Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Background
The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty is a classical Liberal think tank founded in 1990 in Grand Rapids, Michigan by Robert A. Sirico and Kris Alan Mauren. The Acton Institute also maintains affiliates in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and an office in Rome.1Convissor, Kate (August 1999). โThe Acton Institute: Of Morality & the Marketplace,โย Grand Rapids Magazineย 36-37. The Acton Institute is a member of the Atlas Network,ย a global group of free market think tanks.2โGlobal Directory: Acton Institute,โ Atlas Network.ย Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/h8KjA
The Acton Institute’s stated mission is to โpromote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.โ3โAbout the Acton Institute,โ Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/Fn1Dc
In 2005,ย Mother Jonesย magazine listed the Acton Institute among a group of organizations who had received funding from ExxonMobil,4โPut a Tiger In Your Think Tank,โย Mother Jones, (May/June 2005).ย Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/BjDZ4 pointing to a $155,000 donation. ExxonSecrets reports that the Acton Institute has received at leastย $315,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998.5โFACTSHEET: ACTON INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION AND LIBERTY,โย ExxonSecrets.
The Acton Institute appears to have connections with the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation (formerly Interfaith Stewardship Alliance, or ISA), a group that believes Earth’s climate will be able to correct itself from any damage done by humans.6โGlobal warming: a battle for evangelical Christian hearts and minds,โ SkepticalScience, October 2, 2014. The Acton Institute was present when the ISA announced the formation of the โCornwall Network,โ which would provide โsolidly Biblical information to religious leadersโ as well as โsound scientific and economic informationโ regarding the environment and other issues.7(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/DgV8I
Stance on Climate Change
Julyย 2015
โIs it clear that whatever agreement might arise out of the COP 21 meeting is morally obligatory for governments to adhere to and or churches to bless? Church advocacy to this effect would lead us to conclude as much. But it is not at all clear that there is only one morally acceptable path forward for different nations and peoples to undertake with regard to stewardship of the climate. So despite intentions to the contrary, this level of church advocacy only deepens the uncertainty surrounding climate change and responsible Christian stewardship.โ 8Jordan Ballor. โChristian Reformed Church Backs UN Climate Change Agenda,โ Acton Institute, July 8, 2015. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/ukbUs
December 2013
โ[A]s Butler and Morriss remind us, ‘our Creator also granted us energy stored in coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as embedding it within the bonds of matter, enabling us to meet our needs by responsibly using those sources of energy as well.’
While Bartholomew worries about the possible future harm of global climate change on those in poverty, I am far more concerned with the harm of poverty on the poor today. [โฆ]โ โ Research Fellow Dylan Pahman.9Dylan Pahman. โSolar Power Simplicity: A First-World Luxury,โ Acton Institute, December 4, 2013. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/OmPBf
June 2010
โUnfortunately, the public-policy response to global warming proposed by some evangelicals makes actually helping the global poor more difficult. [โฆ]
โTo hear a Western (i.e., rich!) evangelical environmentalist tell the poor that they must sacrifice the technologies that would improve the length and quality of life for them and their families in order to achieve a merely speculative benefit they will never see can only make the poor less likely to listen to the gospel that the evangelical brings. Such disillusionment will only deepen when it is realized that those evangelicals continue to enjoy the same lifesaving technologies they are effectively asking the poor to forego.โ10Benjamin B. Phillips. โEvangelicals and Global Warming,โ Acton Institute, June 23, 2010. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Bfrkd
May 2008
โWe’ve seen 31,000 scientists just came out who are skeptical of global warming. And they’re worried that the policies people are proposing are actually going to harm the planet and they’re going to make people poorer. We also see some of the effects these regulations can have on the developing countries where serious poverty is a real problem.โ
โThere’s a lot of skepticism about global warming. One: Climate change. Is it happening? And most people say ‘yes, this is happening’, but how is it happening? You saw perhaps a new study that just came out predicting global cooling over the next 10 years based on ocean currents.โ [โฆ]
โ[โฆ] Environmentalist policies that may or may not work, that are based on not certain data, could actually harm [the poor] and prevent economic development.โ โย Michael Miller, Director of Programs at the Acton Institute. ย 11โJohn McCain and Climate Change,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/n723b
April 2008
โClimate is changing all the time, the real question is if humans are causing it.โ โย Acton Institute’s Media Director, Jay W. Richardsย (Audio below):12โAn Earth Day Review of Global Warming,โ Acton Institute.ย Archived September 1, 2010. Archived .mp4 on file atย DeSmog.
