Video Shorts
These video shorts expand on key issues and concepts covered in the documentary.
Short 11: Was Abraham Lincoln a reluctant abolitionist?
In this video, William B. Allen, Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University, discusses Abraham Lincoln's stance on human rights and liberty.
Release Date:February 25, 2008
Featured Expert:William B. Allen
Short 10: Is it Appropriate to Consider the Religious Views of Political Candidates?
William B. Allen, Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University, discusses how faith, "the most compelling part of one's existence", ought to fit in when evaluating a political candidate.
Release Date:November 3, 2008
Featured Expert:William B. Allen
Short 9: How did Plato and Aristotle Justify Slavery?
Samuel Gregg, author of On Ordered Liberty, discusses the views that two influential ancient philosophers held regarding human equality and the practice of slavery.
Release Date: October 27, 2008
Featured Expert:Samuel Gregg
Short 8: How did Christian Slave Owners Justify Slavery?
Susan Wise Bauer, author of The History of the Ancient World, addresses the question, "How did Christian slave owners justify slavery?", describing how slave owners operated under a false (prescriptive instead of descriptive) understanding of the New Testament's teaching concerning slavery.
Release Date: October 20, 2008
Featured Expert:Susan Wise Bauer
Short 7: Why didn’t China have an industrial revolution before the west?
Rodney Stark, author of The Victory of Reason, discusses the question “Why didn’t China have an industrial revolution before the west?” Although evidence points to the beginnings of an agricultural and industrial revolution in the 10th century, the lack of protection for private property has been a disincentive for innovation and hard work.
Release Date: October 13, 2008
Featured Expert:Rodney Stark
Short 6: What was Christianity's role in the rise of the idea of human equality?
William B. Allen traces the Judeo-Christian origins of a "universal perspective." In his discussion, he concludes that "what informs the spirit of Republicanism in the modern era, is this long development, this slow working-out of a specific revelation from God that leads human beings into the discovery of the fullness of their personality in the recognition of their universal status."
Release Date: October 7, 2008
Featured Expert: William B. Allen
Short 5: How well can secularism function as a neutral public ground?
In this video, expert Robert P. George explains why it is impossible for secularism to function as a neutral ground for debate.
Release Date: September 29, 2008
Featured Expert: Robert P. George
Short 4: If medieval Europe was so great, why were most medievals poor?
"If medieval Europe was so great, why were most medievals poor?" This is something you might wonder after viewing Acton Media's new documentary, The Birth of Freedom. However, in this new video short, expert Sam Gregg reminds viewers that in order to make meaningful comparisons regarding the living standards of peasants in Medieval Europe, we must be mindful of historical context and technological progress to that point.
Release Date: September 22, 2008
Featured Expert: Sam Gregg
Short 3: How do inventions in the "Dark Ages" compare to those of the Roman Empire?
Glenn Sunshine demonstrates how belief in human dignity spurred invention and innovation during the middle ages.
Release Date: September 15, 2008
Featured Expert: Glenn Sunshine
Short 2: How Has Judaism Contributed to Human Rights?
In the video, John Witte Jr. demonstrates how the teachings of Judaism significantly impacted the western understanding of human rights, contributing the foundations for concepts such as human dignity, due process, and covenantal agreements.
Release Date: September 8, 2008
Featured Expert: John Witte Jr.
Short 1: What is Freedom?
In this short, experts William B. Allen and Samuel Gregg discuss the nature and implications of true freedom.
Release Date: September 1, 2008
Featured Experts: William B. Allen & Samuel Gregg
