Grand Rapids, Mich. - A new English-language edition of Providence & Liberty, an anthology of statements on faith and freedom by the great French economist Frederick Bastiat, is now available through the Acton Institute Book Shoppe ( www.acton.org/bookshoppe ). The book was translated and edited by Raoul Audouin.
Bastiat is famous for his economic insights, but fewer people know of his intense interest in religious questions. This second edition of Providence and Liberty features a new foreword by Rev. Robert Sirico and a new preface by Leonard Liggio, Jacques Garello and Samuel Gregg. In praising Providence and Liberty , the Rev. Edmund Opitz said, "this little book will introduce the reader to a rare and wonderful human being who has brilliant insights into the necessary connection between Christianity and Liberty. Those who are already fans of Bastiat will find that this book adds another dimension to their appreciation, those who read and reread ‘The Law’ will find this a perfect companion volume."
Providence & Liberty , 48 pages, is priced at $3 in the softcover edition.
Acton has also recently published two new additions to the Christian Social Thought Series.
Inhabiting the Land , number 6 in the series, is a study of immigration policy by Andrew M. Yuengert, professor of economics at Pepperdine University. In the monograph, he maintains that there is a right to migrate and presents a defense for this case. Basing his argument upon the natural law tradition and Christian social thought, Yuengert integrates this with an economic analysis of migration that is consistent with the Christian concern for the dignity of persons. At 61 pages, Inhabiting the Land is priced at $6 in the softcover.
A Theory of Corruption is number 7 in the Christian Social Thought Series, and is co-authored by Osvaldo Schenone, a member of Argentina’s National Academy of Economic Science, and Samuel Gregg, Acton’s director of research. The authors find that there is no greater scourge that affects the proper functioning of any economic system than corruption. They note that corruption is especially pervasive in developing nations, and is usually rampant among public officials, be they bureaucrats or elected officials. The authors also consider the legal effects of corruption, suggesting that it has grave ramifications for the rule of law. But fundamentally, Schenone and Gregg maintain that corruption is essentially a moral realm, precisely because it reflects people’s choices for moral evil over moral good. This monograph offers a theological and economic examination of corruption that questions many of the uncritically accepted assumptions held about corruption. A Theory of Corruption , 53 pages, is priced at $6 in the softcover.