The Alliance for The Distributed Church

So who is our Keeper, Mr. President?
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/05/16/so-who-our-keeper-mr-president" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> by <a href="/about/staff/samuel-gregg">Samuel Gregg</a> </div> </div> </div> <p>In case you missed it, President Obama visited the People’s Republic of Vermont in late March.  It was, as the President <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/30/remarks-president-campaign-event-0">reminded</a> his adoring fans at a rally, the first time a sitting president had visited the land of Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent-Democratic Socialist) since 1995 (when another Democratic president was running for re-election).</p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-material"> <div class="field-label"><h2 style="margin-left: 7px;"><b>You might also like...</b></h2></div> <div class="field-items" > <div class="field-item odd" style="margin-left: 7px;"> <a href="/related-material/effective-stewardship-dvd-study-guide">Effective Stewardship DVD and Study Guide</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-commentary-topic"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Business and Society </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/05/16/so-who-our-keeper-mr-president" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Lecture and Book Signing with Rev. Robert Sirico
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/event/2012/lecture-book-signing-rev-robert-sirico" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><div class="field field-type-text field-field-rightcolumn"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="/sites/v4.acton.org/files/events/defending_book.jpg" style="width: 175px; height: 265px;" /></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-date"> <div class="field-label">Event Date: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">June 14, 2012 - <span class="date-display-start">7:30am</span><span class="date-display-separator"> - </span><span class="date-display-end">9:00am</span></span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-location-event"> <div class="field-label">Location:  </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p>University Club of Grand Rapids<br /> 111 Lyon St. NW<br /> Grand Rapids, MI 49503</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-link field-field-registration"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <a href="https://secure.acton.org/reg/cnt/2012siricobooksign.php" target="_blank">Register Now</a> </div> </div> </div> <p>Join us as Rev. Robert Sirico discusses his new book <em>Defending the Free Market: The Moral Case for a Free Economy. </em>There will be a book signing following the lecture and books will be available for purchase or order your copy now on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Defending-Free-Market-Moral-Economy/dp/1596983256">Amazon</a>.</p> <p>Contact Teresa at <a href="mailto:tbailey@acton.org">tbailey@acton.org</a> or call (616) 454-3080 for more information.</p> <h3> Schedule</h3> <p>7:30am Registration<br /> 8:00am Breakfast lecture and Q&A followed by book signing</p><p><a href="http://www.acton.org/event/2012/lecture-book-signing-rev-robert-sirico" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

March/April 2012 Notes
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/pub/acton-notes/volume-22-number-2/marchapril-2012-notes" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><h2> Acton Purchases Grand Rapids Building</h2> <p>The Acton Institute has purchased a building at 98 E. Fulton Street in downtown Grand Rapids to serve as the future headquarters for the institute. A new building was needed because of current expansion in programs, staff, outreach, and operations. Because of the vast amount of space the new headquarters provides, it will also sustain many years of growth.</p> <p>A generous local supporter purchased the building for Acton. We now have a task to go to the broader community to raise support for the necessary renovations.</p><div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-type"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Article </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.acton.org/pub/acton-notes/volume-22-number-2/marchapril-2012-notes" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