2001 (?)
โGlobal warming, for instance, which remains speculative and based on incomplete computer models rather than on demonstrated science, might cost man and nature a great deal if we rush to impose dramatic limits on fossil-fuel use in a misguided attempt to solve a problem that may not even exist. Just twenty-five years ago, some of the current proponents of global warming were warning us about global cooling.33 Because ecology is still in its infancy, we need to utilize all that we know to help us find prudent solutions for these complex problems. We must also recognize that science alone is insufficient for resolving these matters, especially since these issues have moral implications. Thus, in recognizing that we will have to make unavoidable tradeoffs in striking a balance between human need and a clean environment, we must exercise prudence in addressing environmental concerns.โ13โThe Catholic Church and Stewardship of Creation,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yyE97
Funding
The Conservative Transparency Project lists the Acton Institute’s funding as follows. Note that not all individual values have been verified by DeSmogBlog for accuracy. 14โActon Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty,โ Conservative Transparency. Data retrived May 18,ย 2017.
*Note that Koch-controlled foundation values prior to 1998 cannot be independently verified by DeSmog, as original 990 forms are not available. Koch totals for 1997 and prior values via Conservative Transparency.
Note that some of the Acton Institute’s largest funders are DonorsTrust (DT) and its sister organization, Donors Capital Fund (DCF). It has also received funding from Koch-related foundations, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, ExxonMobil, and numerous other conservative and industry funders.
DonorsTrust has been described as the โDark Money ATMโ of the conservative movement, and distributed over $80 Million to conservative causes between 2004 and 2013. By using โdonor-advised funds,โ DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund can distribute funds without revealing the original source of the funds, providing a layer of secrecy for donors.15Andy Kroll. โExposed: The Dark-Moneyย ATMย of the Conservative Movement,โย Mother Jones,ย February 5, 2013. Archived Julyย 24,ย 2015.
990 Forms
Koch Funding
According to Greenpeace, the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty has received a grand total of $857,776 received from Koch foundations from 1997 to 2017. 16โActon Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty: Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group,โ GreenPeace USA.ย Archived May 1, 2016. Archive.is URL:ย https://archive.is/dFb9h
*Original tax forms prior to 1997 are no longerย available for verification. If you include these values, the grand total increases. See below for DeSmog’s analysis based on available 990 forms and archived data from the Conservative Transparency project.ย 17โActon Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty: Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group,โ GreenPeace USA.ย Archived May 1, 2016. Archive.is URL:ย https://archive.is/dFb9h
ExxonMobil Funding
Greenpeace’s ExxonSecrets Project reports that the Acton Institute has received at leastย $315,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998. 18โFACTSHEET: ACTON INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION AND LIBERTY,โย ExxonSecrets. Archived March 24, 2016.
Key People
Board of Directors
Name | 200019โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 23, 2000. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zT4jN | 200120โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 21, 2001. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/kZ45J | 200221โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived June 15, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Uj5FG | 200522โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived September 1, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uGLgk | 200623โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived September 27, 2006. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/M1sAP | 200924โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived June 25, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XKNL7 | 201025โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/kySdK | 201126โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 25, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/EYTzD | 201327โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived February 14, 2013. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BQUxy | 201428โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 20, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/WgVTr | 201629โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fiOuQIu5 | Description |
Alejandro A. Chafuen | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Senior Fellow, Acton Institute |
Alejandro Garza-Lagรผera | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Savia, S.A., Pulsar International | ||||||
Barry Conner | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | America’s Home Place | |||||
