Acton Line

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dylan Pahman, research fellow and executive editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality at the Acton Institute. They discuss his recently published essay “An Ascetic Way of Life in a World of Abundance,” an adaptation of a chapter from Dylan’s forthcoming book, The Kingdom of God & the Common Good (Ancient Faith, 2025). How is Orthodox Social Thought shaped by liturgical theology? Why should Christians view life as fundamentally ascetic? What lessons does Orthodox Social Thought have to teach other Christian traditions? Subscribe to our podcasts ‘An Ascetic Way of Life in a World of Abundance’ | Acton Institute For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy | Alexander Schmemann A Voice for Our Time: Radio Liberty Talks, Volume 1 |: Alexander Schmemann A Voice for Our Time: Radio Liberty Talks, Volume 2 | Alexander Schmemann The Pillar and Ground of the Truth: An Essay in Orthodox Theodicy in Twelve Letters | Pavel Florensky, Boris Jakim, Richard F. Gustafson What Is Marriage?: Man and Woman—A Defense | Sherif Gergis, Ryan T. Anderson, Robert P. George Quadragesimo Anno (May 15, 1931) | PIUS XI CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle to the Smyrnaeans | St. Ignatius

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, and Daniel Wagner, chair of the philosophy department and director of Catholic Studies at Aquinas College, about the election of Pope Leo XIV. Why is the election of an American pope so surprising? How is his choice of name significant? How will the legacy of Pope Leo XIII in philosophy and Catholic Social Teaching inform Leo XIV’s papacy? What are the “new things” of the 21st century that the new pope will address? Subscribe to our podcasts Pope Leo XIV and a New Age of ‘New Things’ | The Dispatch Pope 267: The Guessing Game | Religion & Liberty Online All Things Conclave | Acton Institute Aeterni Patris (August 4, 1879) | LEO XIII Rerum Novarum (May 15, 1891) | LEO XIII Centesimus Annus (May 1, 1991) | John Paul II Pope Leo XIV on the counterculture of the new evangelization (Part 1 of 2) Pope Leo XIV on the counterculture of the new evangelization (Part 2 of 2) FULL TEXT AND VIDEO: Pope Leo XIV’s homily at Mass with the cardinal electors in the Sistine Chapel | Catholic News Agency Leisure the Basis of Culture | Josef Pieper The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion | Berger, Peter L. Berger

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with the Acton Institute’s John Pinheiro, director of research, and Michael Miller, director of the Center for Social Flourishing, about all things conclave.  Why are conclaves important? What should people make of the horse race coverage in the media? What sort of qualities does the Church need most in her next pope? Subscribe to our podcasts What to Expect at the Conclave | Religion & Liberty Online Requiem Aeternam: Pope Francis (1936–2025) | Religion & Liberty Online The Pope of Progress? | Richard M. Reinsch II A Conclave Like No Other | The New York Times Business as usual is untenable | Catholic World Report Catechism of the Catholic Church | USCCB Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

On today’s episode, Dan Churchwell, Acton's director of programs and education, interviews Raymond Harris, author, architect, and a venture capitalist in God’s kingdom. They discuss his new book, “Enduring Wealth: Being Rich in This World and the Next,” where Raymond shares how he has seen God multiply human efforts when people faithfully steward all God has given them. Subscribe to our podcasts Raymond Harris Enduring Wealth: Being Rich in This World and the Next | BroadStreet Publishing

