Rev. Sirico Discusses Media Misinformation at Luncheon
Is the People's Pope against Prosperity? Rev. Robert A. Sirico, president and co-founder of Acton discussed this question with 125 attendees at Acton's annual luncheon and lecture in Houston. Acton's co-founder and executive director, Kris Mauren, emceed the event; George W. Strake, Jr., former Secretary of State of Texas, made remarks prior to the keynote address and introductions, and Rev. Martin Nicholas, pastor of Sugar Land Methodist Church, gave the invocation.
Pope Francis has been bridging the divide between Roman Catholics and Evangelicals who have not historically worked well together because of theological and cultural differences. "Francis", states Sirico, "comes to the position of Pope with a great ecumenical sensibility." Much of what the media translates of Francis can be quite problematic. Rather than seeing him as ecumenical, members of the press argue he's watering down doctrine to make Catholicism more appealing to Evangelicals. Journalists have been infusing their own perspectives into their interpretations of his speeches. Sirico advises them to "read the documents first."
Francis' views on economics are often misunderstood. In Evangelii Gaudium, Francis states that welfare projects, which meet certain urgent needs, should be continued merely as temporary responses to emergencies and not as long-term solutions to poverty. Francis states that "business is a vocation and a noble vocation, provided that it is seen by those who are engaged in it themselves, as challenged by a greater reason for life. There are values that are higher than economic values. This will enable them to serve the common good by increasing the goods of this world." He wants to end the exclusiveness of monopolized markets (which are rampant in Argentina) so that the poorest may flourish unimpeded and move beyond a welfare mentality, Sirico says.
"I think," muses Sirico, "that we have a friend here—not an enemy." Pope Francis helps to begin a dialogue about poverty and we can learn from him, about what is needed to embrace the poor and the alienated who so desperately need to hear the healing words of Christ, "Go and sin no more." If we drop any part of that equation, either the love or the justice, then we drop the model of Jesus himself.
"For the Life of the World" Wins Critical Acclaim
"For the Life of the World: Letters to the Exiles" is a film series of seven episodes, woven together into a feature length cut, that gives the big picture overview of a compelling vision of Christianity's relationship to culture and the various economies of life: family, creative service, ordering institutions, education and wisdom institutions, wonder and the fine arts, and then the church itself. Theological and Biblical concepts are simplified by engaging storytelling and use of many different types of media, including puppets, a Rube Goldberg machine, and original songs by Jars of Clay.
Since its February 2014 national premiere at Jubilee Professional in Pittsburgh, Acton has been blown away by the response to the series. Acton has screened it in its entirety or as a few episodes for audiences of all sizes all over the world. Acton has received unsolicited critical acclaim from many including Andy Crouch, executive editor of Christianity Today who says "'For the Life of the World' is the best treatment of faith & culture ever put on screen. Just outstanding." In a Christianity Today review, Crouch says that:
The series makes the best case I have seen for the essential coherence of the Great Tradition's view of the world—and the creativity, beauty, and service that flow from that view... Very rarely do artists emerge who have the talent and training to present deeply Christian themes in widely accessible ways.
Byron Borger of Hearts & Minds Books says, "This is the film for which some of us have been waiting for 40 years!" These are two examples of the kind of feedback Acton receives on a daily basis; a response that has certainly exceeded expectations.
Audiences of various ages, denominations, and backgrounds have experienced this film series. Small groups, Bible studies, work teams of all kinds, inmates, church planters, youth groups, churches, and seminary classrooms are all convening around the film series and it is being used in ways that Acton never would have envisioned. Among the subjects explored in this series is that of the economy of wonder. Makoto Fujimura, founder of the International Arts Movement and featured in episode six, laments that "beauty has been exiled from the conversation." The viewer is then invited to consider the common, but often overlooked, Biblical exhortation to "behold." After watching this compelling scene at a recent screening in Pittsburgh, Courtney Christine Shingle reflects, "Over the last few days, the word behold has echoed in my mind, a spark ready to become a wildfire. What does it mean to behold? To behold is to see the intrinsic value of the created world, to see the value of things beyond their usefulness. " Shingle closes her blog by summarizing, "Beauty can transform us if we just take a moment to behold."
Almost 2,000 copies of the physical DVD/Blu Ray Combo Pack have been sold and the trailer has been viewed more than half a million times on YouTube. "For the Life of the World" has had quite an impact on social media, with more than 2,500 Facebook likes, reaching more than 150,000 Facebook users, and almost 900 Twitter followers.
Produced for the church at large, Acton has worked hard to provide the series in formats to engage individually and in group settings. Additionally, Acton has worked hard to ensure there is a price point that is affordable for every need. Check out the website (www.letterstotheexiles.com) for the series to learn more.
Busy slate of public events underway at Acton
Since moving into its own downtown Grand Rapids building last year, the Acton Institute has developed a broad community enrichment program for local residents— with a little bit of something for everyone. The focal point for the diverse public offerings on culture, public affairs, and arts is the auditorium at Acton. This auditorium— along with an expanded library—is the centerpiece of the Acton headquarters.
On Nov. 6, Luba Markewycz and Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg spoke on, "The Famine Remembered: Lessons from Ukraine's Holodomor and Soviet Communism." The focus of the event was a collection of art created by Ukrainian children on the Holodomor (which means "death by hunger"), a man-made famine imposed on Ukraine by Stalin's Communist regime.
During ArtPrize 2014, Acton hosted renowned artist, writer, and speaker Makoto Fujimura who exhibited, "Walking on Water." This painting was done in the ancient Japanese fine art tradition of Nihonga. Fujimura also lectured and led listeners through his journey toward the integration of his art with his faith.
Besides art, Acton has expanded its events to include drama, the last being "An Evening with G.K. Chesterton," featuring Chuck Chalberg, and film screenings. On Nov. 20, Acton screened "Rockin' the Wall" which documents rock and roll's part in bringing down the Berlin Wall and smashing the Iron Curtain.
Acton hosted several lectures this fall such as "The Importance of Sound Money," with Robert Murphy and "The Once and Future King," with F. H. Buckley. Upcoming lectures include: "American National Character and the Future of Liberty," with William Allen, "Capitalism and the Economy of Love," with Jeffrey Tucker, and a lecture by author Os Guinness on his book Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times.
To learn more about upcoming events, visit www.acton.org/events.
