Declarations and Dragons: 1776, the Inklings, and the West
In 1776, a group of colonists took up the fight for liberty with pen and parchment, declaring that the human person carries rights no government can grant and none may take away. In the 1930s and 40s, a small circle of Oxford friends watched that same conviction nearly extinguished by fascism and communism and took up that same fight with pipe smoke and prose. Although centuries apart, both groups showed how the small and ordinary can resist tyranny, and why faith and hope endure past the point reason gives out.
Bradley J. Birzer, Ph.D., draws on his new book, Tolkien and the Inklings: Men of the West, to trace what a founding document and a body of literature both understood about defending the West and what a republic marking 250 years still owes to that same act of imagination today.
Bradley J. Birzer is Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and Professor of History at Hillsdale College. He has been involved with the Acton Institute since the early 1990s, first as a student and later as an instructor.
He is the author of numerous books, including the award-winning Russell Kirk: American Conservative, J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth, American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Sanctifying the World: The Augustinian Life and Mind of Christopher Dawson, and The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Experiment in Liberty. His forthcoming book, Tolkien and the Inklings: Men of the West, will be released in November 2026.
He and his wife, Dedra, also an academic, have seven children. As a leading scholar of American conservatism and Western intellectual history, Birzer is the perfect voice to discuss the enduring principles that have shaped the American experiment.
Rev. Ren Broekhuizen & Elsa Prince Broekhuizen
The Acton Institute is honored to present the 2026 Guardian of Freedom Award to Rev. Ren Broekhuizen and Elsa Prince Broekhuizen. Established in 2009 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Guardian of Freedom Award recognizes leaders who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to liberty and who have dedicated their professional lives to advancing the principles of freedom for subsequent generations.
Lord Acton Circle Sponsor - $7,500
- VIP seating for you and your table of guests. Ten (10) total seats included.
- Recognition in our program, Acton's website, marketing and at the event.
- Two (2) tickets to a private, pre-dinner cocktail reception with Bradley Birzer.
- Invitation to receptions before and after the dinner for your guests.
Liberty Circle Sponsor - $3,500
- Premier seating for you and your table of guests. Ten (10) total seats included.
- Recognition in our program, Acton's website, marketing and at the event.
- Invitation to receptions before and after the dinner for you and your guests.
Individual Dinner Seats - $175
- Includes one seat, invitation to receptions before and after the dinner
Donate
- I cannot attend this year's Annual Dinner but I would like to make a tax-deductible donation to celebrate Acton's 36 years of faith and freedom.
Dress Code: Black tie optional.
For questions, please email us at events@acton.org or call (616) 454-3080
Hotel Information
A limited number of rooms are available at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel at a special group rate of $199 per night.
Reserve early—space is limited and expected to sell out quickly.