PODCAST · society
Acton Line
by Acton Institute
Dedicated to the promotion of a free and virtuous society, Acton Line brings together writers, economists, religious leaders, and more to bridge the gap between good intentions and sound economics.
Episodes
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Samuel Gregg Defends The Civilization of Commerce
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Samuel Gregg, President of the American Institute for Economic Research and an affiliate scholar here at the Acton Institute, about his new book, The Civilization of Commerce: Invisible Hands and the Pursuit of Happiness. The Civilization of Commerce:...
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Paulo Ghedini on Religion & Liberty in Brazil
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Paulo Ghedini, founder and president of the Christian Libertarian Institute, about the state of the liberty movement in Brazil and the need for an explicitly Christian case for liberty to be made there. Instituto Libertário Cristão If you’d like to support...
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Dave Hebert on How Pittsburgh Beat Detroit to Economic Renewal
In this episode, Dan speaks with Dave Hebert, Director of Economics & Economic Freedom and Senior Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research and an affiliate scholar here at the Acton Institute, about his white paper "Why Detroit Failed and Pittsburgh Recovered. "Why Detroit...
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Stephen Barrows Examines Bill Gates’s New AI Essay
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Stephen Barrows, chief operating officer of the Acton Institute, about Bill Gate’s essay “An epochal shift: The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical.” "An epochal shift: The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are...
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William Haun Explains How and Why the Catholic Church is a Perfect Society
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Becket senior counsel William Haun about his forthcoming book Not to Caesar but to Peter: Why the Catholic Church is a Perfect Society. Not to Caesar but to Peter: Why the Catholic Church is a Perfect SocietyBecket attorney’s new book calls for bolder…
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Kevin Vallier Makes the Christian Case for Using AI Well
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Kevin Vallier, professor of philosophy and director of research at the Institute for American Constitutional Thought and Leadership (University of Toledo) and affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute, about what artificial intelligence is and why and how...
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Stephanie Slade Is Contending for a Conservative Return to Fusionist Roots
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason magazine and Fellow in Liberal Studies at the Acton Institute, about her new book, Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Stephanie Slade...
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David Bahnsen on the Past, Present, and Future of Dividend Growth Investing
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with David Bahnsen, the founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, about his new book, Profit from the Profit: The Past, Present & Future of Dividend Growth Investing. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton...
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Stephen Barrows on the Fertility Crisis and the Economics of More Children
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Steve Barrows, Chief Operating Officer of the Acton Institute, about the fertility crisis and the economics of more children. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Panel: The Baby Bust and the Free Society If you’d like to support this podcast,...
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Luke Burgis on Forming Solid Selves in an Age of Social Contagion
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with writer and entrepreneur Luke Burgis, founder of the Cluny Institute and professor at The Catholic University of America, about his new book, The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this...
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Acton Rundown | August 2026
This month on the Acton Rundown, Dan and Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new essays, books, and video content. Books: Why Postliberalism Failed | James M. Patterson & Thomas D. Howes The Christian Roots of American Liberty: A Reader | Edited by Dylan Pahman & John C. Pinheiro Essays…
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Marcel van Hattem Upholds Free Speech in Brazil
On today’s episode, Acton Editorial and Research Fellow Dan Hugger speaks to Brazilian congressman Marcel van Hattem about his Senate race and the state of free speech in Brazil. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton University If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help...
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Acton's Emerging Leaders Program with Abigail Buritica and Joshua Sprinkle
On this special episode of Acton Line, Julia LaGrand, a member of Acton’s Emerging Leaders program talks to two of her colleagues, Abigail Buritica and Joshua Sprinkle. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton On-Demand Emerging Leaders Program If you’d like to support this…
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Brad Birzer Unpacks the Republican Virtues of the Declaration of Independence
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Bradley J. Birzer, Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and professor of history at Hillsdale College, about his new book, The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Experiment in Liberty. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Faith…
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Acton's Emerging Leaders Program with Beenish Fatima and Emerson Morris
On this special episode of Acton Line, Julia LaGrand, a member of Acton’s Emerging Leaders Program talks to two of her compatriots, Beenish Fatima and Emerson Morris about the work experience aspect of the program. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton On-Demand Emerging Leaders...
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Julia LaGrand and Dan Hugger Review Acton University 2026
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Julia LaGrand, an Emerging Leader at the Acton Institute, about the recently concluded Acton University 2026. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton On-Demand: Acton University 2026 Acton University Acton On-Demand If you’d like to...
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Acton's Emerging Leaders Program with Arthur Montoya and John Sariego
On this special episode of Acton Line, Julia Lagrand, a member of Acton’s Emerging Leaders program talks to two of her compatriots, Arthur Montoya and John Sariego about the educational aspect of their program and their mutual love of seminars. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here...
