No sooner does one proxy resolution season end, it seems, then another begins. The religious shareholder activist group As You Sow has announced last week it will continue to push proxy resolutions at Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2015. If there’s any doubt what stance they’ll take, those doubts should be allayed by As You Sow’s presence at last weekend’s Climate Summit at the United Nations: The world will be watching, and this is a time to stand up and be...

Americans in the 21st century are living through a period of rapid social and economic change, says Peter Augustine Lawler and Richard Reinsch, and our established ways of thinking about public questions have not been serving us well. The changes are forcing us to ask what it means to be a free person in a free society. But how do we answer that question without resorting to radical individualism? Some of our most familiar political and intellectual categories, adapted to...

The Acton Institute is thrilled to be hosting Makoto Fujimura’s “Walking on Water – Azurite“, which isFujimura’s official entry for ArtPrize 2014 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The 8′ x 11′ work, created with mineral pigment on polished gesso, must be seen in person to be appreciated; the depth of the colors and textures of the piece are stunning. Actonalso has the privilege of hosting additional works by Fujimura from his series, “The Four Holy Gospels,” in thePrince Broekhuizen Gallery inside...

In Grand Rapids, Mich., we await the beginning of ArtPrize tomorrow, the world’s largest free, open-entry petition. Those of us familiar with ArtPrize know that the entries (remember, ANYone can enter) range from the incredibly ridiculous (bunny mannequins in the Grand River, anyone?) to the breathtaking and beautiful. There is always a subjective nature to art, even among art considered by most to be “great” (you like Picasso, I like Renoir.) As we seek out great art, it is important...

Mothers who have achieved success in corporate America are often asked how they balance the demands of child-rearing with those of their careers, andunderstandablyso. Fathers, on the other hand? Not so much. The demands of motherhood are significant, to be sure, particularly during pregnancy and the early stages of child development. But given that men have continued to assume more responsibilities in the home, in conjunction with a modern influx of women in the workplace, one would hope that we...

Earlier this month Brian Grim of Georgetown University and Greg Clark and Robert Edward Snyder of Brigham Young University released the results of an extensive study, “Is Religious Freedom Good for Business?,” which concludes that “religious freedom contributes to better economic and business es.” A few months ago Grim provided 7 reasons why religious freedom is a positive good for businesses: [R]eligious freedom develops the economy. When religious groups operate in a free petitive environment, religion can play a measurable...

2014 Acton University Participants The Acton Institute’s biggest event of the year, Acton University has been named a finalist for the Templeton Freedom Award. Every year since 2004, the Atlas Network gives out this award, named after the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. It “honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise, and the public policies that encourage prosperity, innovation, and human fulfillment via petition.” The criteria...

Americans are tired of religion influencing politics, right? Apparently not. According to a new Pew Research Center study released yesterday, a growing number of Americans think religion is losing influence in American life — and they want religion to play a greater role in U.S. politics. Since 2006, Pew had found falling support for religion in politics, notes the Wall Street Journal. But something changed this year. “To see those trends reverse is striking,” said Greg Smith, Pew’s associate director...

“Science.” You know what that means, right? Hard-core facts. Indisputable evidence. No guessing. No “I think.” No opinions. Certainly no faith. If it’s “science,” then there is no arguing. And anybody who doesn’t buy into “science” is clearly wrong. Right? Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry wants to clear a few things up regarding “science.” First, he wants to make sure that we have the definition correct. Science is the process through which we derive reliable predictive rules through controlled experimentation. That’s the science...

Scottishness and Presbyterianism were once synonymous –- and with it reverence for the Union with England, says Ewan Watt in this week’s Acton Commentary. But secularism and nationalism might change all that. Before he was arrested and ultimately burnt at the stake, the great Presbyterian martyr George Wishart dissuaded his young disciple John Knox from following him to martyrdom with the famous words, “Nay, return to your bairns and God bless you. One is sufficient for a sacrifice.” Four hundred...