Jordan J. Ballor (Dr. theol., University of Zurich; Ph.D., Calvin Theological Seminary) is director of research at the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, an initiative of the First Liberty Institute. He has previously held research positions at the Acton Institute and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and has authored multiple books, including a forthcoming introduction to the public theology of Abraham Kuyper. Working with Lexham Press, he served as a general editor for the 12 volume Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology series, and his research can be found in publications including Journal of Markets & Morality, Journal of Religion, Scottish Journal of Theology, Reformation & Renaissance Review, Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Faith & Economics, and Calvin Theological Journal. He is also associate director of the Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research at Calvin Theological Seminary and the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity & Politics at Calvin University.

Posts by Jordan J. Ballor

Fear the LORD and shun evil

A respondent over at Mere Comments gets right to the heart of what the scientific and technological ethos is (i.e., Technopoly): “If we can do it, it’s right” and “If we can do it, we do it” which resolve to “it’s right if I do it.” Continue Reading...

Wal-Mart’s wages

Here’s a well-balanced story by Steve Greenhouse in today’s New York Times, “Can’t Wal-Mart, a Retail Behemoth, Pay More?” On this point, refer to an op-ed by Acton staff about the economics and ethics of the “living wage” (PDF). Continue Reading...

Acton and Kuyper on politics

"In the French revolution a civil liberty for every Christian to agree with the unbelieving majority; in Calvinism, a liberty of conscience, which enables every man to serve God according to his own conviction and the dictates of his own heart." Continue Reading...

Remaking the covenant

Some theologians have taken a troubling interpretation of the Noahic covenant to support a heterodox agenda. The World Alliance of Reformed Churches, in its attempts to call a status confessionis, called various study groups and forums to report on the “global crisis of life.” Continue Reading...

Remembering Leo XIII

On May 2, 1810, the future Pope Leo XIII, 257th Roman Catholic pope (1878-1903), is born. For a survey of the legacy of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum and the initiation of Catholic Social Teaching, as well as his confluence with the thought of Abraham Kuyper, read this article by Mark A. Continue Reading...

Acton PowerBlog’s first month

The end of April marks the conclusion to the first month of operation for the Acton Institute’s PowerBlog. Thanks to all the commenters and readers who have made this outreach effective. Continue Reading...

Challenging the Micah Challenge

There’s a big, fairly new, global effort by Christians to cut worldwide poverty in half by 2015. Just what is this effort? A new giving initiative? A new network connecting churches in the first world with churches in the third world? Continue Reading...

Blog market

In traversing the World Wide Web, I’ve happened across BlogShares, “a fantasy stock market for weblogs. Players get to invest a fictional $500, and blogs are valued by incoming links.” As the Acton Institute PowerBlog heads toward its one month anniversary, check out it’s BlogShare value. Continue Reading...

Verse of the day

Via BibleGateway.com Job 19:25 (New International Version) I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. Continue Reading...

Henry Institute to study civic responsibility

The Paul Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College has received a $100,000 grant from the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation to study the role of religion in shaping civic responsibility in American life. Continue Reading...