Book Review: The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher

The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, written by Rod Dreher, was published in 2017 by Penguin Publishing Group.

It is rather obvious that America has transitioned into a post-Christian nation. There are a few options of how Christians can handle this shift.

“‘Could it be that the best way to fight the flood is to . . . stop fighting the flood? That is, to quit piling up sandbags and to build an ark in which to shelter until the water recedes and we can put our feet on dry land again?’ (12, Kindle Edition).”

This is the entire premise of The Benedict Option. Modeled conceptually after the monastic community of St. Benedict, Dreher suggests that it is more important for Christians to maintain a distinct identity and ride out the storm. This is not a surrender, but it is an intentional decision to make sure that Christianity survives, and he believes the best way to do that is to internally reinforce Christian communities. “Recognizing the toxins of modern secularism, as well as the fragmentation caused by relativism, Benedict Option Christians look to Scripture and to Benedict’s Rule for ways to cultivate practices and communities” (18, Kindle Edition).

The obvious question you probably relates to the practicality of such a project. After all, there seems to be less and less room in society for orthodox Christianity. Dreher fully recognizes that secular man has moved away from the conception that Christian doctrine matters at all. He quotes Brother Ignatius, a monk living in the Norcia monastic community in Italy who points out, “’The best defense is offense. You defend by attacking,’ Brother Ignatius said. ‘Let’s attack by expanding God’s kingdom—first in our hearts, then in our own families, and then in the world. Yes, you have to have borders, but our duty is not to let the borders stay there. We have to push outward, infinitely’” (73-74, Kindle Edition).

This makes the project seem much more achievable. We first need to get our own lives in order. Dreher is not suggesting that everyone becomes a monk by any means, but he is suggesting that we need to intentionally think about our lives and what we do. We need to make sure that our own lives are evidence of right priorities and submission to God’s order. Once we do that, then we grow to our families and beyond. While we are focusing on our families and our local communities, we build institutions. Specifically, our churches need to reclaim their historical role of standing out in the world for goodness. “As times get uglier, the church will become brighter and brighter, drawing people to its light” (117, Kindle Edition).

Once individual lives and churches are functioning appropriately, and often times working together across denominational lines whenever possible, Dreher believes that Christian education is necessary to counter the narrative of secular education in America. As the product of public education and a public university, I do not know that the situation is quite as bleak as Dreher suggests on this chapter, but I do take his point without a doubt that, “the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake has been slowly separated from the pursuit of virtue” (148, Kindle Edition). As I have studied in a Christian university for my MA as well as my current PhD, I will say that I feel like I receive a more complete education when the pursuit of virtue is intertwined with the pursuit of knowledge. Christian schools do that very well, and I certainly appreciate the point he makes.

Ultimately, Dreher summarizes The Benedict Option by characterizing both what it is and is not. “The Benedict Option is not a technique for reversing the losses, political and otherwise, that Christians have suffered. It is not a strategy for turning back the clock to an imagined golden age. Still less is it a plan for constructing communities of the pure, cut off from the real world. To the contrary, the Benedict Option is a call to undertaking the long and patient work of reclaiming the real world from the artifice, alienation, and atomization of modern life” (236, Kindle Edition).

This book is vitally important for Christians to consider. Historical Christianity has excelled when, even in hostile environments, Christians live like Christians. As at times become more difficult and it is harder to be a Christian in name only, those who stand for the name of Christ are going to need to return to Biblical truth. Not only that, but they need to build institutions to help the community and future generations carry on this great tradition. We are seeing an imminent flood, but if we start building the Ark right now, we will be able to survive the storm. Through the beauty of God reflected in the Christian life in the Christian community, we will help people searching for meaning amidst modernity and present an attractive alternative to so many bankrupt worldviews.

Book Review: Apologetics and the Christian Imagination by Dr. Holly Ordway

Apologetics and the Christian Imagination: An Integrated Approach to Defending the Faith, written by Dr. Holly Ordway, was published in 2017 by Emmaus Road Publishing. I was given a Kindle review copy of this book in exchange for the writing of this post and providing my honest opinion. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, Dr. Ordway was my faculty advisor while I was pursuing my MA in Apologetics at Houston Baptist University.

This book asks a question, “What is the role of the imagination in Christian apologetics?” Of course, unpacking this question requires understanding how these terms are being used. Apologetics is defined in the rather traditional way of a defense of the Christian faith, but Dr. Ordway proposes that rationality in and of itself is not enough to provide a holistic defense of Christianity.

“‘Reason and imagination are twin faculties, both part of human nature— and both given to us by God our Creator!— that, together, allow for a fuller grasp of the truth’ (Kindle Locations 260-262).”