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Dan Churchwell on Faith and Work in a Technological Age
In this episode, Dan speaks with Dan Churchwell, Director of Programs and Education at the Acton Institute, about his essay “Not a Machine: Faith, Work, and Human Dignity in a Technological Age,” publishing in Believe! Journal. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Not a Machine…
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Acton's Emerging Leaders Program with Julia LaGrand
On this special episode of Acton Line, Julia LaGrand, a member of Acton’s Emerging Leaders program talks to Dan Hugger and Noah Gould about the program, how she got involved, and what she’s discovered so far. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton On-Demand Emerging…
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Noah Gould Reports on Community Revival in Fishtown
In this episode, Dan speaks with Noah Gould, Alumni and Student Programs Manager at the Acton Institute, about his recent op-ed “‘New Fish’ and ‘Old Fish’ Revive an Iconic Section of Philly,” published on June 5 in The Wall Street Journal. It’s a reported piece about how the working-class...
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Acton Rundown | July 2026
This month on the Acton Rundown, Dan and Mark chat about upcoming Acton events, new video content, and Battlestar Galactica. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Why Postliberalism Failed | James M. Patterson & Thomas D. Howes The Christian Roots of American Liberty | Dylan Pahman &...
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Thomas Dias Compares Dorothy Day’s and Zohran Mamdani’s Approaches to Fighting Poverty
In this episode, Dan speaks with Thomas Dias, Foundation Relations Officer at the Acton Institute, about his essay “Zohran Mamdani Is Not Radical Enough,” which was published at Public Discourse back in March of this year. In the essay, Thomas contrasts Dorothy Day’s and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s...
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James Patterson Explains Why Postliberalism Failed
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with James M. Patterson, associate professor of public affairs in the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee’s Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs and president of the Ciceronian Society, about his and Thomas Howes’s new book…
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Dylan Pahman and John Pinheiro Are Exploring the Christian Roots of American Liberty
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, and Dylan Pahman, research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute, about the reception thus far of their new book, The Christian Roots of...
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Ismael Hernandez Is Rethinking Charity
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Ismael Hernandez, founder and president of the Freedom & Virtue Institute, about his book Not Tragically Colored: Freedom, Personhood, and the Renewal of Black America and Rethinking Charity: Restoring Dignity to Poverty Relief. The book explores what…
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Dave Hebert Explains the Economic Consequences of the Iran War
In this episode, Dan speaks with Dave Hebert, Director of Economics & Economic Freedom and Senior Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research and an affiliate scholar here at the Acton Institute, about the economic impact of the ongoing conflict in Iran—from gas prices to...
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Acton Rundown | June 2026
This month on the Acton Rundown, Dan and Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Why Postliberalism Failed | Patterson & Howes Essays: Can We Moderate a Politicized Church Without Politics? | Stephen O. Presley, Religion &...
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Pope Leo XIV Defends Humanity in the Age of AI: Magnifica Humanitas Roundtable
In this episode, Dan speaks with Dylan Pahman, research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute, and Caleb Whitmer, project manager at Acton’s Center for Social Flourishing, about Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on...
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On The New Things | AI & Humanity with Michael Matheson Miller
Pope Leo XIV has signaled that artificial intelligence will be a defining concern of his pontificate, with an encyclical expected to address it directly. In this three-part series, the Acton Institute's Dan Hugger sits down with scholars across economics, history, and anthropology to ask what...
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On The New Things | AI & History with Dr. John Pinheiro
Pope Leo XIV has signaled that artificial intelligence will be a defining concern of his pontificate, with an encyclical expected to address it directly. In this three-part series, the Acton Institute's Dan Hugger sits down with scholars across economics, history, and anthropology to ask what...
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On The New Things | AI & Economics with Dr. Stephen Barrows
Pope Leo XIV has signaled that artificial intelligence will be a defining concern of his pontificate, with an encyclical expected to address it directly. In this three-part series, the Acton Institute's Dan Hugger sits down with scholars across economics, history, and anthropology to ask what...
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Anne Bradley Unpacks What Makes Things ‘Affordable’
Dan Hugger speaks with Anne Bradley, George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and vice president of academic affairs at The Fund for American Studies, about the new affordability politics. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Curious Task of ‘Abundance’ | Anne Bradley...
