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American Fusionism Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

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

Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations Today Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

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

What Financialization Does and Doesn’t Mean Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

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

Thinking About Think Tanks Jan 01, 2025

Show notes

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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REBROADCAST: A chat with the filmmakers behind 'The Chosen' Dec 25, 2024

Show notes

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

America's Status as a 'Christian Nation' Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

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

Focusing Christian Higher Education Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

On today’s episode, Acton’s director of research, John Pinheiro, speaks with Joe Creech, executive director of the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities. They discuss what’s changed in higher education (for better and worse) and what role the Lilly Network plays.

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The Lilly Network

Jimmy Lai: The Troublemaker Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Mark Clifford, award-winning journalist and historian of Hong Kong, about his new book Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic. Hong Kong has scores of billionaires, but only one of them dared stand up to China while the city’s freedoms were whittled away. What in Jimmy Lai’s extraordinary life explains such courage?

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Mark Clifford

The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation

The Troublemaker | Book by Mark L. Clifford | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World: What China's Crackdown Reveals About Its Plans to End Freedom Everywhere: Clifford, Mark L.

Let There Be Light: How Electricity Made Modern Hong Kong (Center on Global Energy Policy Series): Clifford, Mark

The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom [Full Film]

Jimmy Lai’s Fight For Freedom Continues | Panel Discussion

The Call of the Entrepreneur | Acton Institute

Panel Discussion | Jimmy Lai’s Fight For Freedom Continues Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

Join Acton Institute’s president emeritus Rev. Robert Sirico as he hosts a live panel featuring Mark Simon, Mary Kissel, and William McGurn as they discuss the resumption of Jimmy’s trial in Hong Kong. Featured in Acton’s award winning documentary The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Fight for Freedom you will hear the insights of these close friends and associates of Jimmy as they examine his prospects for release and the future of freedom in Hong Kong. The panel was streamed live on Monday, November 25, 2024.

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Watch the panel

The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom

The Troublemaker | Simon & Schuster

Ronald Reagan: The Peacemaker Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

With decades of hindsight, the peaceful end of the Cold War seems to have been inevitable. But in the early 1980s, most experts believed the Soviet Union was strong and stable, and would last into the next century. Ronald Reagan entered the White House with no certainty of what would happen next, only an overriding faith in democracy and an abiding belief that Soviet communism—and the threat of nuclear war—must end.

Based on his interviews with senior Reagan officials and thousands of pages of newly declassified documents, Dr. William Inboden, in his new biography “The Peacemaker,” sheds a fresh perspective on President Reagan’s unwavering faith and commitment to freedom during the Cold War.

On October 30, 2024, Dr. Inboden was the keynote speaker at Acton’s 34th Annual Dinner. Take a listen.

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Acton On-Demand

William Inboden | University of Florida

The Peacemaker | Penguin Random House

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