The Benedict Option

The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation (2017) is a book by writer and conservative commentator Rod Dreher on Christianity and Western culture. Drawing on the writings of early Christian monk St. Benedict and the philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre,[1] Dreher argues for the formation of virtuous Christian communities in response to an increasingly secular culture. The book produced discussion and debate in Christian and secular circles over the issues of cultural engagement and the direction of Christian communities.[2][3][4]

The Benedict Option
AuthorRod Dreher
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
PublisherPenguin Random House (Sentinel)
Publication date
2017
Media typePrint
Pages304 pp
ISBN978-0-735-21330-2

Themes

The Benedict Option's title is taken from a quote by Alasdair MacIntyre in his book After Virtue in which he writes, "If the tradition of the virtues was able to survive the horrors of the last dark ages, we are not entirely without hope... We are waiting not for a Godot, but for another—doubtless very different—St. Benedict.".[5] The idea of a "Benedict option" involves finding the communities in which virtuous life can flourish, since Dreher argues that the existing culture has already forsaken the virtues. These communities are not necessarily physical in nature and do not necessitate migration to Christian centers of life, but do involve institutions such as churches, schools, and other organizations.[6] The book's front jacket reads:

"Today, a new post-Christian barbarism reigns. Many believers are blind to it, and their churches are too weak to resist. Politics offers little help in this spiritual crisis. What is needed is the Benedict Option, a strategy that draws on the authority of Scripture and the wisdom of the ancient church. The goal: to embrace exile from the mainstream culture and construct a resilient counterculture."

References
  1. Thorngate, Steve, "Who is the Benedict Option For?". Christian Century, https://www.christiancentury.org/review/who-is-benedict-option-for
  2. Rothman, Joshua, "Rod Dreher's Monastic Vision". The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/01/rod-drehers-monastic-vision
  3. Wax, Trevin, "The Benedict Option: Good Strategy, Bad Posture", The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/my-take-on-the-benedict-option-good-as-a-strategy-bad-as-a-posture/
  4. Green, Emma, "The Christian Retreat from Public Life", The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/benedict-option/517290/
  5. MacIntyre, After Virtue, p263. Notre Dame, 1981.
  6. Dreher, Rod, "Benedict Option FAQ", The American Conservative, https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/benedict-option-faq/


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