I just read the introduction to Amity Shlaes’s ing biography, Coolidge: Debt, Perseverance and the American Ideal. She has been very gracious in taking an interest in the work I have been doing on Coolidge and my recent mentary on the 30th president. Shlaes was interviewed in the Fall 2007 issue of Religion & Liberty about her book The Forgotten Man. I quickly realized in my own research there is no biography that captures Coolidge’s deep relevancy for today given...

The Holy Ascension Choros Source: Over at the Holy Protection Hummus and Pizza Parlor (perhaps my favorite name for a website/anything ever), S. Patrick O’Rourke recently announced the Orthodox Arts Journal which “publishes articles and news for the promotion of traditional Orthodox liturgical arts.” From the journal’s homepage: TheJournalcovers visual arts, music,liturgical ceremony and texts, and relevant art history and theory. The Journal presentsthese topicstogether tohighlight theunified witness of the arts to the beauty of the Kingdom of God andto...

“The right to ‘the pursuit of happiness’ affirmed in the Declaration of Independence is taken these days to affirm a right to chase after whatever makes one subjectively happy,” says James R. Rogers, associate professor of political science at Texas A&M University. “Further, the Declaration doesn’t guarantee the right to happiness, the thought usually goes, but only the right to pursue what makes you happy. This reading of the Declaration’s ‘pursuit of happiness’ is wrong on both scores.” Arthur Schlesinger...

Friday was the last day of Acton University 2012. Here are a few photos from the day’s events. Did you miss AU this year? Be sure to check out our downloadable lectures here. AU participants walk to the DeVos Convention Center Anthony Bradley reviews the AU speaker listing AU participants walk to an ing session Andreas Widmer talks to Rev. Robert Sirico Grand Rapids from the DeVos Convention Center Speaker Rudy Carrasco checks puter during AU AU participants at the...

In an interview with Charlie Rose on CBS’s This Morning, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said, If government’s purpose isn’t to improve the health and longevity of its citizens, I don’t know what its purpose is. Since Bloomberg seems to be unclear about the purpose of government, perhaps we should make him a list. How about: establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility, providing for mon defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our...

A new trailer for Rev. Robert Sirico’s Defending the Free Market has been released. An excerpt of the book focused on 9/11, socialism, and capitalism is read by the author, shown below. Visit the official site for Defending the Free Market to read a free chapter, or order the book from Amazon here. ...

This week we feature an interview with Joseph Tenney, an arts pastor at Park Community Church in downtown Chicago. He is passionate about the integration of art and theology and has helped to encourage art in the church by having “Immersion Nights” which is described on the church site as “an evening filled with images of art and discussion around what they mean and how we can learn to look at art through the ‘Lens of Christ.’” You can follow...

We have just wrapped up Acton University, our annual conference that focuses on integrating Christian theology and sound economic thinking. In light of that, it was interesting to read this post at , “America’s Premier Heresy,” where Scot McKnight takes a look at the Prosperity Gospel, especially as presented by Pastor Joel Osteen. If you’re not familiar with the Prosperity Gospel, it preaches that God wants all of us to be wealthy and healthy in this life, and that riches...

In his recent post on our greatest modern president, Ray Nothstine notes that Calvin Coolidge has deep relevancy for today given the mammoth federal debt and the centralization of federal power. “Coolidge took limiting federal power and its reach seriously,” says Nothstine. Nothstine’s post (and his recent Acton Commentary) reminded me of the 1926 essay, “Calvin Coolidge: Puritan De Luxe.”The liberal journalist Walter Lippmanwrote an unintentionally beautiful tribute to the patron saint of small-government conservatism that provides an outline for...

If you have a videocamera and can make the moral case for free enterprise, then our friends at the American Enterprise Institute have the contest for you: The American Enterprise Institute is serious about reinvigorating America’s spirit of free enterprise. Big ambitions require big promotions, which is why AEI is proud to announce a $50,000 video contest, “Make the Moral Case for Free Enterprise,” to unleash the market’s creative potential. We’re calling on everyone who loves America’s system of free...