Bernard T. Lomas | Y | Y | Y | Albion College (ret.) | ||||||||
Betsy DeVos | Y | Y | Y | Y | Treasurer. The Windquest Group, Inc. | |||||||
Carol Erickson Martino | Y | Y | Consultant, Ambrosetti Group | |||||||||
David C. Humphreys | Y | Y | Tamko Building Products, Inc. | |||||||||
David H. Padden | Y | Y | Padden and Company | |||||||||
David Humphreys | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Tamko Building Products, Inc. | |||
David Milroy | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Chief Administrative Officer | ||||||
Edwin J. Feulner, Jr. | Y | Y | Y | Jr, The Heritage Foundation | ||||||||
Elsa D. Prince Broekhuizen | Y | Y | Y | EDP Management | ||||||||
Frank J. Hanna, III | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Hanna Capital, LLC | |
Gaylen J. Byker | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | President Emeritus, Calvin College | |||||
George W. Strake, Jr. | Y | Y | Strake Trading Group, Inc. | |||||||||
J.C. Huizenga | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | National Heritage Academies | |||
James C. Rahn | Y | Y | Kern Family Foundation | |||||||||
Jeff D. Sandefer | Y | Y | Y | Chairman. Sandefer Capital Partners, Inc. | ||||||||
John C. Kennedy III | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Autocam Medical | |||||
John Crowe | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | President, John P. Crowe Co. | ||||||
John M. Gordon, Jr. | Y | Y | Y | Gordon Food Service | ||||||||
Kenneth J. Muraski | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Kent Manufacturing Co. | ||||||
Kris A. Mauren | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Executive Director, Acton Institute | ||||||
Leonard P. Liggio | Y | Atlas Economic Research Foundation | ||||||||||
Ren Broekhuizen | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Pastor (Retired), Ridge Point Community Church | ||||||
Robert A. Sirico | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | President, Acton Institute |
Robert Costello | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Americans for Limited Government | |||||
Sean M. Fieler | Y | Y | Y | Equinox Partners | ||||||||
Sidney J. Jansma, Jr. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Wolverine Gas and Oil Corporation | ||||||
Wade Fetzer III | Y | Y | Goldman Sachs |
Board of Advisors
Name | 200030โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 23, 2000. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zT4jN | 200331โAbout the Acton Institute,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 1, 2003. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8snuj | 200432โAbout the Acton Institute,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 20, 2004. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Rs4eR | 201033โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/kySdK | Description |
Alejandro A. Chafuen | Y | Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Senior Fellow, Acton Institute | |||
Alejandro Garza-Lagรผera | Y | Savia, S.A., Pulsar International | |||
Barry Conner | Y | America’s Home Place | |||
Betsy DeVos | Y | Treasurer. The Windquest Group, Inc. | |||
Carol Erickson Martino | Y | Consultant, Ambrosetti Group | |||
David Humphreys | Y | Tamko Building Products, Inc. | |||
David Milroy | Y | Chief Administrative Officer | |||
Doug Bandow | Y | Y | Y | Citizen Outreach | |
Edmund Opitz | Y | Y | Foundation for Economic Education (ret.) | ||
F. Joseph Bradley | Y | Y | Y | Bradley Enterprises, LLC, dba Investors Hotline | |
Frank J. Hanna, III | Y | Hanna Capital, LLC | |||
Harry Veryser | Y | Y | Y | University of Detroit Mercy | |
Hon. William E. Simon | Y | John M. Olin Foundation | |||
J.C. Huizenga | Y | National Heritage Academies | |||
James C. Holland | Y | Y | Y | Shepherd College | |
James L. Johnston | Y | Y | Y | Amoco Corporation (ret.) | |
James Sadowsky | Y | Y | Y | Fordham University | |
James V. Schall | Y | Y | Y | Georgetown University | |
Jennifer Roback Morse | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow in Economics | |
John Michael Beers | Y | Y | Y | Pontifical College Josephinum | |
Joseph Ganssle | Y | Y | Y | Marian Associates | |
Leonard P. Liggio | Y | Y | Atlas Economic Research Foundation | ||
Michael Novak | Y | Y | Y | American Enterprise Institute | |
Rabbi Daniel Lapin | Y | Y | Y | Toward Tradition | |
Ren Broekhuizen | Y | Pastor (Retired), Ridge Point Community Church | |||
Robert A. Sirico | Y | President, Acton Institute | |||
Robert Costello | Y | Americans for Limited Government | |||
Rocco Buttiglione | Y | Y | Y | International Academy of Philosophy | |
Ronald Nash | Y | Y | Reformed Theological Seminary | ||
Rufus Fears | Y | Y | Y | University of Oklahoma | |
Sidney J. Jansma, Jr. | Y | Wolverine Gas and Oil Corporation | |||
Sr. Connie Driscoll | Y | Y | St. Martin de Porres House of Hope | ||
Steve Hanke | Y | Y | Y | Johns Hopkins University | |
William B. Allen | Y | Y | Y | Michigan State University |
Staff
As of Marchย 2016, the following staff members were listed on the Acton Institute’s website. 34โActon Institute Staff,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CoOFr
See the attached spreadsheet for the Acton Institute’s complete staff list (.xlsx).
