“There are many things government can’t do—many good purposes it must renounce,” said Lord Acton. “It must leave them to the enterprise of others. It cannot feed the people. It cannot enrich the people. It cannot teach the people. It cannot convert the people.” Unfortunately for us, too few of our fellow Americans would agree with Lord Acton on that point. Many people think the government can feed, enrich, and teach us—and even convert us to the “right” (i.e., politically...

Whether directly connected with our passions or not, God calls us first and foremost to do the next thing well, to his glory, with all of our might, says John Stonestreet. Short of this awareness, we risk “Christianizing” a sense of entitlement. Christians are guilty of inculcating false expectations to their young as well. For at least a couple of generations, Christian colleges and other educational institutions, with the noble intention municating the biblical concept of “calling” being more than...

The implosion of Donald Trump’s campaign is a reminder that at the end of the day, character matters more than professional success or mitments. At the beginning of the second presidential debate Donald apologized again for the ments recorded during a private discussion with Billy Bush in 2005 in which he boasted of romantically pursuing married women and groping others. In his apology, he referred to that discussion as regular “locker room talk.” In other words, Trump believes he is...

When Bob Dylan wrote, “The Times They Are A Changin’,” I doubt he had the Swedish Academy in mind. Nevertheless, by awarding him the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature the Academy has made a bold statement for a change in the way songwriting is viewed as literature. Many people have plained that there were many more worthy potential recipients. But let’s face the facts: Bob Dylan won, and they lost. He likely didn’t even know he peting. (Reportedly, he was...

“It needs to be our job to envision a different future for the church in which we teach our young people pete in the arena and be so excellent that they cannot be denied—to be shepherds.” -Gregory Thornbury In a recent lecture at the ERLC’s 2016 National Conference, Gregory Thornbury, President ofKing’s Collegein New York City, challenges the church to “stop talking about culture and engaging culture” and begin petitors into the “heart of the arena,” whether in finance, business,...

Acton Institute Director of Programs and Education Paul Bonicelli joined host Juliet Dragoson WZZM 13 News in Grand Rapids, Michigan yesterday to discuss the choice facing evangelical voters in the ing 2016 presidential election. You can watch the interview below. ...

Have you ever wondered what liberal political activists and politicians think of Catholics? Well, thanks to Wikileaks you can get a glimpse into their views. In a couple ofemails from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s account there are exchanges in which conservative Catholics are mocked. The first is the amusing titled“Catholic Spring.”Sandy Newman of Voices for Progress tells Podesta that she thinks there needs to be a “Catholic Spring” akin to the “Arab Spring”, the series of protest against...

Many Christians assume that the Bible has nothing at all to say about economics, says Albert Mohler. But a biblical worldview actually has a great deal to teach us about economic matters. Mohler notesthat while the Christian worldview does not demand or promote a particular economic system, there are several principles that should guide our thinking: 6. A Christian economic understanding rewards initiative, industry and investment. Initiative, industry and investment are three crucial words for the Christian’s economic and theological...

Over at the Libertarian Christian Institute, Jamin Hübner engages my reflection on taxation and Sam Gregg’s book, For God and Profit, with his sed contra: “But what if the ‘taxation is theft’ creed is consistent with both Christian and libertarian ideas, and that all things considered, taxation really is theft? And what if we’re simply misreading or misappropriating the New Testament? This wouldn’t be fortable or popular conclusion to draw, but it might be the case nevertheless.” Hübner accuses me...

Earlier this week the 2016 Nobel Prize in economics was jointly awarded to Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmström on Monday for their shared contributions to our understanding of contract theory. “Taken together the work of Hart and Holmström has allowed all of us to understand more clearly what a “good” contract might look like,” says Victor V. Claar in this week’s Acton Commentary, “even when both parties face an uncertain future.” Most of Professor Hart’s work has dealt with “principal-agent...