President's Message
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/pub/acton-notes/volume-22-number-2/presidents-message" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><p>There is a passage from the sixth chapter of St. Matthew in which Jesus says: "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these."</p><div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-type"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> President's Message </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.acton.org/pub/acton-notes/volume-22-number-2/presidents-message" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Europe's Right in Disarray
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/05/09/europes-right-disarray" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> by <a href="/about/staff/samuel-gregg">Samuel Gregg</a> </div> </div> </div> <p>Much can change in five years. In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy, a man who forged his reputation as a dynamic no-nonsense Interior Minister, was viewed by many as France's best chance in a generation to break away from the country's hyper-interventionist economic policies and the left's suffocating monopoly of French cultural life. Now, however, Sarkozy has been discarded by France's electorate in favor of one of the driest socialist career-politician apparatchiks ever to ascend to high office in Europe.</p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-material"> <div class="field-label"><h2 style="margin-left: 7px;"><b>You might also like...</b></h2></div> <div class="field-items" > <div class="field-item odd" style="margin-left: 7px;"> <a href="/related-material/economic-thinking-theologically-minded">Economic Thinking for the Theologically Minded</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-commentary-topic"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Business and Society </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/05/09/europes-right-disarray" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Dwight Gibson
<div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-peopleimage"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <img class="imagefield imagefield-field_peopleimage" width="138" height="154" alt="" src="http://www.acton.org/sites/v4.acton.org/files/people/gibson.jpg?1336578624" /> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-link field-field-registration"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <a href="https://secure.acton.org/reg/cnt/2012gibson.php" target="_blank">Register Now</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-date"> <div class="field-label">Event Date: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">July 24, 2012 - <span class="date-display-start">12:00pm</span><span class="date-display-separator"> - </span><span class="date-display-end">1:30pm</span></span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-location-event"> <div class="field-label">Location:  </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p>Cassard Conference Room at the Waters Building<br /> 161 Ottawa Ave.<br /> Grand Rapids, MI 49503</p> </div> </div> </div> <h3> Lecture Description:</h3> <p>Description forthcoming</p><p><a href="http://www.acton.org/program/als/dwight-gibson" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Vatican Affirms 'Supernatural' Purpose to Work Life
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/05/02/vatican-affirms-supernatural-purpose-work-life" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> by <a href="/about/staff/kishore-jayabalan">Kishore Jayabalan</a> </div> </div> </div> <p>To very little fanfare, the Vatican office responsible for social and economic issues has published a pro-business statement that will surely be anathema to the Occupy Wall Street-Michael Moore factions in the Church and in society.For the rest of us, this should be welcome news because it helps us understand the cause of that growth, which is business, in its proper moral and, indeed, religious context.</p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-material"> <div class="field-label"><h2 style="margin-left: 7px;"><b>You might also like...</b></h2></div> <div class="field-items" > <div class="field-item odd" style="margin-left: 7px;"> <a href="/related-material/work-meaning-your-life-christian-perspective">Work: The Meaning of Your Life—A Christian Perspective</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-commentary-topic"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Business and Society </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/05/02/vatican-affirms-supernatural-purpose-work-life" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Leviatán y la Moral Nacional
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/node/5672" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-optional"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> by <a href="/about/people/phillip-w-de-vous">Phillip W. De Vous</a> </div> </div> </div> <p>Las campañas políticas en todas las épocas incluyen temas de moral y de principios morales en general. Rara vez se rehuye la discusión de cuestiones morales muy concretas, si esas cuestiones están en el ambiente o son de relevancia nacional. La actual campaña presidencial [en EEUU, 2012], sin embargo, ha sido a todas luces casi surrealista en la discusión de cuestiones morales muy íntimas y personales.</p><p><a href="http://www.acton.org/node/5672" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

AU Online: Acton Q&A
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/event/2012/au-online-acton-qa-0" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><div class="field field-type-datetime field-field-date"> <div class="field-label">Event Date: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <span class="date-display-single">May 30, 2012 - <span class="date-display-start">6:00pm</span><span class="date-display-separator"> - </span><span class="date-display-end">6:30pm</span></span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-location-event"> <div class="field-label">Location:  </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p>Online</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-link field-field-more-information"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <a href="http://auonline.acton.org/">More Information</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-link field-field-registration"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <a href="http://auonline.acton.org/course/view.php?id=13" target="_blank">Register Now</a> </div> </div> </div> <h3> Lecture Description:</h3> <p>This online session is designed to give members of the AU Online community the chance to interact with a member of Acton’s staff. Topics covered will come from Acton Institute’s core curriculum as it is presented in the four Foundational lectures.</p><p><a href="http://www.acton.org/event/2012/au-online-acton-qa-0" target="_blank">read more</a></p>

Indian Country’s American Nightmare
<div class="fb-social-like-widget"><fb:like href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/04/25/indian-country%E2%80%99s-american-nightmare" layout="button_count" show_faces="false" width="110" action="like" font="verdana" colorscheme="light"></fb:like></div><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> by <a href="/about/staff/anthony-b-bradley">Anthony B. Bradley</a> </div> </div> </div> <p>If anyone believes the federal government knows what is best for local communities, they should visit an American Indian Reservation. Native Americans are currently immersed in a health care and economic deprivation nightmare that is the consequence of government interference, inefficiency, and inhumane policies. The Native American narrative is one of government creating problems and then, in the name of offering solutions, making matters worse by depriving local communities of their autonomy.</p><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-material"> <div class="field-label"><h2 style="margin-left: 7px;"><b>You might also like...</b></h2></div> <div class="field-items" > <div class="field-item odd" style="margin-left: 7px;"> <a href="/related-material/liberating-black-theology-bible-black-experience-a">Liberating Black Theology - The Bible and the Black Experience in America</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-commentary-topic"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Business and Society </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2012/04/25/indian-country%E2%80%99s-american-nightmare" target="_blank">read more</a></p>