Executive
- Rev. Robert A. Sirico โ President
- Kris Alan Mauren โ Executive Director
- Holly Rowley โ Executive Assistant
- Katharine Harger โ Executive Assistant
- David Milroy โ Chief Administrative Officer
- Jim Healy โ Advisor to the President
- Ken Larson โ Advisor to the President
- Diane Baum Verploegh โ External Relations Associate
Instituto Action
- Kishore Jayabalan โ Director of Istituto Acton
- Michael Severance โ Operations Manager
- Rita De Vecchi โ Special Projects Coordinator
Research
- Samuel Gregg โ Director of Research
- Jordan Ballor โ Research Fellow and Executive Editor, Journal of Markets & Morality
- Charissa Reul โ Conference and Program Manager
- Julie Dudderar โ Conference Coordinator
- Dylan Pahman โ Managing Editor of JMM, and Research Fellow
- Anthony B. Bradley โ Research Fellow
- Alejandro A. Chafuen โ Senior Fellow
- Marvin Olasky โ Senior Fellow
- Jennifer Roback Morse โ Senior Fellow in Economics
- Kevin E. Schmiesing โ Research Fellow
- Glenn Sunshine โ Research Fellow
- Andreas Widmer โ Research Fellow in Entrepreneurship
- Jonathan Witt โ Research Fellow
- Michael Matheson Miller โ Research Fellow, Producer of Poverty, Inc.
Programs and Education
- Chris Robertson โ Program Outreach Coordinator
- Mike Cook โ Manager of Programs; Acton Lecture Series and Acton University
- Michelle Hornak โ Programs Assistant and AU Coordinator
- Mel Flikkema โ Senior Advisor, Abraham Kuyper Translation Society
International
- Todd Huizinga โ Director of International Outreach
PovertyCure
- Jonathan Moody โ Managing Director of PovertyCure
- Patrick Oetting โ PovertyCure Strategy & Engagement Manager
Communications
- John Couretas โ Director of Communications, Executive Editor, Religion & Liberty
- Sarah Stanley โ Communications Associate
- Bob Thomson โ Web Developer
- Marc Vander Maas โ Audio/Visual Manager
- Joe Carter โ Senior Editor
- Raymond J. de Souza โ Editor at Large, Religion & Liberty
Past People
- Jay W Richards โ Media Director.
Actions
June 2016
The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Libertyย was among organizations named in a Massachusetts subpoena looking for communications between ExxonMobil and organizations denying climate change, reports The Washington Times. 35Valerie Richardson. โExxon fights Mass. AGโs โpoliticalโ probe into climate change dissent,โ The Washington Times, June 15, 2016. Archived June 24, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GepbJ
Organizations named in the Massachusetts subpoena include the following:
- The Centre for Industrial Progress
- The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
- The American Enterprise Institute
- Americans for Prosperity
- The American Legislative Exchange Council
- The American Petroleum Institute
- The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University
- The George C. Marshall Institute
- The Heartland Institute
- Mercatus Center at George Mason University
This latest inquiry by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is one in a series of investigations into what ExxonMobil knew about climate change and when, started by a coalition of attorneys general in the US. 36Ben Jervey. โState Investigations Into What Exxon Knew Double, and Exxon Gets Defensive,โ Desmog, April 1, 2016.
January 2015
Prior to the release of Pope Francis’s Encyclical and the Environment, the Acton Institute released a โLetter from Romeโ addressing friends of Istituto Acton. 37Kishore Jayabalan. โLetter from Rome: What will Pope Francis say about the environment?โ Acton Institute, January 7, 2015. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZhPYv
In the letter, Kishore Jayabalan (Director of the Acton Institute) suggests โCatholic environmentalistsโ have found environmentalism as a โsubstitute for their religious faithโ:
โIt is probably not surprising that some Catholic environmentalists are less interested in traditional religious matters such as what one believes about God and how one practices the faith than in making sure the birds and fish of the planet were protected from greedy industrialists. In fact, some have a hard time in calling God ‘Father’ because of its patriarchal significance. I got the distinct feeling that environmentalism was at least a large component if not a substitute for their religious faith.โ
Jayabalan concludes by calling for Pope Francis to โavoid the Scylla of no-growth environmentalism and the Charybdis of technological conquest of nature.โ
Michael Sean Wintersย criticizes Jayabalan’s letter at the National Catholic Reporter. 38Michael Sean Winters. โAnother ‘Prebuttal’ of Pope’s Encyclical on Environment,โย National Catholic Reporter, January 8, 2015. Archived May 17, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/bNL6P
โIt is pretty difficult to believe that there is not an organized effort among Catholic conservatives to rebut in advance whatever Pope Francis might say in his forthcoming encyclical on the environment, what we might call a ‘prebuttal’,โ Winters writes.
