Acton Line

This month on the Acton Rundown Dan & Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. At the Frontiers of Scholasticism: Scientific Method, Innovation, and Economic Reasoning The Christian Roots of American Liberty Essays: Rescuing Souls from the Totalitarian Temptation The Consolation of the Cross When Hitler Was a Moral Compass After the Flood in Minnesota Video content:  Jordan Ballor Expounds How Christ Is King John Pinheiro on Alexander Hamilton’s and Thomas Jefferson's Conflicting Visions Fr. Robert Sirico and Kris Mauren on Richard DeVos A Conversation on the History and Future of The Acton Institute | The Freedom Series Josh Herring Finds the Gender Theory We Need in C.S. Lewis Poverty Trap First Impressions: Houston Who Do We Trust Now? Charisma, Expertise, and the Future of Leadership | Acton Lecture Series Daniel Darling Is Defending Christian Patriotism Upcoming events: Free Market Roadshow: Panel: Who Governs the Machine? AI, Enterprise Freedom, and the Search

In this episode Dan Hugger speaks with Daniel Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and fellow at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. They discuss his latest book, In Defense of Christian Patriotism, published by Broadside Books. The conversation explores why patriotism needs defending today, why Christians are called to be patriotic, and how Christian patriotism can revitalize and reinvigorate modern pluralistic America. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Daniel Darling In Defense of Christian Patriotism | Daniel Darling “Nationality,” The History of Freedom and Other Essays | Lord Acton If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Josh Herring, professor of humanities and classical education at Thales College. They discuss Josh’s new book, Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve: C.S. Lewis’s Images of Gender, published by the Davenant Institute. Is it fair to describe Lewis as a gender theorist? Why should we turn to Lewis in times of gender trouble? How does his consideration of gender diverge from contemporary gender ideology? What are the sources for Lewis’s own theory on gender? How does Lewis’s conception of gender show up in his fiction and nonfiction? What do Lewis’s critics get wrong about his views on gender? Does he speak about these issues in a unique way, or is he simply an outstanding representative of an older tradition? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve: C.S. Lewis’ Images of Gender The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | C.S. Lewis The Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength) | C.S. Lewis Till We Have

In the month of what would’ve been his 100th birthday, Acton co-founders Fr. Robert Sirico and Kris Mauren take a moment to remember an early supporter of the Acton Institute, Richard DeVos. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Believe! | Richard M. DeVos DeVos to Receive Faith and Freedom Award Richard M. DeVos Accepts the 2010 Faith and Freedom Award If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Jordan J. Ballor, executive director of First Liberty’s Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (CRCD), about his feature essay in the latest issue of Religion & Liberty, “The Upside-Down Kingdom of Jesus of Nazareth.” Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Upside-Down Kingdom of Jesus of Nazareth Essays on Religion, Science, and Society | Herman Bavinck Rooted & Grounded: The Church as Organism and Institution | Abraham Kuyper On Charity & Justice | Abraham Kuyper Calvinism: Six Stone Lectures | Abraham Kuyper If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, about his latest contribution to Law & Liberty, “A Failure of Vision,” a review of legal theorist Robert C. Hockett’s A Republic of Producers. The wide-ranging conversation touches upon the American Republic’s early history, 20th-century interpretations of it, the sorts of lessons that history can teach us, those it cannot, and the trustworthiness of non-historians attempting to do history. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here A Failure of Vision | Law & Liberty A Republic of Producers: Completing Our Jeffersonian Economy with Hamiltonian Finance | Robert C. Hockett  Notes on the State of Virginia | Thomas Jefferson The Promise of American Life | Herbert David Croly A Student's Guide to U.S. History | Wilfred M. McClay Federalist No. 51 On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life | Friedrich Nietzsche If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review

