To kick off this special Summer/ Fall double issue of Religion & Liberty, we talk with scholar Bradley J. Birzer whose new biography of Russell Kirk examines the intellectual development of one of the most important men of letters in the twentieth century. We discuss the roots of Kirk's thought and how it developed over time, in a characteristically singular fashion. Kirk, the author of The Conservative Mind, was not easily pigeonholed into ideological categories – fitting for a man once described as "the most individual anti-individualist of his day."

We review two new books. Economist David Hebert tells us that Russ Robert's How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life – An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness is a helpful reminder about the "limits of pure economics." Even though the books and film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's mythic fantasies are phenomenally popular today, John Zmirak points out that his "bourgeois virtues were widely sneered at" by his contemporaries. He reviews The Hobbit Party: The Vision of Freedom that Tolkien Got and the West Forgot by Jonathan Witt and Jay Richards.

Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg, the author of ing Europe, weighs in with an essay on the surprising scope of America's welfare state in "Our Competitive Entitlement Economy." He reports that almost 30 percent of America's annual GDP is devoted to welfare-spending of one form or another. The "competitive entitlement economy" in his title points to the way in which this parallel culture feeds off the wealth creating economy.

"In the Liberal Tradition" looks at the life of Leonard Liggio, the man affectionately known as the "Johnny Appleseed of Classical Liberalism" for his tireless efforts to sustain and build the free market movement all over the world. Acton Executive Director Kris Mauren, in his FAQ feature, reports on the progress of Acton@25 Capital Campaign. The Institute, founded in 1990, has a number of exciting new projects planned for the near term. The Double- Edged Sword feature looks at John 6:40, one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament. It begins with Jesus Christ feeding the five thousand and includes one of the seven "I am" statements.

In his closing essay, Rev. Robert A. Sirico uses the celebration of the New Year to examine how joy is often confused with happiness. In light of the work of C.S. Lewis, Rev. Sirico talks about the close relationship of joy and faith.

– John Couretas