This highlights one of the main strengths of this book right from the beginning. Apologetics can sometimes become simply the realm of memorizing lists of evidences for the resurrection or trying to remember the exact construction of a logical proof defending the existence of a creator. These reasonable approaches are vitally important, but as Dr. Ordway points out, the imagination needs to come into consideration as well.

Before proceeding, it is important to realize how this book defines the word imagination. It is used in the more traditional, medieval sense as opposed to the way it is used in our modern vernacular. Dr. Ordway is very careful to point this out in her text itself and clarify the difference, but just from the title of the book, it might be possible for some readers to misunderstand what this book is actually going to be about. Dr. Ordway cites CS Lewis who wrote that, “Reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning. Imagination, producing new metaphors or revivifying old, is not the cause of truth, but its condition” (Kindle Locations 338-339).

Equipped with this understanding of imagination in the appropriate contextual sense, the reader is then brought through journey that seeks to show apologists how to bring meaning to the world through our apologetic interactions. A list of facts in and of itself might be reasonable, but until the audience understands why those facts are important, they are not really going to care very much about remembering those pieces of information or applying them to their lives. Dr. Ordway writes, “If someone can find the idea of the supernatural to be meaningful— an idea that can be grasped, that is worth grasping— then, and only then, is the question ‘Is it true?’ significant” (Kindle Locations 566-568).

Using this concept that reason and the imagination must go hand-in-hand, Dr. Ordway proceeds to take on some traditional hot topics in Christian apologetics and shows how the imagination can help to address these questions. For example, in the chapter on pain and doubt, the presentation of stories and actual personal accounts is brought to the forefront. “We need to tell stories that show our need for rescue and redemption, and that there is no place so low, no state of weakness too profound, no state of desperation so deep that God cannot find us and rescue us” (Kindle Locations 1938-1940). The temptation for someone like me is to dive right into a logical proof as to why the existence of God and the existence of evil are not logically incompatible in the style of Alvin Plantinga.

Dr. Ordway suggests a different approach. It is important to identify with our audience, and it is important to meet people where they are at in times of suffering. Stories communicate that meaning in a very special way. “When someone brings up the problem of evil, or the problem of suffering, our first priority should be to recognize the reality of the problem and mourn with those who mourn. Only in the context of compassion will our arguments have real meaning” (Kindle Locations 1942-1945).

Overall, this is an excellent addition to your apologetics library. I am not a Roman Catholic, so I would point out that I was not able to connect as deeply to some aspects of this book as other readers might be able to, but this is obviously not a book that is limited to a Catholic audience. Any “mere Christian” will be able to benefit greatly from this book, but I do think that a Catholic audience will understand some illustrations more deeply than I did.

Dr. Ordway is a gifted communicator who, through this work, pointed out to me how important it is to remember the distinctively human aspects of our apologetic interactions. It can be tempting to memorize apologetic formulas and to try have the perfect argument for every situation, but that is not the way that people actually interact. People desire meaning, and our apologetic approach needs to embrace that.

You Disagree with Me? Write It Down

I hope that you will really take to heart my encouragement to get writing even if you have something to say that I don’t agree with. I am not very much of a utilitarian to be entirely honest with you, but John Stuart Mill had something very important to say about freedom of expression and freedom of belief in his book, On Liberty.

“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”

This is a challenge, but this is an attitude I try to take to heart whenever I think about writing in particular. Rather than silence people who disagree with me, I would rather have them be able to make a case. I would then like to have the opportunity to make my own case. The reader can evaluate who made the better case. If you read something on my website and then you read a contrary case on the Huffington Post, you can weigh the relative merits of each case and decide which one is more convincing. I am obviously convinced that what I write is true because why else would I write it if I did not believe in it? However, you might not be decided on certain issues, and if all views are able to be presented as Mill advocated for, you will have the opportunity to read a variety of solutions to a given problem. By doing that, you will have the ability to determine which one is most consistent with reality and truth.

I know that a variety of people read this website, and I also know that some of you don’t agree with me. If you were to write, some of you could write things that are contrary to what I believe. I am prepared to take that risk. I attempt to make the best case I can for my positions, and I do that so ideally people will find it convincing. It is not of course foolproof. Sometimes you might find my case utterly ridiculous. However, I do my best, and I would rather have a free marketplace of ideas where I can do my best, you can do your best and the audience will be able to freely consider these important topics.

That’s what it ultimately comes down to for me.

“I have written about this since the beginning of this website, but I am convinced that if the marketplace of ideas is free, the best ideas are going to rise to the top by nature of being the best ideas.”

