Does Capitalism Have a Soul? Debate at Wheaton College

The J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy hosts an informal debate on capitalism and morality at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 28. The debate features Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine and Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Wallis is president and CEO of Sojourners. The editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine, Wallis is a bestselling author, public theologian, speaker, and international commentator on ethics and public life. He has been named to serve on the White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. His latest book is Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street — A Moral Compass for the New Economy. His two previous books, The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post–Religious Right America and God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It were both New York Times bestsellers.

Brooks, who became president of AEI in January 2009, was a professor of business and government policy at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Brooks is the author of eight books, including Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism; and Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America—and How We Can Get More of It. His most recent book is The Battle: How the Fight between Free Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America's Future.

The debate will be moderated by Michael Gerson. Gerson, a fellow at the Hastert Center, is a columnist for The Washington Post and a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush.