Acton Institute: 45 books

Liberty is contested because it is complex. It is not merely a concern of political science or economy, an abstract philosophical concept, or a theological doctrine. It is all those things and many things besides; it is, as Lord Acton said, “the delicate fruit of a mature civilization.” To understand...

Lord Acton is the author of the maxim, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." In this intellectual biography, Gertrude Himmelfarb regards Acton as a man more of our age than of his own. He was a Liberal Catholic and a distinguished historian, and his vigorous denunciations...

Do labor unions offer the best protection for the worker? Published by the Acton Institute, Liberating Labor questions the assumption that Christian social teaching unequivocally endorses all forms of trade unionism. If we consider the church's defense of freedom of association, for example,...

Religious and non-religious people alike commonly assert that religion and science occupy two entirely separate and distinct realms. There can be, it is said, neither conflict nor concourse between them. But what if science and religion share something deeply mysterious in common? What if that mysterious...

Creative, quirky, and always winsome, Dylan Pahman builds a systematic case for a positive relationship between a biblical understanding of the human person and the economic flourishing that freedom enables. His tour of scripture, philosophy, and economics mirrors the curriculum of the Acton Institute’s...

In the twenty-first century, increasing persecution of religious believers across the world has brought renewed attention to the importance and foundations of genuine religious liberty. Too often, however, advocates of religious freedom fail to recognize the ways in which other aspects of freedom—including...

Anyone who believes that democratic freedom and Christian morality are necessarily opposed to one another should find Professor Jan Klos’ book of great interest. Beginning with a careful study of 19th century liberalism, Klos shows how liberalism—understood as political freedom, individualism,...

An examination of the development of Centesimus Annus, Pope John Paul II's ground-breaking encyclical letter of 1991.

American education is in crisis. Many public schools, especially those serving students of challenging socio-economic backgrounds, fail to provide the training necessary to succeed in a modern, global economy. Meanwhile, Catholic schools, traditionally the bastions of excellent academic and moral...

Concern for the poor is at the heart of Christianity. Christians are also called to contribute to human flourishing and create the wealth necessary to alleviate poverty. In this wide-ranging essay, one of the great teachers of political philosophy of our time calls us to think prudently about poverty...

Troubled by rampant injustice and inequality, many conscientious Christians advocate radical economic reforms. Distributism, a program that traces its popularity to Catholic writers Hilaire Belloc and G.K. Chesterton, promotes the widespread ownership of property by tempering the market with guilds...

One subject that never fails to spark debate is globalization. The phrase is used in every possible context, and yet its origins, nature and implications - especially for developing countries - are often misunderstood. In this monograph, Lord Brian Griffiths examines the theory and practice of globalization,...

Latin American economies enjoyed substantial growth in the early years of the twenty-first century, but the financial crisis beginning in 2008 called into question the sustainability of that progress. What are the keys to lasting prosperity in Central and South America? How can the benefits of wealth...

Care for the poor has been a hallmark of Christianity since its beginning. Yet the economic world that provides the context for both Christianity and poverty has changed dramatically since the time of Christ. Professor William Luckey helps us to understand that context by tracing the history of Christian...