Jordan J. Ballor's Blog, page 6

Tribalism and the dangers of identity economics

Occasioned by some local controversy over a political endorsement by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, in the Detroit News today I have a piece worrying about the implications of what might be called ‘identity economics,’ or “where we only agree to economic transactions with those who agree with us on an ever-growing list of moral or even political shibboleths.” A highlight: The deleterious effects of limiting our economic and social interactions on the basis of visible characteristics li...

Adam Smith and the morality of commercial society

Over at Arc Digital today I take a look at Adam Smith’s moral teachings, particularly in light of commercial society and Christian theology. This essay serves as a brief introduction to one of the Moral Markets projects I am working on, as well as a teaser for further exploration of the relationship between Christianity and classical political economy. Continue Reading... Related posts: Commercial Society reviewed on University Bookman J...

Mini-Review: Advice to a Desolate France

Gene Fant, president of North Greenville University, recently attended Acton University as a presidential fellow. He, like many of us, has a bunch of summer reading lined up, and this includes the short treatise from the sixteenth century, Advice to a Desolate France, by Sebastian Castellio. Continue Reading... Related posts: France’s 200 roads to serfdom Review Note: Confessions of a Christian Humanist Review Acton Books

First Reformed: The toxic mess of syncretism

There’s a lot to process in Paul Schrader’s latest film, “First Reformed.” The first half of the film sets up as a powerful, even brilliant, study of spiritual desolation and the cross-currents of modern idolatry and traditional religion. Continue Reading... Related posts: Unsanctified Mercy: Integrating Compassion and Conviction for Human Flourishing The Call of the Entrepreneur is Obvious Video: Rev. Ben Johnson on First Things blaming democracy and capitalism for abortion

First Reformed: The Toxic Mess of Syncretism

There’s a lot to process in Paul Schrader’s latest film, “First Reformed.” The first half of the film sets up as a powerful, even brilliant, study of spiritual desolation and the cross-currents of modern idolatry and traditional religion. Continue Reading... Related posts: Confessing the Wrong Side Un-Christian Retributiveness Creation and the Heart of Man: ‘Orthodox and not Libertarian’

A trade ‘war’ preemptive strike

Over at Providence today, I say a bit about the Trump administration’s trade policy as well as the President’s rhetoric. Here’s a snip: A sober defense of free trade aspires toward freer and freer exchange, even while it recognizes the necessities of incremental improvements and the messiness of politics. Continue Reading... Related posts: Samuel Gregg: Trade agreements are not free trade 6 facts about the brewing U.S.-EU trade war What Christians should know about tariffs and balance of tr...

Incredibles 2: Making superheroes great again

I saw Incredibles 2 over the Father’s Day weekend, and just like its predecessor, there’s a lot to ponder beneath the surface of this animated film. In the real world we’ve had to wait 14 years, but the sequel picks up basically where the original left off. Continue Reading... Related posts: Dispatches from the Academy: Making Men Moral Lunar Landing Marks Great Era of Discovery The end of black conservatism?

Kuyper Conference: Faith, Freedom and Education

Last month the Acton Institute co-sponsored the 2018 Kuyper Conference hosted by Calvin College & Seminary. Acton’s support of the conference included the organization of a panel discussion on “Faith, Freedom, and Education,” which featured Harry Van Dyke of Redeemer University College, Charles L. Continue Reading... Related posts: Acton Institute and Kuyper College launch ‘Common Grace,’ a major Abraham Kuyper translation project Rev. Robert A. Sirico addresses education reform in Detroit N...

The economics and morality of infinity

In this week’s Acton Commentary I take on Thanos’ zero-sum economic worldview as manifest in Avengers: Infinity War. In the classic debate over positivity and normativity in economics, Thanos is definitely not a value-free figure. Continue Reading... Related posts: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and the danger of idolatrous ideology Journal of Markets & Morality 14, no. 1 (Spring 2011) The Jedi Knights Templar

The (just) price of salt (and cancer drugs)

A recent episode of the very fine podcast EconTalk reminded me of one of the more remarkable episodes during my time here at the Acton Institute involving our internship program. The EconTalk episode is about the price of cancer drugs, and the various factors that go into the often astronomical prices of the latest cancer-fighting drugs. Continue Reading... Related posts: Radio Free Acton: Victor Claar on price gouging and Hurricane Harvey; Upstream on progressive rock; and Mailbag with Rev....