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with the Acton Institute’s Stephen Barrows, chief operating officer, and John Pinheiro, director of research, about the life and legacy of Pope Francis. This wide-ranging conversation covers Pope Francis’s perspective on the market, the environment, liturgy, synodality, business, ecumenicism, and the poor. Which parts of Pope Francis’s legacy will endure? What was his contribution to the life of the Catholic Church? Requiem Aeternam: Pope Francis (1936–2025) | John Pinheiro & Michael Matheson MillerPope Francis’ Plea for Migrants and Acton’s Core Principles | Stephen BarrowsPope Francis and the Caring Society | Robert M. Whaples, ed.Can a Capitalist Society Also Be a Caring Society? | Robert WhaplesPope Francis changed the Catholic church, but not as much as he hoped | The EconomistLaudato Si' (May 24, 2015) | Pope FrancisPope Francis's Authority in Laudato Si | National ReviewMessage of the Holy Father to French Entrepreneurs (Paris, August 28–29, 2023)Declaration Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings (December 18, 2023)Pope Francis’ Legacy of Question Marks | Francis X. MaierLetter of His Holiness Pope Francis on the Role of Literature in Formation (July 17, 2024)Full text: Pope Francis' in-flight press conference from Armenia | Catholic News AgencyFrom Conflict to Communion: Lutheran–Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017 | The Lutheran World Federationtheology matters: A New Doctor of the Church (St. Gregory of Narek) | Mark Del CoglianoLumen Gentium | Pope Paul VIUt Unum Sint (May 25, 1995) | John Paul IIDominus Iesus |Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

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 the “toxic charity” that hinders people’s ability to rise. On today’s episode, we bring you the keynote presented by Dr. William Easterly entitled “Beyond Material Progress: Markets and Dignity in the Fight Against Global Poverty.” As material living standards improve in the developing world, are people better able to pursue their own aspirations and desires? Less able? Subscribe to our podcasts PovertyCure Summit

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Marvin Olasky, executive editor for News and Global at Christianity Today and the founder and chairman of Zenger House. They discuss many of the news stories that won the 2025 Zenger Prizes. What is the state of journalism today? How does honoring excellence in journalism encourage better journalism? What makes for a good story, ethically and technically? How can those who love reading great journalism become great journalists themselves?Zenger House | Biblically Objective Journalism2025 Winners | Zenger HouseAt Bible Study for the Homeless, a Search for Meaning | The New York TimesWhat I Saw in the Darién Gap | The AtlanticThe Border Crisis Won't Be Solved, No Matter Who Wins the ElectionHeroes and heartbreak: 36 hours of hell in Helene's historic floodsA Retiree in California Is Teaching Afghan Women How to Drive | The New York Times‘I lied about everything’: An NFL player hid his family trauma until he saved them — and himself | The AthleticThe Indian Midwives Who Turned the Tide on InfanticideThe Christians Trying to Restore Our Faith in Elections | Christianity TodayThe Heroic Race to Rescue 370 Orphans from a War Zone—Twice | WSJDoctors Can Now Save Very Premature Babies. Most Hospitals Don’t Try. | WSJThe Most Revealing Moment of a Trump Rally | The AtlanticThe Elements of Style | WikipediaWriting with Style: The Economist Guide | Profile BooksGlobe Trot | Mindy Belz | SubstackBonnie Kristian | Substack

Join Ryan Bourne, an economic expert at the Cato Institute, and Alex Nowrasteh, VP for Policy Studies, as they delve into the intriguing world of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). They explore how DOGE can reshape government operations amidst rising debt and discuss the chaotic yet potentially transformative processes at play. The duo also examines the unpredictable nature of Dogecoin and its impact on public policy, highlighting the tension between political ideologies and fiscal realities in the evolving landscape.

In his latest book, “Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History,” Thomas Albert Howard presents three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment: passive, combative, and eliminationist. Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone and says Westerners do not fully grasp this because they often mistake passive secularism for secularism as a whole. But a disconcertingly more complicated picture emerges when you adopt a broader global vision. On today’s episode, John Pinheiro, Acton’s director of research, talks to Howard about secularism, what about it we often misunderstand, and his book. Subscribe to our podcasts Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History | Yale University Press Thomas Albert (Tal) Howard | Valparaiso University The Gulag Archipelago | Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression

On today’s episode, Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of programs and education, talks to James Hartley, professor of economics at Mount Holyoke College, ahead of James’ Acton Lecture Series event. They survey the discipline of economics and how James came to study it for over 30 years. The lecture, entitled “Tariffs, Trade Wars, and the State of the Economy,” sifts through the noise of the often-bewildering claims and counterclaims of economic news. You can watch James’ lecture at ondemand.acton.org.Subscribe to our podcastsActon UniversityActon On-Demand