Is God Opposed to Christians Making Lots of Money?

August 17, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Joseph Sunde “Being Godly doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to be wealthy. God makes no such guarantees in the Bible, so goodbye, prosperity gospel…[But] God clearly is not opposed to wealth in a kind of blanket way. He’s not even opposed, necessarily, to tremendous wealth, gobstopping amounts of money.” –Owen Strachan In a lecture for The Commonweal Project at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Owen Strachan explores whether it’s morally wrong for Christians to make lots of money. His answer: “No. But... Read more

Pokémon GO is the Sweet, Successful Fruit of Failure

August 9, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Dylan Pahman In a weekend, Pokémon GO has already taken our smartphones by storm. But where did it come from? On the one hand, this is a simple question to answer: Nintendo. Pokémon is a game franchise created by Nintendo, and Pokémon GO is the newest installment. But Pokémon GO isn’t just more of the same. It’s a revolutionary innovation. Using the camera function on people’s phones, the world of the game is our world. The eponymous monsters appear... Read more

How Kentucky Schools Are Rejecting the ‘College Readiness’ Cookie Cutter

August 2, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Joseph Sunde Fueled by a mix of misguided cultural pressures and misaligned government incentives, college tuition has been rising for decades, outpacing general inflation by a wide margin. Yet despite the underlying problems, our politicians seem increasingly inclined to cement the status quo. Whether it be increased subsidies for student loans or promises of “free college” for all, such solutions simply double down on our failed cookie-cutter approach to education and vocation, narrowing rather than expanding the range of opportunities and possibilities. Fortunately, despite... Read more

The Higher Calling of the ‘Dismal Science’ of Economics

July 29, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Dylan Pahman Economist and theologian Paul Heyne once asked the question, “Are economists basically immoral?” He asked this because economists have a frustrating tendency to interrupt the high moral aspirations of others with complications about how, in the real world, life is not so simple. When other people are concerned with social justice and love, they have a knack for focusing on things like costs and logistics, seemingly putting a price on doing the right thing. Is this just... Read more

What Is the Meaning of Work?

July 21, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Caroline Roberts Working comprises the bulk of most people’s adult lives. Unfortunately, many people find their work unfulfilling and dread Monday mornings. How can we find meaning and a sense of vocation in even the most mundane work environments? In a recent article in The Atlantic, Uri Friedman presents seven helpful pieces of advice given by David Brooks (New York Times columnist) and Arthur Brooks (president of the American Enterprise Institute) in order to shed light on how people can... Read more

McDonald’s as Social Enterprise: Capitalism’s Community Center?

July 12, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Joseph Sunde We live, work, and consume within an increasingly grand, globalized economy. Yet standing amidst its many fruits and blessings, we move about our lives giving little thought to why we’re working, who we’re serving, and how exactly our needs are being met. Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” feels more invisible than ever. In response to our newfound economic order, big and blurry as it is, many have aimed to pave paths toward more “communitarian” ends, epitomized by recent waves... Read more

Bruce Wayne: A Capitalist Superhero

July 5, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Daniel Menjivar The real hero of the recently released Batman v. Superman film is an often overshadowed character, Bruce Wayne. Batman’s alter ego, Bruce Wayne is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises and the hero that Gotham, and in the case of this film, Metropolis needs too. Bruce Wayne is, in fact, a capitalist superhero. In an opening scene, we find Wayne landing in the city of Metropolis as Superman and General Zod battle in the skies and skyscrapers above him.... Read more

Consider Hiring More Christians. Here’s Why.

June 29, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Paul Graves Honesty. Integrity. Truthfulness. All hallmarks of good business practice, right? We all want employees with strong business ethics and good moral convictions. But when was the last time it came up in an interview? Something like: “Have you ever had work experience that challenged your moral compass?” Let’s push it a bit further. “Where does your moral compass come from?” It’s difficult to ask about the source of a potential employee’s moral convictions without brushing with federal regulations on... Read more

Gospel as Oasis: Bringing Economic Flourishing to Urban Deserts

June 22, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Joseph Sunde “The Bible has a rich desert theology…He will cause rivers to flow, even in desert conditions.” –Christopher Brooks Pastor Christopher Brooks and Evangel Ministries have demonstrated a unique model of urban ministry in Detroit, focusing not just on meeting immediate needs through traditional channels, but on fostering a vision of long-term, whole-life discipleship. In a talk for the Oikonomia Network, Brooks offers invaluable perspective from his years of ministry, concluding that the gospel has the power to bring economic... Read more

3 Things to Know About Stewardship

June 14, 2016 By Acton Institute

By Joe Carter Note: Please forgive the self-promotion, but since my new book — the NIV Lifehacks Bible — is being released today, I thought I’d provide an excerpt from Genesis. Sold into slavery, Joseph is put in charge of Potiphar’s household. Potiphar “entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph” (Genesis 39:4-5). The... Read more