This month on the Acton Rundown, Dan and Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content.   At the Frontiers of Scholasticism: Scientific Method, Innovation, and Economic Reasoning | Giovanni Patriarca Religion & Liberty Magazine and Online: The Atoning Death of the Last Scapegoat by Fr. Elias Carr Marriage: The Free Market We Take for Granted by Clara Piano   Video content: Entrepreneurship and the Economy in Uncertain Times | Acton Lecture Series Gabe Coyne and Collin Duff Want to Build Brands that Solve Real Problems Rev. Robert A. Sirico Responds to Jimmy Lai's Sentencing #freejimmylai Stephen Barrows Responds to Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Prison Sentence #freejimmylai How Should Muslims View Human Rights? Claire Lai Is Sharing the Spiritual Strength of Her Father, Jimmy Lai   Upcoming events: AI & Human Freedom: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Perspectives Who Do We Trust Now? Charisma, Expertise, and the Future of Leadership Chicago Luncheon Rethinking Charity: "Building Civil Socie

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Claire Lai, law student and daughter of entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, about her father’s unjust imprisonment and powerful Christian witness. ⁠Subscribe to our podcasts⁠ ⁠Watch this podcast here⁠ ⁠The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom [Full Film]⁠ ⁠Stephen Barrows Explains the Jimmy Lai Verdict⁠ ⁠Support Jimmy Lai⁠ ⁠@SupportJimmyLai⁠ ⁠Support Jimmy Lai Instagram⁠ If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at ⁠podcast@acton.org⁠.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Steve Barrows, chief operating officer of the Acton Institute, about entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who was recently sentenced by a Hong Kong court to 20 years in prison. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Sentence Follows Beijing’s Playbook on Dissent | David Pierson, NY Times The Apple Daily sentences show a new era of media peril in Hong Kong | David Pierson, NY Times Jimmy Lai’s children have led a global campaign for him | David Pierson, NY Times The faith of my father, Jimmy Lai | Claire Lai The Hong Konger (documentary)⁠ If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

supportjimmylai.com

On today’s episode, Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of programs and education, sits down with Stix Golf co-founders Gabe Coyne and Collin Duff to discuss entrepreneurship, product design, and building purpose-driven brands.  Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton Lecture Series Stix Golf Host Modern If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

This month on the Acton Rundown Dan & Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. Winter 2025 Religion & Liberty: Orthodox Social Thought and the Public Square by Anne Bradley The Upside-Down Kingdom of Jesus of Nazareth by Jordan Ballor Video content: Dylan Pahman Breaks Down the History of Economic Thought Isaac Willour Is Helping Corporate America Move on from ESG Dave Hebert Rings in 2026 by Analyzing America’s Economy Noah Gould Is Finding Skeptics Finding God   Upcoming events: Who Do We Trust Now? Charisma, Expertise, and the Future of Leadership March 19, 2026 • 12:00pm • Grand Rapids, MI ALS Molly Worthen Chicago Luncheon Rethinking Charity: "Building Civil Society” FAVs April 30, 2026 – May 2, 2026 Courtyard Marriott Grand Rapids, MI Acton University 2026 | Acton Institute June 22, 2026 to June 25, 2026 Acton’s 36th Annual Dinner November 10, 2026 6:00pm

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Noah Gould, Alumni and Student Programs Manager at the Acton Institute, about the shape that religion and faith in God takes for those who journey from atheism and skepticism to the Christian faith. Why are high-profile skeptics taking a fresh look at the Christian faith? Are we experiencing more general revival? What can churches do to be open to a new generation of seekers? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here A Political Scientist Contemplates God | Noah Gould Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Why I Am Now a Christian What Happened to Historian Molly Worthen? | Molly Worthen Joe Rogan, Kid Rock, Bigfoot … and the Resurrection | Dan Hugger Perspective: What the data really says about religious revival and Gen Z | Ryan Burge Joe Rogan Experience #2252 — Wesley Huff Taking Charles Murray Seriously | Anthony Sacramone If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dave Hebert, a senior research fellow at AIER and an affiliate scholar here at the Acton Institute, about the state of the American economy, economic policy, and how American politics on both the left and the right is increasingly economically illiterate. How is the U.S. economy doing? What is the relationship between the stock market and the economy as a whole? Can politicians really make things more affordable for ordinary people? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Trump Credits ‘Mister Tariff’ for the Country’s Strength. Economists Beg to Differ. What to Know About the Criminal Investigation of the Fed Chair China Announces Record Trade Surplus as Its Exports Flood World Markets Fixing Affordability Isn’t Easy. Here Are Four Suggestions. A Lack of Affordability Is a Supply Side Issue If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you c

