Acton University 2010 is underway. This year, 450 students and faculty from 55 countries are gathered in Grand Rapids for a deep dive into the “free and virtuous society.” Attendees this year include seminarians and college students — groups that have studied at Acton conferences for two decades now — but also presidents of colleges, corporate executives, Christian missionaries, entrepreneurs, physicians, lawyers, business leaders, retired people and a few high school students.

Acton also es 44 Protestant seminary professors who are here thanks to the Kern Foundation and our Hansen Fellows, 25 Catholic High School Teachers who are here courtesy of the Hansen Foundation. New this year is the Juan de Mariana Fellowship program, which has allowed us to enroll 30 international participants. More than a third of attendees are returning alumni e back to take advantage of the expanding curriculum.

We have nearly 60 bloggers represented, and daily broadcasts from AU by Kresta in the Afternoon. (Listen live from 4-6 p.m.)This is a true ecumenical gathering with people from all denominations and several faiths. Catholics and Protestants are represented in roughly equal numbers.

We’ll be doing a running update of coverage by those here at AU. And check out our Flickr stream from AU in the widget in the sidebar:

Mere Orthodoxy sends a new voice, Rebecca Elizabeth, to AU. She covers Rev. Robert Sirico’s opening night talk in “The Kickoff to Acton University 2010.”

Amy K. Hall at Stand to Reason covers AU’s opening night, and asks the right questions: “Our week will be focused on applying the Christian worldview to the field of economics. How do we create a just society? How do we best help the poor? How have other worldviews influenced current economic ideas, and what are/will be the consequences?”