Latest Posts

July 26, 2018

We are all New Deal socialists now

President Trump is known for public unveiling his inner thoughts on Twitter. But one of the most revealing comments he’s ever made came recently in a private discussion with lawmakers about trade policy. Continue Reading...
July 25, 2018

Adam Smith and the morality of commercial society

Over at Arc Digital today I take a look at Adam Smith’s moral teachings, particularly in light of commercial society and Christian theology. This essay serves as a brief introduction to one of the Moral Markets projects I am working on, as well as a teaser for further exploration of the relationship between Christianity and classical political economy. Continue Reading...
July 25, 2018

The folly of ‘following your passion’

If you’re a young person in America, you’ve undoubtedly been bombarded by calls to “follow your passion,” “pursue your dreams,” or “do what you love and love what you do.” But do these sugary mantras truly represent the path to vocational clarity, economic abundance, personal fulfillment, and human flourishing? Continue Reading...
July 25, 2018

Justin Welby reimagines a poorer and less free Britain

“Christian leaders are often guilty of ‘souping up, the common good,” says Noah Gould in this week’s Acton Commentary. “Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, is no exception. In his latest book, Reimagining Britain: Foundations for Hope, Welby sets out to create a new social and political vision for the United Kingdom based on the common good.” Continue Reading...
July 24, 2018

The ‘idea equation’ and economic growth

Note: This is post #86 in a weekly video series on basic economics. As we’ve seen in recent entries in this series, ideas play a key role in economic advancement. If we can predict the future of ideas we can, in part, predict the future of economic growth. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2018

30 key quotes from ‘Humanae vitae’ (Of human life)

Fifty years ago this week, Pope Paul VI released Humanae Vitae, an encyclical on marital love, responsible parenthood, and artificial contraception. Because contraception profoundly influences so many areas of life—from the family to national policies—this statement on human anthropology and sexuality has become a one of the most significant documents of Catholic social thought. Continue Reading...