Frohnen and Dreher on the Benedict Option

“If Not Retreat, Then What?,” By Bruce Frohnen

Mr. Frohnen assumes that it is still possible to bring about political and legal change; the Benedict Option does not necessarily make assumptions about this possibility one way or another, though it is usually understood as a response to a society become de-Christianized and the loss of political influence for Christians. (And while Dreher judges the current situation to be one of increasingly diminished influence for Christians, he still thinks it is possible to achieve some political goals within the system.)

The Benedict Option, in so far as it includes networking, building up local communities, friendships, and alliances so that there is a unified power base to bring about political change, is a necessary part of an effort to curb the power of the Federal National Government. However, even if strong local Christian communities cannot bring about change at the state and federal levels, the community is nonetheless a good desirable in itself, and it cannot be stated enough that in many places, such communities do not even exist, even though Christians may be going to church every Sunday.

Critics of the Benedict Option by Rod Dreher

Rod Dreher: "The Benedict Option is a call for cultural resistance through building endurance and resilience within ourselves, our families, and our communities."

Psychological or existential resilience? Perhaps not in the all-encompassing political-economic sense used in sustainability circles.

Withdrawal? The literal meaning of the word refers to locomotion, e.g. moving back into homes, Catholic "ghettos." But it can also mean avoiding what is harmful; Christians do need to be more circumspect about mass culture and what they buy and from whom they buy it (better to purchase from a local producer who is hostile to Christianity than from a corporation?). They also need to refocus their lives on works, observing the order of charity, and practicing charity with their fellow Christians first.