Initiative on Faith & Public Life

Our Story

The Initiative on Faith & Public Life, formerly known as Values & Capitalism, is a project of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the world’s leading policy think tanks, based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to provide Christian college students with formational educational and professional opportunities that propel them to lives of faith and leadership in the public square.

We achieve this mission by partnering with a community of students, faculty, scholars, and professionals across the country and by sponsoring conferences, on-campus events, and other intensive programming. We also produce a variety of educational resources, including books, essays, videos, and documentaries.

Reflected in all our programs and resources are AEI’s core values: a commitment to democracy and free enterprise, solidarity with those at the periphery of our society, and an appreciation for a robust competition of ideas. In that spirit, we foster rigorous, nonpartisan dialogue about a wide range of relevant topics—economics, business, society, culture, politics and public policy, and vocation and calling—from a distinctly Christian perspective.

Through all this work, our initiative exists to equip Christians for faithful, informed engagement in contemporary public life. Explore our website or contact us to learn more and get involved.