A celebration of Faith & Freedom
On October 27, the Acton Institute welcomed 810 people to its 26th Annual Dinner. The evening began with a rendition of “Oh Freedom!” performed by Wayburn Dean, an international recording artist. Acton executive director Kris Mauren served as the evening’s emcee. The event was held at the JW Marriot in downtown Grand Rapids with attendees representing 20 states and several foreign countries.
Guests were treated to an alumnus reflection from Cheryl Cuthbertson, the director of sustainability at Children of the Nations. Cuthbertson explained how her “mini-education” at Acton University just a few months earlier had helped empower her to improve the lives of the children she works with through her organization. They are not just objects of her charity; these children are their own solutions.
A big part of the night was a reflection on the life and work of Justice Antonin Scalia. Attendees enjoyed a brief clip of Scalia speaking at Acton’s 7th Annual Dinner and were not disappointed by both his brilliance and humor. The late Supreme Court justice was posthumously awarded the Faith & Freedom Award. His son, Rev. Paul Scalia, accepted the award on behalf of the entire Scalia family and also gave the evening’s keynote address. Rev. Scalia reminded the audience of the importance of a “hidden virtue” that his father had always praised: piety. “It does not grab headlines,” Scalia explained, “and that’s just the point. Piety is a foundational virtue, and like foundations, it is hidden and it is simple.”
Acton’s president and cofounder, Rev. Robert Sirico, also gave remarks addressing the fear many have regarding the direction of our country. “Despair is a deadly sin,” Sirico warned. “Certainly despair is a reasonable response to the crisis we now face. But to overcome the crisis we must look into the eyes of human beings, and in doing so see men and women created in the image of God, worthy of dignity, one worthy of not being enslaved politically or otherwise.”
Wayburn Dean gave the benediction by singing a hymn. All speeches from the dinner will be available online at the Acton PowerBlog.
From Our Conference Participants
[The Thriving Churches conference] is a game changer in that it changes the why of ministry. When the why of ministry is correct, the compassion to do ministry is present.
—George T.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I was exposed to ideas and perspectives that I do not have access to in my ministry context, and that made [Thriving Churches] even more valuable than I expected it would be.
—Eric L.
Austin, Texas
How are Acton alumni using their tools and experience from the institute?
Acton’s Rome office has welcomed thousands of seminarians, lay students, professors and religious leaders from all corners of the world to its international conferences, often attracting new supporters to its mission. Some of the most passionate among them have received financial support during their scholarly studies at the Vatican’s pontifical universities.
Funds have supported degrees in theology, philosophy, social sciences, canon law and communications, as well as academic travel to conduct empirical research abroad, present papers at international conferences and attend Acton University in Michigan.
Roughly 270 of these “Rome fellows” from over 55 countries are now doing precisely what they had envisioned for their futures. Their contributions to promote a free and virtuous society are manifest through diverse leadership positions in the church, the academy and the public square.
All their stories have two things in common: an infectious enthusiasm for freedom, economics and dignity, as well as a profound gratitude for having studied in Rome. A perfect example of this can be found in Acton alumna Dr. Jennifer E. Miller.
Miller is an inspiring example of why Acton scholarships were established in Rome. Her current position as professor of moral theology at the Notre Dame Catholic Seminary in New Orleans is the fruit of 10 years of intense study at pontifical universities run by the Dominicans, the Jesuits and the Prelature of Opus Dei. During this time, she enthusiastically attended many of Acton’s seminars and conferences. While pursuing her doctorate at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Dr. Miller served as a researcher and lecturer at the Markets, Culture and Ethics Research Centre, which allowed her to delve deeper into studies in economics and business.
She received an Acton Calihan Fellowship in 2011 while beginning her dissertation on Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel laureate in economics.
Miller says she was attracted to Sen’s theories since his “capabilities approach views poverty not just [narrowly] through a financial framework, but more broadly as an agent-focused proposal.” Sen’s weakness, she says, is related to his neglect of the “human person as social” and lack of appreciation of “the principle of subsidiarity, [which] can clearly be seen and corrected in the light of Catholic moral theology.”
Miller now teaches Catholic social doctrine to the 150 seminarians at Notre Dame.
“One thing I learned from my Rome professors is that Catholic social teaching is, at its core, a study of moral theology,” she says in regard to what she appreciates most about studying in Rome. “It starts with theological principles about God and our nature and not [with] a specific set of public policies that may change over time.”
Miller also says it is necessary for priests to be versed in political and economic affairs, but they do not have to be “absolute experts” in such fields. They must “know enough” to form the laity in Catholic social teaching.
“It is the laity—with everyday responsibilities in business, politics, law and raising Christian families—who are then called to put such teachings into practice,” she says.
A busy 2016-2017 event calendar kicks off
The 2016-2017 event series began in late September with Southwestern Baptist Seminary’s John Wiley giving an Acton Lecture Series talk titled “How to Read de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.” Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1835 text is a significant part of American history that should not be ignored. Tocqueville observed the American experiment as a critical outsider, and Wiley’s talk explored the things we can learn today from these observations.
In mid-October, Benjamin Domenech, publisher at the Federalist, talked about the current political climate and the tumultuous presidential election in his lecture “The Rise of American Populism.” There may be a lot of fear about the future of American politics, but “be not afraid of this populist movement,” Domenech encouraged. “No matter what comes, the American idea is too strong to be undermined by one man or one movement.”
Karl Zinsmeister kicked off the first “Evenings at Acton” event in early October. Zinsmeister, producer of the Almanac of American Philanthropy, gave a talk titled “Indispensable: How Philanthropy Fuels American success.” He argued that philanthropy is a huge part of America’s culture—private solutions to public problems are some of the most uniquely American actions. Zinsmeister explained why this is crucial to a thriving society and defended private giving.
Toward the end of October, Acton held its annual “Pastor Appreciation Day.” Pastors are so very crucial to a healthy community, so this informal breakfast and gathering celebrates their work. Helen Mitchell, director of the Talbot Center for Faith, Work and Economics, addressed the pastors in a talk about how pastors and believers can change the workplace, reminding the audience that “work is part of God’s great plan.”
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Most events are recorded, and videos of these lectures and Q&A sessions are available online. Visit blog.acton.org and search for the speaker to find them.
ACTON in the News
“Once people are no longer malnourished, plagued with disease or unable to own and develop their own property, formerly poor countries will themselves demand more cautious stewardship, and they will now actually have the wealth to do so. It will no longer be a luxury they can’t afford.&rdquo
—Excerpted from Dylan Pahman’s
article in The Stream.
Dylan Pahman
Title: Pope calls climate change a sin, but that won’t help the planet or the poor Publication: The Stream
Date: 9.15.16
Jordan Ballor
Title: Christianity, the friend of liberalism Publication: The Gospel Coalition
Date: 10.05.16
Samuel Gregg
Title: La vision económica de Francisco, bajo la lupa de expertos Publication: La Nacion
Date: 10.10.16
