The Benedict Option: A Comparative Review

In Dreher's The Benedict Option, the author presents an approach to society that falls squarely into "Christ against culture" of Niebuhr's fivefold paradigm. Dreher views all expressions of culture outside of the church with a high degree of suspicion. In particular, Dreher takes aim at free will and desire. Dreher's approach differs only slightly from Niebuhr's "Christ against culture" paradigm, in that he does not suggest that society be avoided entirely. Instead, Dreher takes a Matthew 5:14 view of broader social interactions, advocating that Christians should be the light of the world. Dreher suggests, in a modern Benedictine manor, that Christians should retreat from the world, forming communities and practices that preserve the Christian traditions and beliefs. His book reads like a modern prescription for what the author sees as the coming flood of persecution...

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