American prosperity is NOT a shameful thing!

Dear Friend,

The Acton Institute has always championed religious and economic freedom in America, but there are some politicians, religious leaders, and businesspeople who believe that American prosperity is a shameful thing and that our free economy is a source of evil and oppression.

These same leaders promote laws and policies that are, in truth, socialistic and destructive to the cause of freedom in this country.

I do not think you agree with them. Yet you and I would be unwise to ignore the fact that so many leaders in America and worldwide have these very misguided opinions about America, our freedom, and our prosperous economic system. And the influence of these leaders is undeniable and rampant. In 2012 we released a documentary, The Good Society, that discredits those misguided opinions about our freedom.

The Good Society is a six-part series that focuses on the intersection between the human person and economics and explores themes of work and creativity, entrepreneurship, and exchange.

The Acton Institute was founded with the mission to educate society on the interdependence of faith and economics—objective morality and free markets—since both are necessary for human flourishing. To solve problems of poverty, for instance, it is imperative that we educate people in entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency. In 2016, we produced a six-part series that explores the foundations of human flourishing—PovertyCure. This initiative sought to engage the battle against local and global poverty and unleash the entrepreneurial spirit that already fills poverty-stricken areas of the developed and developing world.

You know how in the past 60 years there has been an incredible increase in the size and scope of government, and with this an increase in many social problems, including the breakup of the family, the development of a permanent poverty class, and the rise of extreme political polarization and intergenerational animosities. These pathologies are neither coincidental nor inevitable; they are in large part the result of well-intended but wrong ideas that became the very policies that promoted the growth of the state.

I am writing to you because I know these matters interest you, and I wish to invite you to join us in sustaining freedom and educating religious leaders about individual responsibility, limited government, and economic freedom.

In the midst of chaos and division, the Acton Institute remains hard at work creating a space for dialogue and innovation for human flourishing. Despite the fact that we now live in an era of contentious political debates and the disparaging of American prosperity, the Acton Institute remains one of the rare places where shared ideas and dissenting opinions lock arms to promote a free and virtuous society.

I believe that the ideas of the Acton Institute hold tremendous promise for countering the left’s assault on American freedom and prosperity. I also believe that beyond countering their ideas, we can play a role in bettering the condition of the unemployed, the poor, and the marginalized.

The Acton Institute is an aggressive combatant in the war of ideas. We focus both on challenging bad ideas and educating current and future religious leaders about the moral foundations of personal and economic liberty. No other group enjoys a similar level of capability, scholarship, or credibility.

The Institute (1) conducts original research; (2) publishes important books, periodicals, web articles, and monographs; (3) strives to curate a community of leaders from different spheres of society by engaging and forming young leaders: future leaders who will become champions of freedom and change the world as they rise to lead businesses, communities, and houses of worship; (4) holds in-depth educational conferences; and (5) produces high-quality multimedia materials, including films and our growing podcasts, Acton Line and Acton Unwind. In addition, Acton also publishes the semiannual, peer-reviewed Journal of Markets & Morality, to which leading scholars from around the globe submit their work.

Thank you for considering supporting our work to help ensure that we are able to equip and educate more leaders and community members. Thank you for your partnership in the important work of the Acton Institute as we promote a free and virtuous society.

Kris Alan Mauren
President
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty