Acton Line

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Noah Gould, Alumni and Student Programs Manager at the Acton Institute, about the shape that religion and faith in God takes for those who journey from atheism and skepticism to the Christian faith. Why are high-profile skeptics taking a fresh look at the Christian faith? Are we experiencing more general revival? What can churches do to be open to a new generation of seekers? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here A Political Scientist Contemplates God | Noah Gould Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Why I Am Now a Christian What Happened to Historian Molly Worthen? | Molly Worthen Joe Rogan, Kid Rock, Bigfoot … and the Resurrection | Dan Hugger Perspective: What the data really says about religious revival and Gen Z | Ryan Burge Joe Rogan Experience #2252 — Wesley Huff Taking Charles Murray Seriously | Anthony Sacramone If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dave Hebert, a senior research fellow at AIER and an affiliate scholar here at the Acton Institute, about the state of the American economy, economic policy, and how American politics on both the left and the right is increasingly economically illiterate. How is the U.S. economy doing? What is the relationship between the stock market and the economy as a whole? Can politicians really make things more affordable for ordinary people? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Trump Credits ‘Mister Tariff’ for the Country’s Strength. Economists Beg to Differ. What to Know About the Criminal Investigation of the Fed Chair China Announces Record Trade Surplus as Its Exports Flood World Markets Fixing Affordability Isn’t Easy. Here Are Four Suggestions. A Lack of Affordability Is a Supply Side Issue If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Isaac Willour, an analyst at Bowyer Research, America's leading pro-fiduciary proxy consulting firm, about all things ESG, an investing principle that prioritizes environmental issues, social issues, and corporate governance. What is ESG and how does it influence corporate governance and investment? What moral responsibilities do shareholders have in corporate governance? How do large state pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and institutional investors fit into the world of ESG? What is the role of consumers and political polarization in driving corporate activism? Are right-wing and left-wing corporate activists two sides of the same coin? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Who Benefitted from DEI Initiatives? | Acton Line Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation | Business Roundtable Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia—CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Annual Summary of Engagements with Corporations 2024–25 Bowyer Research David Bahnsen: My Speech at the Gilead Sciences Shareholder Meeting If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dylan Pahman, research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute for Orthodoxy & Liberty, about his account of the history of economic thought found in his new book, The Kingdom of God and the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought (Ancient Faith, 2025). What is the Christian prehistory of economics? How do moral questions inform the work of the classical political economists? Why does modern economics distance itself from moral questions? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Kingdom of God and the Common Good: Orthodox Christian Social Thought | Dylan Pahman Dylan Pahman Is Starting the Conversation on Orthodox Christian Social Thought | Acton Line From Christian Political Economy to Christian Socialism | 2nd Annual Academic Colloquium The Mainstreaming of Marx: Measuring the Effect of the Russian Revolution on Karl Marx’s Influence | Phillip W. Magness and Michael Makovi History of Economic Analysis | Joseph A. Schumpeter If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

Dan and Mark kick off with hilarious holiday anecdotes and a spirited debate on Christmas movies. They dive into the latest issue of Religion & Liberty, spotlighting John Rodden and Father Robert Sirico. New video content is highlighted, featuring insights from Stephanie Slade and Peter Boettke. Exciting upcoming events include an entrepreneurship gathering and the Chicago luncheon. Plus, recordings from an AI conference are now available online. Don't miss the buzz about Acton University 2026!

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Kris Mauren, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, about all things Acton. What was the original, animating idea behind the founding of the Acton Institute? Why a think tank? What makes Grand Rapids so grand? What are the greatest challenges Acton faces in fulfilling its mission? What new initiatives should viewers be on the lookout for? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton Institute Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (First Series) Sources in Early Modern Economics, Ethics, and Law (Second Series) Journal of Markets & Morality Makers of Modern Christian Social Thought The History of Freedom | Lord Actonnotes If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Father Robert Sirico, co-founder and president emeritus of the Acton Institute, about the true meaning of Christmas. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here A Charlie Brown Christmas | Charles M. Schulz A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens Pied Beauty | Gerard Manley Hopkins If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Stephen Barrows, chief operations officer of the Acton Institute, about the recent conviction of entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who was found guilty by a Hong Kong court on Monday in a landmark national security trial. Who is Jimmy Lai, and what is his long-standing relationship with Acton? What were the charges brought against him, and why are there reasons to doubt their fairness? How does Jimmy’s arrest, trial, and conviction show the erosion of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the rule of law in Hong Kong? What has been the reaction of the international community to the conviction? How can freedom-loving people show solidarity with Jimmy Lai? Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Hong Kong Court Finds Jimmy Lai Guilty in National Security Trial Governments and groups condemn conviction of Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai Rev. Robert A. Sirico Responds to Jimmy Lai's Guilty Verdict #freejimmylai The Hong Konger (documentary) The Call of the Entrepreneur (documentary) If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org.

Peter J. Boettke, a Distinguished University Professor of Economics at George Mason University, shares his insights into the Austrian School's significance in today's economic landscape. He discusses why reading classic economic texts is crucial for understanding current theories. The conversation explores the humanistic approach of Austrian economists and their historical ties to early modern religious thought. Boettke also highlights how education at Mercatus and GMU supports the next generation of scholars while emphasizing the intertwining of economics, philosophy, and politics.

Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason magazine and a fellow at the Acton Institute, delves into the complexities of the New Right. She explores who constitutes this movement and contrasts it with traditional conservatism. The discussion highlights the New Right's confrontational rhetoric and its pursuit of state power. Slade also examines religious currents within the movement and the cultural grievances of its supporters, urging a return to foundational principles to effectively engage with modern conservatism.