I attended Acton University last week in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I decided to attend because of the mission of the Acton Institute which is “to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.” Love the concept of getting back to basics which made our country prosperous.
The mission of my organization, Attollo, “Advancing Justice and Peace Through Business” integrates nicely with that of Acton University that combines integrate sound economics, philosophy, and the Judeo-Christian faith.
I was particularly hungry for information and thoughts about and insight from clergy and academia alike on the principles of Catholic Social teaching and the virtues and their direct application in the business world. It seemed to me like this was the preeminent event that could help me in this area. It did not fail!
The event was like the confluence of three great rivers; the rivers of Liberty, Faith and Free Markets. If you have ever been to an actual confluence of mighty rivers, it’s mesmerizing due to the continuous turbulence that occurs in a single spot and experiencing such a large scale phenomenon. The water of the rivers are never calm at this specific point and the turbulence as they combine is a natural part of their interaction.
Likewise participating and observing the confluence of ideas on such a large-scale at Acton creates turbulence in one’s mind and heart. I had to stand back and just watch it all unfold and say: “WOW”. There were about 1,000 people in attendance at Acton University 2015. The largest number since it was started. I think I heard there were from about 70 nations and from all walks of life, professions, and faiths.
Being a newbie I had to take four foundational classes on the first day of three days of education, insight and discussion. Hand-picked the classes was a great idea as the class offering was so vast. These classes provided me with some footing / preparation for the following days. I dove in with Christian Anthropology, followed by The Christian Vision of Government. After lunch, I attended The Economic Way of Thinking and closed the first day with the Biblical Foundations of Freedom.
Every morning we were offered the gift of celebrating Mass either in Ordinary or Extraordinary Form (which is a great way to start the day by the way) , then off to breakfast. Breakfast (and lunch) was always interesting as I sat down and talked and made friends and connections with people from all over the globe.
Day two – my classes were:
1. Catholic Social Teaching 101
2. Introduction to Real Business Ethics
3. Attended the Poverty Cure Presentation
4. The Social Teaching of John Paul II
Day three – my classes were:
1. Living the Virtues in a Free Economy
2. Entrepreneurial Culture – How It Supports Innovation
3. Mission Drift
4. Business and the Common Good
Just in case there was space left in the cranium, Acton also had an evening plenary after dinner.
Tuesday: Dr. Samuel Gregg – director of research at the Acton Institute. He has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, ethics in finance, and natural law theory.
Wednesday: Dr. Gregory Thornbury – President of the Kings College in NYC
Thursday: Joel Salatin – an American farmer, lecturer, and author whose employs holistic management methods of animal husbandry, free of harmful chemicals, on his farm in the Shenandoah Valley.
Friday: Rev. Robert Sirico –Catholic priest, president of Acton Institute and author of “Defending the Free Market”.
I’m still digesting all the information presented, and all the discussions at mealtime. I hope to post some notes on each of the classes and plenaries in the near future / as time permits.
