“ … what is virtue if not the free choice of what is good?” — Alexis de Tocqueville

Acton University, the four-day exploration of the intellectual foundations of a free society, opens today in Grand Rapids. This event has grown rapidly since its inception in 2005. This year’s AU, which will integrate course instruction in philosophy, Christian theology and economics, is drawing nearly 400 attendees from 51 countries. The schedule features more than 57 courses and 20 discussion and networking sessions, ranging from small seminars to evening lectures. Check out the course schedule here.

Kresta in the Afternoon, Ave Maria Radio’s flagship national production, will be broadcasting live from AU from Wednesday, June 11 through Friday, June 13. For those of you who cannot pick up the broadcast signal, you can listen live on the Ave Maria site as host Al Kresta interviews AU speakers and attendees.

AU’s expert faculty for 2008 hails from 6 continents. A few featured lecturers and speakers include:

Lord Brian Griffiths, Vice-Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and former advisor to Margaret Thatcher. He has served as a lecturer in economics for the London School of Economics at the University of London, the director of the Bank of England and the dean of the business school at City University. He has also written numerous articles and books.

Rev. John Nunes, President of Lutheran World Relief. For over 25 years he has worked as a speaker, musician, writer, youth director, pastor and professor. A research associate for Urban Ministry to Wheat Ridge Ministries and author of Voices from the City. Lutheran World Relief works with partners in 35 countries to help people grow food, improve health, munities, end conflict and recover from disasters.

Mr. Mustafa Akyol, deputy editor and columnist for Turkish Daily News, Turkey’s foremost English-language daily. His writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, The Weekly Standard and First Things. His focus is the relation between Islam and modernity.

Rev. Robert A. Sirico, president and co-founder of the Acton Institute regularly lectures both in the United States and around the world. His writings have appeared in various journals, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, National Review, The Financial Times, and Crisis.

Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, well known economist and Acton Senior Fellow, who is heading up a course series on Marriage and the Family. She has been on the faculty of Yale University and George Mason University, and is the author of Love and Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family doesn’t work.

Acton also es its many blogger friends to AU. Over at What Does the Prayer Really Say?, Fr. Z is already blogging about AU and his visit to the Gerald R. Ford Museum.

On the Mere Orthodoxy blog, Tex is promising live blogging from AU. Yeah, Tex!

Check back for updates on the PowerBlog as AU week rolls out.