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Resources on Catholic and Protestant social thought abound, but where are the resources for answers to the social question to be found in Eastern Orthodoxy?
Dylan Pahman, executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality and research fellow at the Acton Institute, has spent his career tracking them down. In this interview, he and Acton’s librarian and research associate, Dan Hugger, explore the nature and unique approach of Orthodox Christian social thought. Then they drill down into the history of Orthodox communities in the Middle East and their creative responses to invasion, conquest, and flux that allowed them to flourish until the 20th century. The example of these communities demonstrates that the universal call to holiness can be embraced even in the most trying circumstances.
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Notes on Arab Orthodoxy
Samuel Noble and Alexander Treiger, The Orthodox Church in the Arab World, 700–1700
Constantin Alexandrovich Panchenko, Arab Orthodox Christians Under the Ottomans 1516–1831
Thomas Wright, Early Travels in Palestine
Isaac of Nineveh, Mystic Treatises
John of Damascus, Writings

That America has a weight problem is no surprise. According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese. 
A wide variety of so-called solutions are on offer from diet gurus, traditional healthcare practitioners, and social media fitness influencers. One need only browse the shelves of bookstores or an Instagram feed to find details of all different kinds of diets promising how “this one weird trick” will help you lose weight quickly, keep it off, and live a healthier life. And yet Americans’ obesity problem persists. How can those in the church find the narrow gate of healthy living and avoid the wide road of bodily destruction without judgment and shame?
On this episode, Acton director of marketing and communications Eric Kohn talks to Acton distinguished research fellow Anthony Bradley and Dr. Michael Jones about their coauthored essay in the Spring 2024 issue of Religion & Liberty entitled “A C.L.E.A.N. Diet for the Overweight Christian,” which explores the relationship between diet, health, and the Christian faith. 
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A C.L.E.A.N. Diet for the Overweight Christian | Religion & Liberty Online
Resources from Dr. Michael Jones

In 2022, the Acton Institute launched The Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage. The mission is to advance research and education on economics, liberty, and human flourishing from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives.
As part of this mission, earlier this year the Collins Center launched a debate series on the relationship between government and religion, featuring robust dialogue between scholars and leaders of different faiths. 
On today’s episode, we present to you the second of these debates. Moderated by Acton’s director of research, John Pinheiro, senior editor of The European Conservative Sebastian Morello and professor of philosophy at Bowling Green State University Kevin Vallier discuss whether government and religion really should be separate. 
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The Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage
DEBATE: Sebastian Morello vs. Kevin Vallier | Christianity and the State

During times of extreme divisiveness, civility can help us transcend important differences and flourish amid them. It is through true civility, the recognition of the innate dignity of others, that we can bridge social, cultural, and political disagreements.
In this episode, Alexandra Hudson discusses her new book, “The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves,” with Acton’s director of programs and education, Dan Churchwell. 
How can we empower people to live tolerantly with others? How should our shared humanity inform the respect that we have for others with different lives and opinions? We can’t change others, but if enough of us choose civility, we might be able to change the world.
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The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves | Alexandra Hudson
Acton Lecture Series

On today’s episode, Acton librarian and research associate Dan Hugger sits down with Acton research director John Pinheiro to talk about the state of higher education in America and contrast it with the philosophy of liberal learning advanced by the late Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. 
Has philosophy fled the academy? How does the crisis in higher education compromise the teaching and learning of the liberal arts? What are the perils and promises of liberal learning outside the university? Are the “Great Books” the solution to the crisis? What role should the Christian faith play in higher education? What practical steps can students and teachers take to advance liberal learning in institutions uncongenial to the cultivation of wisdom and virtue?
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Education for a Free Society | Acton Line Podcast
Rumble in the Christian College Jungle | Acton Unwind Podcast
On Christians and Prosperity | James V. Schall
The Great Books: Enemies of Wisdom? | Frederick Wilhelmsen
A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning | James V. Schall, S.J.
Another Sort of Learning | James V. Schall, S.J.
The Life of the Mind: On the Joys and Travails of Thinking | James V. Schall
On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs: Teaching, Writing, Playing, Believing, Lecturing, Philosophizing, Singing, Dancing | James V. Schall
Education of a Wandering Man: A Memoir | Louis L'Amour
Philosophy as a Way of Life | Pierre Hadot
The Book of Chuang Tzu | Martin Palmer, Elizabeth Breuilly (translators)

In 2022, the Acton Institute launched The Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage to advance research and education from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives on economics, liberty, and human flourishing.
As part of its mission, the Collins Center earlier this year launched a debate series on the relationship between government and religion, featuring robust dialogue between scholars and leaders of different faiths. 
On today’s episode, we present the first of these debates: dean of the Islamic Seminary of America Yasir Qadhi and Cato senior fellow Mustafa Akyol exchange a wide range of ideas on Islam and the state. The dialogue is moderated by Collins Center manager Nathan Mech.
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The Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage
DEBATE: Yasir Qadhi vs. Mustafa Akyol | Islam and the State