Acton Vault

Is the market economy rooted in greed and self-interest? Jeffrey Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, says no. Many degrees of love are at the core of what it means to exchange, invent, speculate, and produce. True love of neighbor cannot neglect private ownership, the profit motive, and personal vision, all of which are necessary for a vibrant economy that works for everyone. 

This presentation was delivered as part of the 2015 Acton Lecture Series.

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Brownstone Institute

Bio | Jeffrey A. Tucker 

Latest Book | Liberty or Lockdown

The Purges Have Begun

Why Masks? Control, Power, and Revenue

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On Thursday, Sept. 23, Rev. Robert A. Sirico, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, debated Joshua Davis, executive director at the Institute for Christian Socialism, at the St. Augustine's Catholic Center at the University of Idaho on the question of Capitalism vs. Socialism: How does each system serve a Christian conception of a healthy society?

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Capitalism vs Socialism: How does each system serve a Christian conception of a healthy society? 

What is capitalism?

The deceit of 'democratic socialism' 

How socialism fosters an envious, covetous worldview

Why capitalism is worth conserving

9 big questions about democratic socialism 

An aid to defining 'capitalism'

'Inclusive capitalism'? Why not simply 'capitalism'

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What makes a president "good" or "bad"? Are historians always the best judge of such things? Or should we be getting second opinions? 

In this lecture, Larry Reed, president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education, offers his answers to these questions while taking us on a stroll through the triumphs and follies of some of the men who have occupied the White House.

Reed’s presentation was delivered as part of the 2014 Acton Lecture Series.

More from Larry Reed 

Foundation for Economic Education 

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Between Catholics and Protestants, the list of common beliefs, values, and practices is much longer and more substantive than the differences. (Assuming, of course, they are not heretics to their own traditions.) Why, then, has our alliance been so weak in stemming the tide of public secularization, immoralism, and decadence?

In this episode, we bring you a lecture that was delivered as part of Acton University 2018, featuring Peter Kreeft speaking on the commonalities enjoyed by Catholics and Protestants.

The Official Peter Kreeft Site

Think locally, act locally | Acton Commentary 

Abraham Kuyper | Religion & Liberty

Subsidiarity and Sphere Sovereignty: Christian Reflections on the Size, Shape and Scope of Government 

The Principle of Subsidiarity | Religion & Liberty 

What is Subsidiarity? | Acton Power Blog

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In this episode, we are bringing you a presentation that was delivered as part of the 2014 Acton Lecture Series featuring John “Chuck” Chalberg as he plays the role of G.K. Chesterton. In his performance, Chesterton speaks about America, which he thought was the only country with the soul of a church.  He also addresses the state of the family, past and present.  His starting point and end point is this: "Without the family we are helpless before the state."

Is GK Chesterton Still Relevant? Why, Yes

Video | An Evening With GK Chesterton

Acton Lecture Series 

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On September 11th, 2001 terrorists struck the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. A fourth hijacked airliner was crashed in a field near Shanksville, Penn., after a group of passengers rushed the cockpit to take the plane back. The attacks resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans. This attack challenged the way we celebrate our fundamental freedoms here in America.

One month later, The Acton Institute had its 11th Annual anniversary Dinner. The dinner featured a keynote address by journalist and political commentator, Tony Snow, as well as comments by Fr. Robert Sirico.

A New York firefighter tells his story of 9/11 

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Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse describes how the socialist ideal of equality has played an independent role in the breakdown of the family, arguing that socialism has attacked the family directly and has adopted policies that have led to demographic collapse. 

This presentation was delivered as part of the 2008 Acton Lecture Series. 

Bio | Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D

The Ruth Institute  

Acton Lecture Series 

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In this episode, we're bringing you a plenary session featuring a conversation with Fr. Robert Sirico and Michael Novak which was delivered as part of Acton University 2012.

The life of Novak has been a story of intellectual exploration, with philosophy, Roman Catholic theology, and economics as the pillars of his career. Novak has changed the hearts and minds of millions to rethink how we approach human anthropology within the free market. 

Novak was a public intellectual, author, professor, and former US Ambassador among many other things. He was the George Frederick Jewett Chair in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and the 1994 recipient of the million-dollar Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. He has authored more than 45 books on philosophy, theology, culture, and economics, including his masterpiece, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism. 

Novak passed away on February 17th 2017 at his home in Washington at the age of 83.

About Michael Novak 

The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism

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In this episode, we're bringing you a plenary speech given by Joel Salatin which was delivered as part of Acton University 2015. Salatin is a full-time, third generation alternative farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. He speaks on defending small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm.

His farm, Polyface Inc, the “Farm of Many Faces” has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Gourmet, and countless other radio, television and print media.

Joel Salatin | Bio 

Polyface Farm - We Are Your Clean Meat Connection 

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For over half a century America has been suffering from a growing but strangely overlooked crisis: a flight from work by men in the prime of life. Just before the COVID-19 crisis, almost 7 million men 25-54 were neither working nor looking for work. Employment rates for prime aged U.S. men mirrored those near the end of the Great Depression. In the wake of the COVID-19 shock, America's 'men without work’ problem has become even more acute.

In this episode, we're bringing you a presentation that was delivered as part of the 2021 Acton Lecture Series featuring Nicholas Eberstadt, as he outlines the dimensions of the problem, examines some of its causes, discusses its far-reaching implications, and speculates about possible solutions.

Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis

Covid relief bill’s side effects on our future economy

How to rebuild the economy after COVID-19

Bio | Nicholas Eberstadt, Ph.D.

Acton Lecture Series

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