They will not universally accepted since people do have the freedom to disagree, but just like the best businesses survive and thrive in a truly free market, the best ideas will do so as well. That is the environment I am trying to encourage. You can be a part of it as well if you present your ideas.

Not Confident in Your Writing? Write Anyway

I have days when I have a hard time writing. There are times when I want to put something on the paper, but nothing comes out. I think that most people can relate to experiencing this type of writer’s block, and as a result, the advice I presented on Monday might seem to be a little intimidating. I suggested that if your particular perspective is not been presented and you want it to be, you need to get writing. Just like I began this website to share my perspective on a wide variety of issues from a Christian worldview, you have the opportunity to do the same with your worldview.

It can be hard to do that though because getting ideas from our minds to the paper is sometimes easier said than done. I’ve had plenty of times where I know what I want to say, but I have a hard time articulating those thoughts. Maybe that is where you find yourself. Maybe you have these ideas and perspective that you feel need to be presented, but you are not confident in your ability to get that information on the paper.

Writing in public can of course be a frightening experience because you want to make sure that you get your ideas across accurately. Sometimes your audience is less than forgiving if you fail to communicate your point well or precisely.

However, if you find yourself in that position where you’re having a hard time getting what you want to say on paper either because of a type of writer’s block or out of fear of how your audience will respond, I think that my advice would still be the same.

“Write anyway.”

I wish that everything I ever wrote was brilliant. I think that if you have read this website very much, you know much of my writing is not brilliant. However, what I will say is that my writing has gotten better. If you read the first blog I started early in my college career, I think I had a few decent pieces, but they really were not all that good most of the time. I only got better because I kept writing. I became more comfortable with language, and I learned how to put my thoughts on paper more effectively. I didn’t always know what to write about, but I wrote anyway.

To be fair, very few people read that blog, so I really was not the target of much criticism. However, I wasn’t afraid that people might criticize me. Instead, I put my thoughts out there. I put my ideas to paper and decided that it was worth trying to get my perspective into the marketplace of ideas. I wasn’t great at it, but I got better.

I know I still have a very long way to go as a writer, but I could provide you some pretty solid evidence that I am much better than I used to be. I only got better because I took a risk and decided to write. That’s what you need to do as well if you really think that your perspective is not represented well by me or by anyone else. You cannot let your nerves get the best of you. Rather, you need to work at your craft so that your ideas can get out there and this perspective that you believe is important will be articulated.

Don't See Your Perspective Presented? Get Writing

Last Wednesday, I suggested that I don’t have time to write about everything on this website. I try to talk about a wide variety of topics, and I try to make this a pretty interesting experience for everyone. However, the fact of the matter is I cannot write about everything, and I honestly might not have time to write about your particular passion. As I learn more and more, I am going to try to keep writing about a variety of topics from a Christian worldview, but with a seemingly infinite number of possible topics to write about in the world, I am never going to get to them all.

Consequently, let me encourage you to get writing. If I can’t write about something, that by no means implies that you are not able to write about something. You can start your own website for free, and you can start raising awareness about whatever issue you particularly care about so deeply. If you write well, people are going to listen. Of course, given the state of the Internet, you’ll probably need to work on your marketing and search engine optimization tactics as well, but if you have something to say that is ultimately worth saying, you will be able to find an audience for it.

In the United States, our marketplace of ideas is theoretically free. We have the freedom to express ideas, and even though we are responsible for the consequences of expressing those ideas, that does not limit our freedom to express them in the first place.

“If I am wrong, you have the ability to write something down and tell me I’m wrong. If I missed something, you have the ability to write in response to straighten me out, and we can have a little bit of it back and forth. That’s the beauty of this entire system. We have the ability to talk and debate in a way that so many other people around the world simply do not have the platform to do.”

To be entirely honest with you, that’s what I would love to happen as a result of my open letter to Kathy Griffin or Senator Sanders last week. I know that they are probably never going to read those letters, but I wish they would. In fact, I wish they would respond because maybe they have something to say in clarification. Maybe I misinterpreted some intent. If so, it would be great to have them respond to me. In fact, I would even publish responses on my website if they didn’t want to put it on a platform of their own choosing.

Like I said, I don’t have the ability to write about everything, but if there is something I am leaving out that you feel needs to be talked about, then make it happen. That’s the beauty of this entire system. Luckily, everything does not depend on me to be written. I am not the gatekeeper of the world. You have the ability to write as well, and you can tell people what needs to be said if you don’t think a certain cause is being highlighted not by me or by someone else.

If you do enjoy getting my perspective though, please be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and get my free e-book, 50 Books Every Christian Should Read!