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Thomas Howes Explains Why Postliberalism Failed
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Thomas Howes, editor-in-chief of The Vital Center and lecturer at Princeton University, about his and James Patterson’s forthcoming book, Why Postliberalism Failed. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Why Postliberalism Failed | Patterson…
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Caleb Whitmer on Fraud and the Flood of Cataclysmic Money in Minneapolis
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Caleb Whitmer, project manager at the Center for Social Flourishing at the Acton Institute. They discuss Caleb’s essay on the long-developing welfare-fraud scandal in Minnesota, titled “After the Flood in Minnesota,” published at Law & Liberty. The nature…
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Acton Rundown | May 2026
This month on the Acton Rundown, Dan and Dylan chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. The Christian Roots of American Liberty | Pahman and Pinheiro Essays: Persuasion and Propaganda: How Poetry Helps Navigate Politics | J.C. Scharl “Only a Digger”: The Misunderstood Story of the...
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Dylan Pahman and John Pinheiro Are Documenting the Christian Roots of American Liberty
In this episode Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, and Dylan Pahman, research fellow at the Acton Institute and founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute, about their new book, The Christian Roots of American Liberty: A Reader.…
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Jeffrey Polet on the Philosophy of Gen. Stanley McChrystal
In this episode Dan Hugger speaks with Jeffrey Polet, professor emeritus of political science at Hope College and director of the Ford Leadership Forum at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. They discuss his review of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's book On Character: Choices That Define a…
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Jason Sorens Builds a Case for Reforming American Housing Policy
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Jason Sorens, senior research fellow at the American Institute of Economic Research. They discuss the American housing market, the role of institutional investors in single family housing, the 21st century ROAD to Housing Act, and the path to a future of...
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Molly Worthen Refines the Definition of “Charisma”
In this episode, Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director for programs and education, talks to Molly Worthen about her new book: “Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump.” Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this...
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Acton Rundown | April 2026
This month on the Acton Rundown Dan & Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. At the Frontiers of Scholasticism: Scientific Method, Innovation, and Economic Reasoning The Christian Roots of American Liberty Essays: Rescuing Souls from the Totalitarian Temptation The…
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Daniel Darling Is Defending Christian Patriotism
In this episode Dan Hugger speaks with Daniel Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and fellow at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. They discuss his latest book, In Defense of Christian...
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Josh Herring Finds the Gender Theory We Need in C.S. Lewis
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Josh Herring, professor of humanities and classical education at Thales College. They discuss Josh’s new book, Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve: C.S. Lewis’s Images of Gender, published by the Davenant Institute. Is it fair to describe Lewis as a gender...
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Fr. Robert Sirico and Kris Mauren on Richard DeVos
In the month of what would’ve been his 100th birthday, Acton co-founders Fr. Robert Sirico and Kris Mauren take a moment to remember an early supporter of the Acton Institute, Richard DeVos. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Believe! | Richard M. DeVos DeVos to Receive Faith and...
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Jordan Ballor Expounds How Christ Is King
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Jordan J. Ballor, executive director of First Liberty’s Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (CRCD), about his feature essay in the latest issue of Religion & Liberty, “The Upside-Down Kingdom of Jesus of Nazareth.” Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this...
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John Pinheiro on Alexander Hamilton’s and Thomas Jefferson's Conflicting Visions
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, about his latest contribution to Law & Liberty, “A Failure of Vision,” a review of legal theorist Robert C. Hockett’s A Republic of Producers. The wide-ranging conversation touches upon the…
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Acton Rundown | March 2026
This month on the Acton Rundown, Dan and Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content. At the Frontiers of Scholasticism: Scientific Method, Innovation, and Economic Reasoning | Giovanni Patriarca Religion & Liberty Magazine and Online: The Atoning Death of the Last Scapegoat by…
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Claire Lai Is Sharing the Spiritual Strength of Her Father, Jimmy Lai
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Claire Lai, law student and daughter of entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, about her father’s unjust imprisonment and powerful Christian witness. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's…
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Stephen Barrows Responds to Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Prison Sentence
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Steve Barrows, chief operating officer of the Acton Institute, about entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who was recently sentenced by a Hong Kong court to 20 years in prison. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Jimmy Lai’s...
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A Message from Fr. Robert A. Sirico on the Sentencing of Jimmy Lai
supportjimmylai.com
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Gabe Coyne and Collin Duff Want to Build Brands that Solve Real Problems
On today’s episode, Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of programs and education, sits down with Stix Golf co-founders Gabe Coyne and Collin Duff to discuss entrepreneurship, product design, and building purpose-driven brands. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton Lecture Series...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Dedicated to the promotion of a free and virtuous society, Acton Line brings together writers, economists, religious leaders, and more to bridge the gap between good intentions and sound economics.
HOSTED BY
Acton Institute
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How many episodes does Acton Line have?
Acton Line currently has 589 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Acton Line about?
Dedicated to the promotion of a free and virtuous society, Acton Line brings together writers, economists, religious leaders, and more to bridge the gap between good intentions and sound economics.
How often does Acton Line release new episodes?
Acton Line releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 589 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
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Acton Line is created and hosted by Acton Institute.
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