โ[โฆ] I would add that the libertarian, spread eagle capitalist right which calls Acton its home is right to be worried about the issue of environmentalism because their variety of capitalism has precisely no solutions to problem of environmental degradation and has, in fact, been a large part of the problem.โ
Jayabalan responded to Winters, who he groups with โthe high priests of leftist Catholic environmentalism,โ saying that โContrary to what Winters assumes, I am not recommending that Catholic social teaching worship Hayek or laissez-faire economics.โ 39Kishore Jayabalan. โChristian Stewardship or UN Sustainability?โ Acton Institute, June 3, 2015. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/2yiOd
Jayabalan adds he was โdisinvited from the recent Vatican seminar on climate change because of a false rumor that the Acton Institute was involved with a Heartland Institute parallel event.โ
May 2008
Michael Miller, Director of Programs at the Acton Institute, appeared on Jacksonville’s progressive talk radio station, AM 1460 WZNZ, to discuss โGlobal Warming and how Republican presidential candidate John McCain plans to address it.โ40โJohn McCain and Climate Change,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/n723b
Miller comments on McCain’s Cap and Trade proposal and moves to the topic โwhether or not modern environmentalism is pantheistic, and a discussion of the dangers of a moral system based on pantheism,โ the event description notes.
Excerpts:
โWe’ve seen 31,000 scientists just came out who are skeptical of global warming. And they’re worried that the policies people are proposing are actually going to harm the planet and they’re going to make people poorer. We also see some of the effects these regulations can have on the developing countries where serious poverty is a real problem,โ says Miller.
โThere’s a lot of skepticism about global warming. One: Climate change. Is it happening? And most people say ‘yes, this is happening’, but how is it happening? You saw perhaps a new study that just came out predicting global cooling over the next 10 years based on ocean currents.โ [โฆ]
โAnd then there’s debate. These 31,000 scientists say it’s not happening. You have other scientists say it is happening. and McCain has said a long time ago that the science is settled. Well, I think there is an underlying political problem that is very interesting here. And that is that he, in the way he used his rhetoric, he basically put out of the picture any very serious person who’s concerned about the environment but is skeptical about global warming. So that becomes an impossible thing.
Now that’s very interesting also because Alexis de Tocqueville, the writer of Democracy in America, wrote two things. He said what sometimes happens in democratic societies is that, it’s not in a totalitarian way where you’re punished for it, but the limits of discussion become very narrow. And we’re seeing this happen with global warming where you can’t even have a serious discussion about what to do because ‘the science is settled’ according to McCain. When, in fact, the science is not settled.
