In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Andrew M. McGinnis, assistant director of research at the CRCD and managing editor of the Journal of Religion, Culture & Democracy, about the Acton Institute’s recently completed Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (Second Series). What is historical ressourcement, and why does it matter? What are the challenges scholars face when attempting such work? How can historical scholarship enrich the Church? The world?

Andrew M. McGinnis, Ph.D. | Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy

Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (Second Series) | Acton Institute

On the Duties of Merchants — Acton Bookshop

The Right Use of Moral Philosophy — Acton Bookshop

On the Law of Nature: A Demonstrative Method — Acton Bookshop

On the Duty to Keep Faith with Heretics — Acton Bookshop

Commentary on Proverbs — Acton Bookshop

PRDL — Post-Reformation Digital Library

Vesuvius Challenge

The 2024 PovertyCure Summit, “Dignity, Agency, & Charity,” was a virtual event put on by Acton’s Center for Social Flourishing. Over two days, participants learned from scholars and practitioners involved in the global struggle against poverty—and against “toxic charity” that hinders people’s ability to rise.

On today’s episode, we bring you a panel discussion from the summit, entitled “Finding Solutions to America’s Housing Shortage.” The director of Acton’s Center for Social Flourishing, Michael Matheson Miller, speaks to James Hurling and Charles Marohn about the importance of empowering impoverished households.

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PovertyCure Summit

On today’s episode, Acton’s director of research, John Pinheiro, speaks to Gerard Wegemer, founding director of the Center for Thomas More Studies. They discuss More’s life, writings, and understanding of law, liberty, and citizenship. 

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Center for Thomas More Studies

This week, host Dan Hugger is joined by John Pinheiro and Dylan Pahman to discuss the presidential transition. What have past presidential transitions looked like, and how does this one compare? What should we make of the flurry of pardons from Presidents Trump and Biden? How many amendments does our Constitution, in fact, have—and what do they even mean? Who needs them when you have executive orders? And how will those new executive orders affect the economy and civil service?

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Biden Pardons 5 Members of His Family in Final Minutes in Office | The New York Times

Family outraged after man convicted in Connecticut killings gets clemency from Biden in drug case | AP News

Pardon of January 6 United States Capitol attack defendants | Wikipedia

Biden Says Equal Rights Amendment Has Passed, but Does Not Force Certification | The New York Times

Birthright Citizenship Is American Citizenship | John Yoo

Trump Admin Orders Federal D.E.I. Efforts to Shut Down by Wednesday Night | The New York Times

Restoring America Means More Tuskegee Airmen and Less DEI

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Kevin Vallier, professor of philosophy at the Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership, about his book-in-progress on American fusionism. How exactly do religion and liberty go together? What can theologians and social scientists learn from each other? Why is fusionism still the only intellectually serious option on offer for American conservatives, and how can it be developed futher?

Kevin Vallier

All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Li – Acton Bookshop

Trust in a Polarized Age - Kevin Vallier - Oxford University Press

For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto | Mises Institute

The Conservative Mind – Acton Bookshop

In Defense of Freedom and Related Essays - Liberty Fund

Select Works of Edmund Burke, vol. 2 | Online Library of Liberty

Faithful Christian Political Action | Acton Institute

The Faithful Christian and the Politics of the Tao | Acton Institute

Lord Acton: Historian and Moralist – Acton Bookshop

The Fatal Conceit – Acton Bookshop

The Roots of American Order: Russell Kirk, Forrest McDonald: 9781882926992: Amazon.com: Books

Anarchy and Christianity: Ellul, Jacques: 9781606089712: Amazon.com: Books

Amazon.com: Christianity and the Nation-State: A Study in Political Theology: 9781009344593: Chartier, Gary: Books

UToledo Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership

Journal of Markets & Morality | Markets & Morality

Lord Acton: Historical and Moral Essays – Acton Bookshop

The Humane Economist: A Wilhelm Röpke Reader – Acton Bookshop

Amazon.com: The Libertarian Reader: Classic & Contemporary Writings from Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman: 9781476752891: Boaz, David: Books

Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis | Online Library of Liberty

Conversations on Conservatism: Witcher, Marcus, Ball, Blake, Hughes, Kevin: 9781630692162: Amazon.com: Books

The Philadelphia Society

Human Action: A Treatise on Economics, in 4 vols. (LF ed.) | Online Library of Liberty

Lord Acton on Catholic and Modern Views of Liberty – Religion & Liberty Online

The Oddest Evening of my Life - David Friedman’s Substack

Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (First Series) | Acton Institute

Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (Second Series) | Acton Institute

The Rambler and the Transformative Power of Magazines | Acton Institute

Postliberal Order | The Postliberals | Substack

The Origins of Woke: Civil Rights Law, Corporate America, and the Triumph of Identity Politics: Hanania, Richard: 9780063237216: Amazon.com: Books

Director of the Acton Institute’s Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage Nathan Mech mediates a discussion between Mustafa Akyol and Rabbi Reuven Firestone on the current crises in Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations. Drawing from their respective religious traditions, Akyol and Rabbi Firestone confront the challenges of tribalism and discuss how religion can be a source of solutions, rather than problems, for the Middle East and conflicts around the world today. Special attention is given to insights from Mustafa Akyol’s new book, “The Islamic Moses: How the Prophet Inspired Jews and Muslims to Flourish Together and Change the World.”

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The Islamic Moses: How the Prophet Inspired Jews and Muslims to Flourish Together and Change the World

Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage

Though often used, the term “financialization” is largely misunderstood. In order to address this issue, the American Institute for Economic Research commissioned Acton board member and chief investment officer of the Bahnsen Group, David Bahnsen, to write a white paper on this topic. His approach to financialization is simple: that we defend and not demonize capital markets, and clarify and not obfuscate how financial markets enhance our attempts at achieving human flourishing. 

On today’s episode, Acton’s chief operating officer, Stephen Barrows, talks to David about his paper.

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Financialization and Missed Boats | American Institute for Economic Research

On today’s episode, Acton librarian Dan Hugger sits down Kris Mauren, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute. They discuss why the Acton Institute was founded, what it’s done, and where it’s hoping to go in the new year. 

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On today’s episode, we’re bringing you a rebroadcast from December 1, 2021. 

Eric Kohn, Acton’s former director of marketing and communications, sits down with Dallas Jenkins, director of “The Chosen,” an online multi-season TV series depicting the life of Jesus. Later in the episode Kohn interviews Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus.

The Chosen is the largest crowdfunded media project of all time. At the time of this interview, they had raised 90% of the money for season 3. Now, season 5 is set to premiere on March 27, 2025.

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Watch | The Chosen TV 

How A Crowdfunded Christian TV Series Could Change Entertainment  

In recent years, America’s status as a “Christian nation” has become an incredibly vexed question. This is not simply a debate about America’s present, or even its future—it has become a debate about its past. Some want to rewrite America’s history as having always been highly secular in order to ensure a similar future; others seek to reframe the American founding as a continuation of medieval Christendom in the hopes of reviving America’s religious identity today.

In his book “Religion & Republic: Christian America from the Founding to the Civil War,” Miles Smith offers a fresh historical reading of America’s status as a Christian nation in the Early Republic era.  

On today’s episode, Eric Kohn, former Acton director of marketing and communications, talks to Miles about his book.

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Miles Smith | Hillsdale College

Religion & Republic | Miles Smith