“Mockingjay, Part 1,” the first film installment of the finale to Suzanne Collins’ massively popular young adult trilogy, The Hunger Games, has dominated the box office in its opening week and over the Thanksgiving weekend. As Brooks Barnes reported for the New York Times, “The No. 1 movie in North America was again ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1,’ which took in an estimated $56.9 million from Friday to Sunday, according to Rentrak, a box-office tracking firm. Domestic ticket sales...

Series Note:Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and munities. Conversely, not having a job can adversely affect spiritual and psychological well-being of individuals and families. Because unemployment is a spiritual problem, Christians in America need to understand and be aware of the monthly data on employment. Each month highlight thelatest numberswe need to know (see...

The Acton Institute was privileged to host William B. Allen earlier this week as he delivered a lecture as part of the 2014 Acton Lecture Series. His address, entitled “American National Character and the Future of Liberty,” was a powerful examination of America’s national character, beginning with George Washington’s declaration in 1783 that “we have a national character to establish,” to Frederick Jackson Turner’s work 110 years later on “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” to the progressive...

Religious proxy shareholder activists are at it again. This past week, As You Sow in tandem with Arjuna Capital submitted a proxy resolution to ExxonMobil, demanding pany increase investor payouts. The reasoning behind the resolution is to starve pany’s research and development of future projects. Because … climate change: In a first of its kind proposal, Shareholders Arjuna Capital/Baldwin Brothers Inc. and As You Sow seek increased dividends or share buybacks from Exxon Mobil given structural challenges facing the industry...

In a remarkable collaborative effort led by Dan Stevers involving 11 Christian animators and artists, the YHWH Project has released its final product: a sweeping and striking short film that paints a beautiful portrait of God’s abundant love and active presence. Watch it here: I’m reminded of that powerful bit by Alexander Schmemann: “All that exists is God’s gift to man, and it all exists to make God known to man, to make man’s munion with God…God blesses everything He...

This past summer, Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) reportedly stole pounds from Mosul University in Iraq. Writing to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on July 8, Iraqi UN Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim said that 88 pounds of uranium used for scientific research at Mosul University had been looted. Now, some militants associated with the group are claiming they have built a “dirty bomb” and are targeting London. Is this cause for serious concern? Not really. Here’s why. Since the advent of...

In light of my recent posts on boyhood and the formative power of work, anew holiday ad for UPS does a nice job of illustrating akey point: something deep down in a boy longsfor work, and that basicdesire ought to be guided, encouraged, and discipled accordingly, not downplayed, distorted, or ignored. The ad highlights one of pany’s youngest fans, a boy named Carson, who is fascinated by UPS trucks and relishes the chance to perform deliveries in a miniature model...

It’s not the 12 Days of Christmas yet, but we have a sale in our Book Shop that will get you ready to celebrate. Every day a new item will go on sale through December 15 and the discounted price will last until January 5. Since paying a shipping fee for ordering on multiple days is troublesome, these daily sale items have free shipping. If you order by December 15 you will receive the item by Christmas. The first three...

In an increasingly atomizing and alienating culture, what role does the church play in holding the fabric of civilization together? Over at the Evangelical Pulpit, Bart Gingerich offers a hearty response, albeit by way of answering a rather different question: Why do folks abandon the church, particularly those who still believe in Jesus? Although plenty of disaffected church-ditchers have undergone deep shifts in basic doctrine and belief, Gingerich observes that, for many, “the abandonment testimonies seem fueled more by embarrassment...

A New York grand jury refused to indict a police officer in the death of a 43-year-old man that wascaught on video. Here are some details about the controversial case: What was the incident that causedGarner’s death? On July 17, 2014, two New York City police officers, Justin Damico and Daniel Pantaleo, attempted to arrest EricGarner. WhenGarnerresisted, Pantaleo grabbed him around the neck and tackled him to the ground. As Damico and three other officers assisted in pinning him to...