The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation

Rod Dreher

ISBN 10: 0735213305 / ISBN 13: 9780735213302

Published by Prentice Hall Press, 2018

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Already the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade."-David Brooks In this controversial bestseller, Rod Dreher calls on American Christians to prepare for the coming Dark Age by embracing an ancient Christian way of life. From the inside, American churches have been hollowed out by the departure of young people and by an insipid pseudo-Christianity. From the outside, they are beset by challenges to religious liberty in a rapidly secularizing culture. Keeping Hillary Clinton out of the White House may have bought a brief reprieve from the state's assault, but it will not stop the West's slide into decadence and dissolution. Rod Dreher argues that the way forward is actu-ally the way back-all the way to St. Benedict of Nur-sia. This sixth-century monk, horrified by the moral chaos following Rome's fall, retreated to the forest and created a new way of life for Christians. He built enduring communities based on principles of order, hospitality, stability, and prayer. His spiritual centers of hope were strongholds of light throughout the Dark Ages, and saved not just Christianity but Western civilization. Today, a new form of 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 mainstream culture and construct a resilient counterculture. The Benedict Optionis both manifesto and rallying cry for Christians who, if they are not to be conquered, must learn how to fight on culture war battlefields like none the West has seen for fifteen hundred years. It's for all mere Chris-tians-Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox-who can read the signs of the times. Neither false optimism nor fatalistic despair will do. Only faith, hope, and love, embodied in a renewed church, can sustain believers in the dark age that has overtaken us. These are the days for building strong arks for the long journey across a sea of night. Seller Inventory # CIN0735213305VG

Synopsis:

America's churches are beset by challenges in a rapidly secularising culture. They're being hollowed out by the departure of young people and a watered-down spirituality. Frightened Christians wonder what went wrong and what they can do about these trends. The Benedict Option is a guide for Christians under siege today. Politics won't save them, and neither will the courts. In this visionary book, Dreher urges today s faithful to be new St. Benedicts. Christians must build up their local churches, create new schools, and take up practices that can help them face today's world with confidence.

About the Author: ROD DREHER is a senior editor at The American Conservative and the author of Crunchy Cons, How Dante Can Save Your Life, and The Little Way of Ruthie Leming.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Benedict Option: A Strategy for ...
Publisher: Prentice Hall Press
Publication Date: 2018
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good