prisoners for Liberty

　　It is the best of times, it is the worst of times to be a man of fighting age in Ukraine. Despite persistent Russian gains into their homeland, despite the gut-wrenching losses amongst their friends and the daily tragedy of civilian bombardment, morale is remarkably high. Ukrainians I’ve worked with generally feel they are on the right side of a...

May 1, 2026

Outgrowing Skintellectualism

　　The first time I spoke with Glenn Loury, my initial impression was “Does this guy always speak in full paragraphs?” 　　Two weeks after the Supreme Court’s decision that struck down affirmative action, I’d emailed the veteran black economist for research I was doing on the conservative movement’s complicated relationship with racial issues, and he’d foolishly accepted. Now, I was listening...

May 1, 2026

Seeking God in Solitude

　　Seeking God in Solitude 　　Weekly Overview: 　　Learning to seek the face of God is the foundation for experiencing the amazing life Jesus died to give us. We have available to us through Christ all the wonders, excellencies, and satisfaction we can fathom. God has granted us grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy, affection upon affection, and love upon love. When...

May 1, 2026

At the Heart of Every Fall

　　Weekend, July 6, 2024 　　At the Heart of Every Fall 　　Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. (Matthew 26:58 NLT) 　　Peter had no idea that a storm was brewing. He never realized that his world was...

May 1, 2026