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Isaac Willour, an analyst at Bowyer Research, America's leading pro-fiduciary proxy consulting firm, about all things ESG, an investing principle that prioritizes environmental issues, social issues, and corporate governance. What is ESG and how does it influence corporate governance and investment? What moral responsibilities do shareholders have in corporate governance? How do large state pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and institutional investors fit into the world of ESG? What is the role of consumers and political polarization in driving corporate activism? Are right-wing and left-wing corporate activists two sides of the same coin? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Who Benefitted from DEI Initiatives? | Acton Line Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation | Business Roundtable Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia—CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Annual Summary of Engagements with Corporations 2024–25 Bowyer Research David Bahnsen:

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dylan Pahman, research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute for Orthodoxy & Liberty, about his account of the history of economic thought found in his new book, The Kingdom of God and the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought (Ancient Faith, 2025). What is the Christian prehistory of economics? How do moral questions inform the work of the classical political economists? Why does modern economics distance itself from moral questions? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Kingdom of God and the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought | Dylan Pahman Dylan Pahman Is Starting the Conversation on Orthodox Christian Social Thought | Acton Line From Christian Political Economy to Christian Socialism | 2nd Annual Academic Colloquium The Mainstreaming of Marx: Measuring the Effect of the Russian Revolution on Karl Marx’s Influence | Phillip W. Magness and Michael Makovi History of

This month on the Acton Rundown Dan & Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. Winter 2025 Religion & Liberty: Why Orwell Still Matters by John Rodden   Video content: Stephanie Slade Is Chronicling the New Right Peter Boettke Is Teaching the Humanistic Foundations of Austrian Economics Rev. Robert A. Sirico Responds to Jimmy Lai's Guilty Verdict #freejimmylai Stephen Barrows Explains the Jimmy Lai Verdict Acton Institute's 2025 Christmas Message Father Robert Sirico on What Christmas Is All About Kris Mauren Is Thinking About Think Tanks   Upcoming events: Entrepreneurship and the Economy in Uncertain Times Chicago Luncheon Acton University 2026 | Acton Institute

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Kris Mauren, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, about all things Acton. What was the original, animating idea behind the founding of the Acton Institute? Why a think tank? What makes Grand Rapids so grand? What are the greatest challenges Acton faces in fulfilling its mission? What new initiatives should viewers be on the lookout for? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton Institute Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (First Series) Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (Second Series) Journal of Markets & Morality Makers of Modern Christian Social Thought The History of Freedom | Lord Actonnotes If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Father Robert Sirico, co-founder and president emeritus of the Acton Institute, about the true meaning of Christmas. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here A Charlie Brown Christmas | Charles M. Schulz A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens Pied Beauty | Gerard Manley Hopkins If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Stephen Barrows, chief operations officer of the Acton Institute, about the recent conviction of entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who was found guilty by a Hong Kong court on Monday in a landmark national security trial. Who is Jimmy Lai, and what is his long-standing relationship with Acton? What were the charges brought against him, and why are there reasons to doubt their fairness? How does Jimmy’s arrest, trial, and conviction show the erosion of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the rule of law in Hong Kong? What has been the reaction of the international community to the conviction? How can freedom-loving people show solidarity with Jimmy Lai? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Hong Kong Court Finds Jimmy Lai Guilty in National Security Trial Governments and groups condemn conviction of Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai Rev. Robert A. Sirico Responds to Jimmy Lai's Guilty Verdict #freejimmylai The Hong Konger (document