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From accusations of embracing socialism leveled at the Obama administration by the Tea Party movement to the rise of self-proclaimed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders as the second highest vote-getter in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic Party primaries, socialism has been an emerging movement and topic of conversation in the American body politic.While polling data suggests that socialism is generally still viewed far less favorably than capitalism or free markets overall, the younger Millennial and Gen Z generations are more embracing of socialism than generations before. Similarly, those younger generations are more likely than their forbearers to be among the Nones: those who proclaim no religious affiliation and no religious or spiritual beliefs.Is socialism filling in for the human religious impulse, allowing people to feel a part of something larger than themselves without embracing the concepts of God and church?On this episode, Kevin Williamson, roving correspondent for National Review and author of the 2010 book, “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism,” discusses the emergence of socialism in American politics and the spiritual role it seems to play now, and has historically played, for its proponents.Kevin Williamson at National ReviewThe Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism - Kevin WilliamsonThe Celestial Afterlife of Karl Marx - Kevin WilliamsonAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s crass Marxist materialism - Dan HuggerThe key to understanding Bernie Sanders - Rev. Ben JohnsonBruce Ashford: Marxism is a false religion (video) - Rev. Ben JohnsonThere is no 'Catholic case for communism' - Rev. Ben Johnson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The conservative movement in America has always been evolving. From the old right of the progressive era to the conservative intellectual movement identified with William F. Buckley Jr. and National Review to the Reagan revolution to today, the political right in America has changed with the challenges it has faced and with the context of the times in which it has existed.The current iteration of the conservative movement is today more nationalist, more populist and more skeptical, if not opposed, to classical liberalism, liberal institutions and free markets than ever before – at times even expressing doubt or skepticism about the American founding itself.How did the conservative movement get here? On the episode, Matthew Continetti, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses the history of the American conservative movement, its evolution into being dominated by nationalism and populism, and where it may be headed in the future.Matthew Continetti at the American Enterprise InstituteMaking Sense of the New American Right - Matthew ContinettiThe Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945 - George NashA healthy conservative nationalism? Not without classical liberalism - Joseph SundeThe biggest problems of national conservatism - Acton Line Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since debuting in the New York Times Magazine on August 14, 2019, the 1619 Project has ignited a debate about American history, the founding of the country and the legacy emanating from the nation’s history with chattel slavery.The project’s creator and editor, Nikole Hannah-Jones, has described the project as seeking to place “the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.” Components of a related school curriculum have been adopted in major cities like Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, New York. For her work on the project, Hannah-Jones was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.But the project has also come in for heavy criticism from historians and economists of all political and philosophical persuasions for inaccuracies in "matters of verifiable fact” in history and economics. In response to these critics, Hannah-Jones just recently declared the project not a work history, but instead a work of journalism.One of the project’s most frequent critics is Phil Magness, Senior Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research.On this episode, Phil Magness discusses the objectives of the 1619 project, the economic history of slavery, the project’s historical errors and why many Americans seem to have such a difficult time accepting the complicated totality of our own history.Phillip W. Magness at the American Institute for Economic ResearchThe 1619 Project - The New York Times MagazineThe 1619 Project: A Critique - Phil MagnessPublic Schools Are Teaching The 1619 Project in Class, Despite Concerns From Historians - ReasonKarl Marx: Intellectual father of the 1619 Project? - Rev. Ben JohnsonThe 1619 Projection: 3 lies Pulitzer should not reward - Rev. Ben Johnson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Baxter, the English Puritan churchman and theologian, was perhaps one of most prolific English language author in the seventeenth century. His writings were wide ranging from doctrinal theology to devotional classics. And his practical theology was a model of German sociologist Max Weber’s understanding of the protestant work ethic.Baxter’s worldly aestheticism was focused on service to others across sectarian divides. His book, How to Do Good to Many: The Public Good is the Christian’s Life, offers practical guidance to lay people grounded in Christian faith.This classic, updated for modern readers by Jordan Ballor, remains a thought provoking and inspirational meditation on Paul’s admonition to, “…do good to all people…” (Gal. 6:10)Acton’s Dan Hugger talks with Jordan Ballor, senior research fellow and director of publishing at the Acton Institute, about Baxter’s life and work, and the new updated edition of How to Do Good to Many.How to Do Good to Many: The Public Good Is the Christian’s LifeHow to do Good to Many (1682)Selections from How to Do Good to Many (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)Maslow, material needs, and the gospelThe Redemption and Restoration of Man in the Thought of Richard BaxterThe Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of CapitalismHow Groundhog Day changed my life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since 2006, economist Russ Roberts – the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution – has hosted the podcast EconTalk, a weekly deep conversation with economists and thinkers from other disciplines on ideas related both directly and indirectly to economics and the economic way of thinking.Economics is a powerful analytic tool which can empower us to choose more wisely as both individuals and groups. Such tools, however, should not be confused as either ends in themselves or the measure of human values.Religion is, like economics, embedded in the fabric of life itself. Its neglect, and the neglect of other humanistic values in the face of unprecedented prosperity, poses new challenges to animate our lives of affluence with purpose.Acton’s Dan Hugger talks with Russ Roberts about the intersection of faith and economics, and how Roberts’ own Jewish faith has influenced his life and work. On Ronald Coase: Human Sacrifice and the Digital Business Model Paul Heyne's 'Limitations of the Economic Way of Thinking Russ Roberts' videos EconTalk podcast Gambling with Other People’s Money: How Perverse Incentives Caused the Financial Crisis David Foster Wallace 2005 Commencement Address at Kenyon College (transcript) David Foster Wallace 2005 Commencement Address at Kenyon College (audio) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest term of the Supreme Court, which wrapped up on July 8th, saw the Court decide several cases with major implications for religious liberty. While the outcomes of Espinoza v. Montana, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania have been largely viewed as victories for advocates of expanding religious liberty in America, the court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch and holding that an employer who fires an individual for being gay or transgender violates Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, has been viewed as potentially having adverse consequences for the cause of religious liberty.What are we to make of these latest developments in the Supreme Court’s religious liberty jurisprudence?David French – Senior Editor at The Dispatch and a former constitutional litigator with Alliance Defending Freedom and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education – joins us to discuss the current status of religious liberty, both in the courts and in the culture writ large.Espinoza v. Montana: A victory for school choice – but for how long? - Rev. Ben JohnsonLittle Sisters, big victories - Rev. Ben JohnsonThe Case for Religious Liberty Is More Compelling than the Case for Christian Power - David FrenchWhatever Happened to Baby Blaine? - David French & Sarah IsgurLittle Sisters 2: Vacated and Remanded - David French & Sarah IsgurThe Supreme Court Tries to Settle the Religious Liberty Culture War - David French Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re rebroadcasting a conversation about religious liberty with Ryan T. Anderson, the William E. Simon senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, that was first released on the podcast in April of 2015. In the intervening five years since we first aired this episode, much has changed in our conversations on religious liberty – but much is still the same.While the focus is no longer on Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act as it was in 2015, religious liberty is front and center this term at the Supreme Court, which major cases impacting American’s right to free exercise of religion in Bostock v. Clayton County, Espinoza v. Montana, Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania and Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru. We’ll be bringing you more converge of these important cases on the podcast in the coming weeks.In this episode, Acton’s Marc Vander Maas talks with Ryan Anderson about what we mean when we talk about religious liberty – if it’s restricted merely to the freedom to worship or if the correct understanding is more expansive than that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since late May, many parts of the United States have grappled with unrest. Anger over George Floyd's death sparked protests, with looting and violent riots breaking out as well. Protesters have also been defacing and tearing down statues across the country, including statues of confederate leaders as well as monuments to George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, and even abolitionists. The Capitol Hill autonomous zone (CHAZ), also dubbed the Capitol Hill organized protest (CHOP), was a six block area in Seattle where thousands of protesters declared total liberation from policing or government authority after police abandoned the Seattle East Precinct. Many are calling this a revolutionary moment -- but is it really? If so, what's driving it, and how are Christians called to respond to the upheaval? Acton's Director of Research, Samuel Gregg, weighs in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the age of 13, Jimmy Lai escaped China to experience freedom in Hong Kong and grew to be one of Hong Kong’s highest-profile media moguls. Through his work, Lai founded the anti-Beijing newspaper Apple Daily and became an outspoken critic of the People’s Republic of China, solidifying him as one of Hong Kong’s most important pro-democracy voices. In this exclusive interview, Acton’s President and Co-founder Rev. Robert Sirico speaks with Lai about his entrepreneurial work and his bravery in the face of persecution at the hands of China’s Communist Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Hong Kong was released from British rule and handed over to China in 1997, the United Kingdom and Beijing struck a deal that guaranteed the freedom of Hong Kong's citizens; the territory was to remain free from mainland China's authority for fifty years. This arrangement is often referred to as "one country, two systems." Hong Kong established its own governmental and economic systems and flourished, growing into one of the most prosperous regions in the world and becoming a hub of international finance. Now, however, the People's Republic of China has broken its promise. Beijing plans to impose a new national security law that would end Hong Kong's independence, and protesters demanding democracy are being silenced. Helen Raleigh, senior contributor at The Federalist, joins this episode to shed light on the PRC's crackdown and unrest in Hong Kong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.