Second, Tocqueville predicted that democratic societies would move towards pantheism. When we see this global warming, what we’re seeing really is this view that somehow humans are a scourge on the planet. It’s an economic fallacy because it only sees humans as consumes and not also as producers and innovators, including being innovators of alternative technology sources which we see the market doing without government intervention [โฆ]โ
โ[โฆ] Environmentalist policies that may or may not work, that are based on not certain data, could actually harm [the poor] and prevent economic development.โ
April 16, 2008
Jay W. Richards, the Acton Institute’s past Media Director, presented at an Acton Institute lecture titled โIs it Hot In Here? What Should Christians Think About Global Warming?โ 41โIs it Hot In Here? What Should Christians Think About Global Warming?โ Acton Institute, April 16, 2008. Archived December 3, 2010. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
April 19, 2006
The Acton Institute co-hosted a special Capitol Hill luncheon titledย โPulpits, Pews and Environmental Policy: How the Cornwall Declaration is helping define the mandate of Biblical stewardshipโ where the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation (formerly the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance, or ISA) announced the creation of the โCornwall Network.โ 42(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/DgV8I
The ISA/Cornwall Alliance describes the Cornwall Network as โa nationwide network of churches which are partnering with the ISA on biblical stewardship and environmental issues.โย 43(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/DgV8I
โNot only does it answer the Bibleโs call for Godโs image bearers to care for the earth,โ Dr E. Caliven Beisner, national spokesman for ISA said, โbut also it shows that a growing number of people are reaching the level of economic security that permits them to focus on such concerns. For most poor people, environmental problems might pose significant threats to their well being, but their own poverty prevents them from paying very much attention to them.โ
โOur aim with the Cornwall Network is to provide solidly Biblical information to religious leaders,โ he explained, โcoupled with sound scientific and economic information, to help point laypeople toward creation care that recognizes Godโs extraordinary gifts to mankind, enlists those gifts to enhance the environment, and puts top priority on promoting human well being, especially among the worldโs poor.โ
According to the event description, โThe briefing featured top theologians and policy experts who articulated a vision of Biblical stewardship, based upon the Cornwall Declaration, which has been signed by over 1,500 clergy, theologians, scientists, economists and other people of faith.โ
Speakers at the event included:
- E. Calvin Beisner โ National spokesman for the ISA
- Rev. Dr. Jim Tonkowich โ President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy
- Dr. Kelvin Kemm
- Paul Driessen โ Senior policy advisor to the Congress of Racial Equality
- Rev. Abdul Karim Sesay โ Senior Pastor of Kings and Priests Court International Ministries in Silver Spring, Maryland
- Rev. Ralph Weitz โ Stewardship Pastor of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia.
The Cornwall Declaration is the founding document of the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance/Cornwall Alliance and expresses concern over the โunfounded or undue concernsโ of environmentalists such as โfears of destructive manmade global warming, overpopulation, and rampant species loss.โ44โThe Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardshipโ (PDF), The Cornwall Alliance. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmogBlog.
2001 (?)
The Acton Institute released a public policy document titledย โThe Catholic Church and Stewardship of Creation.โ The publication date is not listed, however the earliest it was archived online was April, 2000.45โThe Catholic Church and Stewardship of Creation,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XMcCJ
According to the document, regulations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are a โmisguided attempt to solve a problem that may not even exist.โ
The following โEditorial Boardโ is listed at the end of the document:
- Father J. Michael Beers, Ph.D., S.S.L., Associate Professor in Historical Theology, Pontifical College Josephinum
- Dr. Russell Hittinger, Warren Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Tulsa
- Father Matthew Lamb, S.T.L., Professor of Theology, Boston College
- Father Richard John Neuhaus, President, Institute for Religion and Public Life
- Dr. Robert Royal, President, Faith and Reason Institute
- Father Robert A. Sirico, President, Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
The Acton Institute’s document refers to โEnvironmental Stewardshipโ 13 times. Notably, this term was also used in the Cornwall Alliance’s โCornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardshipโ which similarly presents doubt about man’s influence on climate, and whether action needs to be taken regarding global warming.46โThe Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardshipโ (PDF), The Cornwall Alliance. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmogBlog.
Acton Institute Contact & Location
The Acton Institute listsย the following contact information on its website:47โContact,โ Acton Institute. May 7, 2020.ย Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/wip/WqROQ
Headquarters
The Acton Institute
98 E. Fulton Street
Grand Rapids, MI 49503Phone: 616.454.3080
Fax: 616.454.9454
Toll Free: 1.800.345.2286
E-mail: [email protected]Rome Office
Istituto Acton Italia
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (Map)
No. 294
00186 Roma, ITALYTel: (+39) 06.688.92500
Fax: (+39) 06.682.14003
E-mail: [email protected]
Related Organizations
- Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation (Formerly Interfaith Stewardship Alliance โ Present at the formation of the โCornwall Network.โ48(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/wip/DgV8I
Social Media
- @ActonInsitute on Twitter.
- โActon Instituteโ on Facebook.
- โActon Instituteโ on LinkedIn.
Other Resources
- โActon Institute,โ SourceWatch profile.
- โActon Institute,โ Wikipedia.
- Cory Andrews. โActon Institute,โ American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia (2006), Wilmington, DE: ISI Books.
Resources
- 1Convissor, Kate (August 1999). โThe Acton Institute: Of Morality & the Marketplace,โย Grand Rapids Magazineย 36-37.
