Brittany Hunter - Acton Institute PowerBlog

IT'S FINALLY HERE! The Birth of Freedom now available on DVD

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:23:51 -0700

Just in time for Christmas, Acton Media’s new documentary The Birth of Freedom is now available for purchase from the Acton Bookshoppe. Accompanied by a study guide which explores several core themes of the documentary, The Birth of Freedom tells the story of how modern understandings of individual liberty were developed and addresses the questions, “Why would anyone believe that all men are created equal? That all should be free? That all deserve a voice in choosing their leaders? Why would any nation consider this a self-evident truth?”

Order your copy, check out our popular Birth of Freedom short video series, learn how you can host a screening of your own, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: Is it appropriate to consider the religious views of political candidates?

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:59:52 -0700

Acton Media’s latest Birth of Freedom short video is a timely message in the face of tomorrow’s election. In this video, William B. Allen, Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University, discusses how faith, “the most compelling part of one’s existence”, ought to fit in when evaluating a political candidate.

Check out more Birth of Freedom shorts, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: How did Plato and Aristotle justify slavery?

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:42:00 -0600

In this week’s Birth of Freedom short video Sam Gregg, author of On Ordered Liberty, discusses the views that two influential ancient philosophers held regarding human equality and the practice of slavery.

If you haven’t seen the other 7 video shorts, you can check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

New Video Short: How Not to Help the Poor

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:36:00 -0600

New from Acton Media, this video short titled “How Not to Help the Poor” discusses the root causes of poverty and how even the best of intentions can go wrong in dealing with and trying to help those in need.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: How did Christian slave owners justify slavery?

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:39:33 -0600

This week’s Birth of Freedom Video Short features Susan Wise Bauer, author of The History of the Ancient World. She addresses the question, “How did Christian slave owners justify slavery?”, describing how slave owners operated under a false (prescriptive instead of descriptive) understanding of the New Testament’s teaching concerning slavery.

Remember, if you haven’t seen the other 7 video shorts, you can check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: What happened to China's Industrial Revolution?

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:53:06 -0600

Acton Media’s seventh Birth of Freedom short features Rodney Stark, author of The Victory of Reason. In the video, he discusses the question “Why didn’t China have an industrial revolution before the west?” Although evidence points to the beginnings of an agricultural and industrial revolution in the 10th century, the lack of protection for private property has been a disincentive for innovation and hard work.

Acton Media’s video shorts from The Birth of Freedom are designed to provide additional insight into key issues and ideas in the film. A new short is released each Monday. Check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: Christianity and Human Equality

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:15:03 -0600

In the sixth Birth of Freedom video short, William B. Allen addresses the question, “What was Christianity’s Role in the rise of the idea of human equality?” In his discussion, which traces the Judeo-Christian origins of a “universal perspective,” he concludes that “what informs the spirit of Republicanism in the modern era, is this long development, this slow working-out of a specific revelation from God that leads human beings into the discovery of the fullness of their personality in the recognition of their universal status.”

Acton Media’s video shorts from The Birth of Freedom are designed to provide additional insight into key issues and ideas in the film. A new short is released each Monday. Check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: Is Secularism Neutral?

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:29:15 -0600

In this week’s new Birth of Freedom short video, expert Robert P. George explains why it is impossible for secularism to function as a neutral ground for debate.

Acton Media’s video shorts from The Birth of Freedom are designed to provide additional insight into key issues and ideas in the film. A new short is released each Monday. Check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: Poverty in Medieval Europe

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:29:35 -0600

“If medieval Europe was so great, why were most medievals poor?” This is something you might wonder after viewing Acton Media’s new documentary, The Birth of Freedom. However, in this new video short, expert Sam Gregg reminds viewers that in order to make meaningful comparisons regarding the living standards of peasants in Medieval Europe, we must be mindful of historical context and technological progress to that point.

Acton Media’s video shorts from The Birth of Freedom are designed to provide additional insight into key issues and ideas in the film. A new short is released each Monday. Check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: Inventions in the "Dark Ages"

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:16:31 -0600

In this, the third video in Acton Media’s series of shorts accompanying its latest documentary The Birth of Freedom, Glenn Sunshine demonstrates how belief in human dignity spurred invention and innovation during the middle ages.

Acton Media’s video shorts from The Birth of Freedom are designed to provide additional insight into key issues and ideas in the film. A new short is released each Monday. Check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series: Judaism and Human Rights

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:51:09 -0600

The second in Acton Media’s series of shorts accompanying its latest documentary The Birth of Freedom, this new video asks the question, “How has Judaism contributed to human rights?” In the video, John Witte Jr. demonstrates how the teachings of Judaism significantly impacted the western understanding of human rights, contributing the foundations for concepts such as human dignity, due process, and covenantal agreements.

Acton Media’s video shorts from The Birth of Freedom are designed to provide additional insight into key issues and ideas in the film. A new short is released each Monday. Check out the rest of the series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.

Birth of Freedom Shorts Series

blog@acton.org (Brittany Hunter) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:05:29 -0600

Today Acton Media released a new video short titled, “What is Freedom?” In this short, experts William B. Allen and Samuel Gregg discuss the nature and implications of true freedom. The clip is first in a series of shorts designed to supplement Acton Media’s latest documentary, The Birth of Freedom. Comprised of footage that didn’t make it into the documentary, these clips provide additional insight into key issues and as such, could be considered the film’s “extended scenes”. Acton Media plans to release a new short each Monday. View the entire series, learn about premieres in your area, and discover more background information at www.thebirthoffreedom.com.