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Acton Line — Education
Acton Line

Dedicated to the promotion of a free and virtuous society, Acton Line brings together writers, economists, religious leaders, and more to bridge the gap between good intentions and sound economics.

Copyright: © 375388 - Acton Institute 2023

Latest Episodes:

Bradley J. Birzer on Christian humanism May 13, 2020

Show notes

Bradley J. Birzer, professor of history and the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College, joins this episode of Acton Line to speak about his newest book, "Beyond Tenebrae: Christian Humanism in the Twilight of the West." What is Christian humanism and what role does it play in the Republic of Letters? What does it mean to live as a Christian humanist? Birzer helps lay down some of the foundational ideas in his book and explains the role Christian humanism has played throughout history.

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Rev. Robert Sirico on the church's response to COVID-19 May 06, 2020

Show notes

As the United States continues to wrestle with the fallout of COVID-19, many people are falling back on their faith and the church for peace. Many churches have decided to hold services online, and local governments have also stepped in and put parameters around church attendance to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Some actions taken by local governments have been appropriate, but some others leave us wondering if the government has overstepped. How can we tell the difference between measured responses and overreaches, and what should the role of the church be during these times? What has the church's response to pandemics looked like in the past? Acton's President and co-founder, Rev. Robert Sirico explains.

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Stephen Barrows on COVID-19 and job loss Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

The United States has been in a state of emergency since mid-March as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In order to slow the spread of the virus, states have implemented various measures, including shelter-in-place orders, forcing millions of Americans to stay at home. Millions of individuals have now been furloughed or laid off permanently, and many are struggling to put food on the table. The economy cannot remain closed indefinitely. How do we begin facing the tough questions evoked by this situation and where do we go from here? Stephen Barrows, managing director of programs at Acton, explains.

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Kerry McDonald on a Harvard prof's call to ban homeschooling Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

Homeschooling is growing in popularity. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education has shown that it's grown at a rate of over 60% in the last decade, as many families are deciding that educating their children at home is better than sending them to public or private schools. But Harvard University has a different opinion. In Harvard Magazine's May/June 2020 issue, one Harvard Law School professor calls for a ban on homeschooling, saying it may keep children from "contributing positively to a democratic society." Kerry McDonald, senior education fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education, joins the podcast to respond.

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Randy Barnett and David French on 'common-good Constitutionalism' Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

On March 31, The Atlantic published an article titled "Beyond Originalism," written by Adrian Vermeule, professor of Constitutional law at Harvard Law School. In this piece, Vermeule argues that "the dominant conservative philosophy for interpreting the constitution has served its purpose and scholars ought to develop a more moral framework." Originalist interpretations of the Constitution simply no longer serve the common good, Vermeule says. What does he mean by this, and is he correct? In this episode, we're featuring two different conversations on the topic, both hosted by Acton's Director of Communications, Eric Kohn. First, Randy Barnett, professor at Georgetown University, clears up the legal theory behind Vermeule's essay. Afterwards, David French, senior editor at The Dispatch, helps break down the context surrounding calls for conservative activism on the courts.

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Rebroadcast: Russell Kirk and the genesis of American Conservatism Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

Russell Kirk has long been known as perhaps the most important founding father of the American Conservative movement in the second half of the 20th century. In the early 1950s, America was emerging from the Great Depression and the New Deal, and was facing the rise of radical ideologies abroad; the American Right seemed beaten, broken, and adrift. Then in 1953, Russell Kirk released his masterpiece, "The Conservative Mind." More than any other published work of the time, this book became the intellectual touchstone for a reinvigorated movement and began a sea change in Americans’ attitudes toward traditionalism. In this episode pulled from the archive, Bradley J. Birzer, professor of history at Hillsdale College, recounts the story of Kirk’s life and work, with attention paid not only to his writings on politics and economics, but also on literature and culture, both subjects dear to Kirk’s heart and central to his thinking.

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Adam MacLeod on how to talk about rights in our polarized age Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

Today, our most contentious controversies are about morality. We disagree about questions of efficiency and democracy, but across political aisles, we also disagree about what's right to do and who we're becoming as a people. How can we have productive debates with people whose worldviews are very different from ours? Adam MacLeod, professor of law at Faulkner University, addresses this question in his new book titled "The Age of Selfies: Reasoning About Rights When the Stakes Are Personal." In this conversation, Adam examines the roots of our disagreements and proposes a way to provide a more secure foundation for civil rights.

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A hopeful message in a time of crisis from Rev. Robert Sirico Mar 25, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Acton's President and Co-Founder, Rev. Robert Sirico, offers some thoughts on what the role of the government should be during a crisis. When we're confronted with unique crises, especially like the Coronavirus pandemic the world is facing now, there are justified government interventions. We can't discount, however, the principle of subsidiarity as well as the division of labor and voluntary action. How can we wisely approach these principles in the reality of our current context? Rev. Sirico explains.

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Helen Raleigh on how Communist China's coverup caused a pandemic Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

As of March 18, 2020 Coronavirus, or COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, has infected over 200,000 people worldwide, and has killed more than 8,000 people globally. What responsive measures should have been taken by China that weren't? How did the People's Republic of China put the world in danger by failing the people of Wuhan, and who in China risked their lives and even the lives of their family members to raise the alarm for your sake? Helen Raleigh, a senior contributor at The Federalist, answers.

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Rebroadcast: Samuel Gregg on the life and impact of Michael Novak Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

It’s now been three years since Michael Novak passed away. Novak was Roman Catholic theologian, philosopher and author, and was a powerful defender of human liberty. In this episode, Acton's Samuel Gregg shares Novak’s history, starting with his time on the left in the 1960s and 70s and recounting his gradual shift toward conservative thought that culminated in the publication of his 1982 masterwork, "The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism." In this book, Novak grounded a defense for a free market in Judeo-Christianity, influencing how many Protestants and Catholics thought about economics. As Gregg recently wrote, “No religious intellectual can match Novak’s influence in facilitating this transformation through the written word in America and throughout the world.”

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