Charity in truth “is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity.” So what principles ensure our institutions and programs express charity grounded in truth? How do we take the next step so that our help, motivated by good intentions, leads to good outcomes?
This conference aims to assist religious, and nonprofit leaders in aligning practice with principle. Over two and a half days, conference attendees will participate in engaging presentations; grow in leadership capacity; and network with accomplished thinkers and practitioners.
The sessions will cover themes in economics, philosophy, theology, and development, with resources and models for bridging the gap between aspiration and implementation. Conference attendees will leave with a framework for addressing social challenges in their communities grounded in local agency, principles of economics, and the dignity of the human person.
This conference is organized by the Acton Institute’s Center for Social Flourishing.
Conference Details
This is a small conference. Participants will have the opportunity to engage the speakers and other attendees throughout the event in a relaxed and comfortable setting including nice meals and evening receptions.
Space is limited, and conference attendance is considered by application only. This conference is ideal for nonprofit and ministry leaders. However, all applications will be considered.
Successful applicants will receive a reading packet via email. All attendees are expected to complete the readings before the conference.
Conference fees, meals, lodging, and travel will be covered for accepted applicants.
About the Center for Social Flourishing
The Center for Social Flourishing is a new initiative of the Acton Institute that promotes approaches to social and material poverty animated by local agency and led by families, associations, and businesses. Through film, research, conferences, and a partner network, we convene leaders from across the United States to encourage new thinking and collaboration in building up civil society, tackling social challenges, and promoting human flourishing
Our Speakers
Michael Matheson Miller is Chief of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Research Fellow at the Acton Institute. He is the Director and Producer of the award-winning documentary, Poverty, Inc. the PovertyCure DVD Series, and The Good Society Series, and was the founding director of PovertyCure, which promotes entrepreneurial solutions to poverty in the developing world. He writes and speaks extensively on the intersection between moral philosophy and theology and economics, poverty, entrepreneurship, and culture. He is the host of the Moral Imagination Podcast and a Distinguished Fellow at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America, and the author of Digital Contagion and the forthcoming Excluded: How Global Humanitarianism Excludes the Poor from Justice and Prosperity from Crossroad/Herder & Herder. Before coming to Acton he taught philosophy and political science at Ave Maria College in Nicaragua and was the chair of the philosophy and theology department. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, an M.A. from Nagoya University’s Graduate School of International Development (Japan), an M.A. in Philosophy from Franciscan University, and an MBA in international business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and has over 10 years of international experience in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He serves on the board of the Dietrich von Hildebrand Project, has served on the board of Sacred Heart Classical Academy, and coaches youth basketball and tennis.
Dr. Anne Rathbone Bradley is the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and vice president of academic affairs at The Fund for American Studies. Previously, Dr. Bradley served as the vice president of economic initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, where she continues to research a systematic biblical theology of economic freedom. In addition to her work with TFAS, she is a professor of economics at The Institute for World Politics and Grove City College. She is a visiting professor at George Mason University and has previously taught at Georgetown University and Charles University in Prague. She is currently an Acton Institute affiliate scholar and a visiting scholar at the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy. She is a lecturer for the Institute for Humane Studies and the Foundation for Economic Education. Dr. Bradley is the co-editor and author of “Counting the Cost: Christian Perspectives on Capitalism,” “For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty,” and “Be Fruitful and Multiply: Why Economics is Necessary for Making God-Pleasing Decisions.” Dr. Bradley received her Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University in 2006, during which time she was a James M. Buchanan Scholar.
Ismael Hernandez is the founder and president of The Freedom & Virtue Institute. The Institute exists to challenge the paternalistic, condescending, and statist way of attending to the problems of poverty in America. Its training on effective compassion and student programs extends throughout the United States and the Caribbean. His writings have appeared in various newspapers, including the Washington Times, as well as such magazines as Crisis and World. He is the author of the book Not Tragically Colored: Freedom, Personhood, and the Renewal of Black America, co-author of Race & Justice in America, and author of Rethinking Charity. Hernandez holds a master’s degree in political science.
Dr. Stephen Barrows is the Acton Institute’s chief operation officer. Prior to joining Acton, Dr. Barrows served as the Executive Vice President, Provost and Dean of Faculty of Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, MI) where he was also a tenured associate professor of economics. While at Aquinas, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in economics, and led a team of more than 85 full-time faculty, 150 part-time faculty, and 30 staff members serving more than 1,500 undergraduate and 150 graduate students. Dr. Barrows also served 21 years in the Air Force as an acquisition officer, an economics professor at the United States Air Force Academy and a faculty mentor at the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. He retired from the Air Force in 2013, holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. A graduate with distinction of the Air Force Academy, Barrows has a bachelor of science degree in economics (1992), a master of arts degree in economics from Pennsylvania State University (1993), and a doctorate in economics from Auburn University (2002). He and his wife Kimberly (née Uddin) are the parents of three sons and two daughters.