Acton Institute For The Study Of Religion And Liberty

TO PROMOTE A FREE AND VIRTUOUS SOCIETY CHARACTERIZED BY INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY

EDUCATION:THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THE ACTON INSTITUTE SEEKS TO EQUIP CURRENT AND FUTURE LEADERS IN BUSINESS, EDUCATION, AND RELIGION THROUGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING TO UNDERSTAND THE MORAL BASIS FOR A FREE ECONOMY THAT CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLOURISH. THESE PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED, BUT SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO THOSE WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF EFFECTUATING CHANGE AND INFLUENCING THOSE IN THEIR INSTITUTIONS, COMMUNITIES, AND DENOMINATIONS BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.THE INSTITUTE'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING INCLUDES BOTH LARGE AND SMALL CONFERENCES. ACTON'S FLAGSHIP EVENT, ACTON UNIVERSITY, AN ANNUAL FOUR-DAY CONFERENCE THAT EXPLORES THE FOUNDATIONS OF A FREE SOCIETY, DREW OVER 1,000 PARTICIPANTS FROM MORE THAN 60 NATIONS IN 2019. IN 2020 AND 2021, THE EVENT WAS HELD VIRTUALLY DUE TO COVID-19 WITH OVER 3,200 PEOPLE FROM 86 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED. MANY OF THOSE WHO ATTEND ACTON INSTITUTE CONFERENCES, INCLUDING ACTON UNIVERSITY, RECEIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO COVER EXPENSES SUCH AS ROOM AND BOARD, CONFERENCE FEES, AND TRAVEL IN CASES OF NEED. THE STAFF OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ALSO INVESTS CONSIDERABLE TIME IN CULTIVATING ECUMENICAL NETWORKS OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS, STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND BUSINESSPEOPLE IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE INSTITUTE'S REACH, DEVELOP STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, AND REMAIN CONNECTED TO THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS OF THE INSTITUTE'S CONSTITUENCIES.

GENERAL EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS:THE INSTITUTE REACHES OUT TO BUSINESS LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS, STUDENTS, AND RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP GROUPS THROUGH LECTURES, MEDIA PRODUCTS, WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND VARIOUS WRITINGS. THE 2021 ANNUAL DINNER CELEBRATING 31 YEARS OF THE ACTON INSTITUTE WAS HELD IN GRAND RAPIDS TO PROMOTE OUTREACH AND TO THANK SUPPORTERS FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP. THE DINNER AND PROGRAM FESTIVITIES INCLUDED DISCOURSE WITH PROMINENT PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND INSTITUTE SUPPORTERS. OVER 800 PARTICIPATED, REPRESENTING MANY STATES AND SEVERAL FOREIGN COUNTRIES. AFTER A HIATUS DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, OUR NORMAL BUSY SLATE OF ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS RESUMED IN OUR LOCAL FACILITY FOR DISCUSSIONS OF A VARIETY OF TOPICS RELATED TO OUR WORK, INCLUDING OUR FLAGSHIP ACTON LECTURE SERIES. ACTON INSTITUTE ALSO OPERATES A BOOKSTORE TO PROMOTE AND SELL ITS OWN PUBLICATIONS, IN ADDITION TO OUTSIDE PUBLICATIONS, RELATED TO OUR MISSION AND PROGRAM OUTREACH AREAS. THESE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WERE SOLD, DISTRIBUTED AND EXHIBITED AT A VARIETY OF EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.OUR RICH AND ROBUST WEB PRESENCE CENTERS ON THE ACTON WEBSITE (WWW.ACTON.ORG), AND INCLUDES OTHER ACTON SITES SUCH AS THE POWERBLOG AS WELL AS A GREAT DEAL OF CURRENT AND HISTORICAL ACTON-PRODUCED CONTENT. THE INSTITUTE HAS A BROAD AND GROWING PRESENCE IN SOCIAL MEDIA. THIS PLATFORM HAS STEADILY INCREASED THE SCOPE AND FREQUENCY OF ACTON'S OUTREACH TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT MANAGES THE GROWING FAMILY OF ACTON WEBSITES, BLOG, PODCASTS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA WHICH USE LEADING TECHNOLOGY TO INTEGRATE TEXT, AUDIO, AND VIDEO CONTENT IN EASILY ACCESSIBLE FORMATS AND VENUES TO PROMOTE ACTON'S MESSAGE TO WEB USERS. IT PUBLISHES THE PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITIONS OF RELIGION & LIBERTY, ACTON NOTES, AND THE WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTER, ACTON NEWS & COMMENTARY. THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ALSO CONNECTS ACTON EXPERTS WITH PRINT AND BROADCAST JOURNALISTS COVERING FAITH AND POLICY ISSUES.

RESEARCH:THE INSTITUTE'S ACADEMIC INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONDUCTED BY ITS RESEARCH DEPARTMENT. THIS WORK CENTERS ON POLITICAL ECONOMY, THEOLOGY, ECONOMICS, PHILOSOPHY, AND HISTORY, AMONG OTHER TOPICS. ADDITIONALLY, THE MATERIALS AND RESEARCH PRODUCED AT THE ACTON INSTITUTE ARE DELIVERED LOCALLY IN GRAND RAPIDS AS WELL AS AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES WITH THE GOAL OF REACHING THE SCHOLARLY COMMUNITY AT LARGE.THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT PUBLISHES BOOKS, JOURNALS, MONOGRAPHS AND OCCASIONAL PAPERS, AND ITS STAFF REGULARLY PUBLISHES BOOKS WITH EXTERNAL PUBLISHING HOUSES. THE JOURNAL OF MARKETS & MORALITY IS A SEMI-ANNUAL REFEREED JOURNAL THAT PROVIDES A FORUM FOR SCHOLARS FROM MANY DISCIPLINES TO ENGAGE ISSUES CONCERNING THE MORALITY OF THE MARKETPLACE. THE CHRISTIAN SOCIAL THOUGHT SERIES EXAMINES, IN EACH VOLUME, A KEY ECONOMIC ISSUE FACING CHRISTIANS. NON-CHRISTIANS HAVE ALSO WRITTEN ARTICLES AND BOOKS ADDRESSING RELEVANT THEMES OF INTEREST TO THE ACTON INSTITUTE. THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT ALSO MANAGES ACTON'S ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS. FELLOWSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, IN THE FORM OF ACADEMIC FELLOWSHIPS AND TRAVEL GRANTS, TO PROMISING DOCTORAL CANDIDATES, GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND SEMINARIANS WHO ARE ADVANCING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ECONOMIC LIBERTY AND RELIGIOUS VALUES. THE ANNUAL NOVAK AWARD RECIPIENT IS PRESENTED WITH A PRIZE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND REWARD NEW RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION, ECONOMIC FREEDOM, AND THE FREE AND VIRTUOUS SOCIETY.LASTLY, THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT MANAGES A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING (1) SMALL SPECIFIC CONFERENCES FOR SCHOLARS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS THAT MOSTLY ARE HELD IN GRAND RAPIDS, (2) LARGER CONFERENCES FOR SCHOLARS, GRADUATE STUDENTS, PUBLIC INTELLECTUALS AND LEADING RELIGIOUS FIGURES, AND (3) OVERSEEING THE SCHOLARLY AND PROGRAMMATIC OUTREACH OF ACTON'S ROME OFFICE.INTERNATIONALLY, WE HAVE HELD CONFERENCES ON VARIOUS TOPICS SUCH AS ECONOMIC LIBERTY, ECONOMIC HISTORY, POVERTY AND DEVELOPMENT, CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, PROTESTANT SOCIAL THOUGHT, JUDAISM AND THE ECONOMY, PROPERTY RIGHTS, MONETARY POLICY, AND LIMITED GOVERNMENT. OUR OFFICE IN ROME ALSO HOSTS REGULAR LECTURES AND SMALL CONFERENCES AT THE OFFICE.

MEDIA:THE MEDIA DEPARTMENT PROMOTES ACTON'S MESSAGE THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA PRODUCTS AND OUTLETS. THE DISTRIBUTION OF OUR FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS CONTINUED ACROSS THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONALLY, INCLUDING TRANSLATION INTO SEVERAL LANGUAGES. ACTON'S MEDIA PRODUCTS WERE DISTRIBUTED WITH A FOCUS ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS. THEY CAN BE FOUND ON FAMILIAR PLATFORMS SUCH AS AMAZON, NETFLIX, AND ITUNES. A CURRICULUM AND RELATED WEBSITE ABOUT ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS TO POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD (POVERTYCURE) CONTINUED TO BE PROMOTED. MANY SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES HAVE INCORPORATED THIS RESOURCE INTO THEIR CURRICULUMS. THE PROJECT SEEKS TO BUILD A NETWORK OF LIKEMINDED ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS TO PROMOTE A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN PERSON AND SOCIETY. THE MEDIA PROJECTS WILL ENCOURAGE SOLUTIONS THAT CREATE OPPORTUNITY AND UNLEASH THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT. ACTON'S DOCUMENTARY POVERTY, INC. HAS EARNED MORE THAN 45 FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS TO DATE, INCLUDING THE $100,000 TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD. THE FILM HAS SCREENED MORE THAN 500 TIMES IN 28 COUNTRIES.PRODUCTION ON ACTON'S NEWEST DOCUMENTARY FILM THE HONG KONGER COMMENCED IN 2021 WITH SCHEDULED COMPLETION AND RELEASE FOR 2022.