- 2โGlobal Directory: Acton Institute,โ Atlas Network.ย Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/h8KjA
- 3โAbout the Acton Institute,โ Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/Fn1Dc
- 4โPut a Tiger In Your Think Tank,โย Mother Jones, (May/June 2005).ย Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/BjDZ4
- 5โFACTSHEET: ACTON INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION AND LIBERTY,โย ExxonSecrets.
- 6โGlobal warming: a battle for evangelical Christian hearts and minds,โ SkepticalScience, October 2, 2014.
- 7(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wip/DgV8I
- 8Jordan Ballor. โChristian Reformed Church Backs UN Climate Change Agenda,โ Acton Institute, July 8, 2015. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/ukbUs
- 9Dylan Pahman. โSolar Power Simplicity: A First-World Luxury,โ Acton Institute, December 4, 2013. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/OmPBf
- 10Benjamin B. Phillips. โEvangelicals and Global Warming,โ Acton Institute, June 23, 2010. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Bfrkd
- 11โJohn McCain and Climate Change,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/n723b
- 12โAn Earth Day Review of Global Warming,โ Acton Institute.ย Archived September 1, 2010. Archived .mp4 on file atย DeSmog.
- 13โThe Catholic Church and Stewardship of Creation,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yyE97
- 14โActon Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty,โ Conservative Transparency. Data retrived May 18,ย 2017.
- 15Andy Kroll. โExposed: The Dark-Moneyย ATMย of the Conservative Movement,โย Mother Jones,ย February 5, 2013. Archived Julyย 24,ย 2015.
- 16โActon Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty: Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group,โ GreenPeace USA.ย Archived May 1, 2016. Archive.is URL:ย https://archive.is/dFb9h
- 17โActon Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty: Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group,โ GreenPeace USA.ย Archived May 1, 2016. Archive.is URL:ย https://archive.is/dFb9h
- 18โFACTSHEET: ACTON INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION AND LIBERTY,โย ExxonSecrets. Archived March 24, 2016.
- 19โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 23, 2000. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zT4jN
- 20โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 21, 2001. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/kZ45J
- 21โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived June 15, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Uj5FG
- 22โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived September 1, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uGLgk
- 23โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived September 27, 2006. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/M1sAP
- 24โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived June 25, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XKNL7
- 25โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/kySdK
- 26โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 25, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/EYTzD
- 27โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived February 14, 2013. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BQUxy
- 28โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 20, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/WgVTr
- 29โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fiOuQIu5
- 30โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 23, 2000. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/zT4jN
- 31โAbout the Acton Institute,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 1, 2003. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8snuj
- 32โAbout the Acton Institute,โ Acton Institute. Archived August 20, 2004. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Rs4eR
- 33โBoard of Directors,โ Acton Institute. Archived December 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/kySdK
- 34โActon Institute Staff,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CoOFr
- 35Valerie Richardson. โExxon fights Mass. AGโs โpoliticalโ probe into climate change dissent,โ The Washington Times, June 15, 2016. Archived June 24, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GepbJ
- 36Ben Jervey. โState Investigations Into What Exxon Knew Double, and Exxon Gets Defensive,โ Desmog, April 1, 2016.
- 37Kishore Jayabalan. โLetter from Rome: What will Pope Francis say about the environment?โ Acton Institute, January 7, 2015. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZhPYv
- 38Michael Sean Winters. โAnother ‘Prebuttal’ of Pope’s Encyclical on Environment,โย National Catholic Reporter, January 8, 2015. Archived May 17, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/bNL6P
- 39Kishore Jayabalan. โChristian Stewardship or UN Sustainability?โ Acton Institute, June 3, 2015. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/2yiOd
- 40โJohn McCain and Climate Change,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/n723b
- 41โIs it Hot In Here? What Should Christians Think About Global Warming?โ Acton Institute, April 16, 2008. Archived December 3, 2010. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
- 42(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/DgV8I
- 43(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/DgV8I
- 44โThe Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardshipโ (PDF), The Cornwall Alliance. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmogBlog.
- 45โThe Catholic Church and Stewardship of Creation,โ Acton Institute. Archived March 2, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XMcCJ
- 46โThe Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardshipโ (PDF), The Cornwall Alliance. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmogBlog.
- 47
- 48(Press Release). โISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon,โ Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, April 19, 2006. Archived May 7, 2020. Archive URL:ย https://archive.vn/wip/DgV8I