Responding to 'The Benedict Option'
- James Collazo
- Nov 8, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Introduction
In a world fractured by identity politics and secularism, Christians must return to the enduring truths that have withstood every test of history. The Benedict Option (Sentinel, 2017) by Rod Dreher (b. 1967) calls believers to form tight-knit, morally distinct communities, following the example of Benedict of Nursia (480–547). Dreher warns that mainstream society has drifted far from God's ways, and that faithful Christians must intentionally separate to protect their witness and uphold the faith.
Drawing on the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre (1929–2025), he reminds us that a renewed vision is essential to navigate a fractured world. As MacIntyre declares, "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." Dreher calls for strategic withdrawal, but we call for bold engagement. Christians preserve their faith and shape culture by living out Wesleyan holiness, proclaiming the gospel without compromise, thriving in the marketplace, and defending the values that unite our nation.
Wesley: Personal and Social Holiness
The Wesleyan tradition offers a distinctive and compelling vision of Christian life that contrasts with Dreher's focus on withdrawal. John Wesley (1703–1791), the founder of Methodism, championed both personal and social holiness, insisting that sanctification must extend beyond private devotion into active engagement with society. He famously declared, "There is no holiness but social holiness." For Wesley, holiness is not simply a matter of individual piety but a transformative way of life that seeks to uplift and reform the world around us. While The Benedict Option advocates a retreat into isolated communities to preserve faith, the Wesleyan perspective emphasizes engaging directly with society, demonstrating that faithful Christians can strengthen their impact through active witness, moral integrity, and service. In this view, stepping back from cultural entanglements does not mean abandonment but rather a strategic pause to strengthen one's influence, allowing holiness to radiate outward and reshape the world from within.
From this perspective, Wesleyan believers do not aim to create self-contained virtuous enclaves. Our mission extends outward: to foster spiritual and social revival that spreads the love of Christ. Just as Wesley preached in open fields, bringing the gospel to those in need, we evangelicals can adopt elements of The Benedict Option to prepare ourselves for service. Communities centered on spiritual disciplines and purposeful living serve as platforms for nurturing individuals into messengers of grace and truth. Holiness, in this view, is not about retreat but about transforming hearts and society. Wesleyan theology calls us to ask: How can our communities shine as beacons of love, justice, and truth in a world yearning for hope?
Rather than forming isolated communities, Wesleyans can act as leaven within the broader culture, embodying and promoting moral excellence through everyday life. A Wesleyan response to cultural challenges emphasizes engagement rather than withdrawal—through ethical integrity, compassionate service, and social reform. By bringing faith into public, familial, and vocational spheres, Wesleyans witness holiness within a culture they seek to transform from within, fulfilling Christ's call to be "salt and light" (Matt. 5:13–16). Wesleyan theology remains relevant to the pursuit of first-century faith because it aims to restore the doctrines and spirit of the early church, primarily through the lens of paleo-orthodoxy.
Evangelical Witness to Transform Culture
Evangelicals cannot hide and still obey the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20). The Holy Spirit sends into the streets, the marketplaces, the schools—into the world itself—to make disciples and proclaim Christ without compromise. We cannot shrink from culture; we must confront it with courage, wisdom, and bold witness.
The focus of The Benedict Option on sacred community, though not without merit, must not overshadow the divine charge to seek the lost. From the very beginning, the followers of Christ carried the message into hostile lands, proclaiming the gospel with boldness, even at the cost of life itself. Today, the pressures of a fallen world are not a summons to withdraw, but a clarion call to fearless witness. God calls us to stand in the marketplaces, schools, halls of power, and homes of the weary, demonstrating the love of Christ and declaring the good news with courage and clarity.
Capitalism and The Benedict Option
The Benedict Option dares us Christians to reconsider our place in modern capitalism—but from a conservative, pro-capitalist perspective, economic engagement is a battlefield for cultural influence rather than a temptation to retreat. Christians who enter the marketplace with integrity wield power to shape society, build wealth that strengthens families and communities, and champion the virtues of hard work, wise stewardship, and generous charity. This response is not mere participation—it is righteous action in the public square, a living testimony of faith in motion (see "Christian Case for Capitalism").
In a free-market economy, Christians must rise as builders, not bystanders. We showcase integrity in our labor, generosity in our wealth, and service in our influence. Retreating into closed enclaves wastes the opportunity God has placed in our hands. Instead, we enter the marketplace with kingdom purpose—funding missions, creating jobs, and establishing institutions that magnify Christ. Economic engagement is not retreat; it is spiritual warfare waged in the heart of culture, where every dollar, every deal, and every act of stewardship proclaims that Jesus is Lord (see "Money, Mammon & Tithe").
Populism, Values, and Engagement
A populist response to The Benedict Option declares that America's cultural heritage is not something to abandon but something to defend and renew. Ordinary people, more than detached elites, have carried the torch of faith, family, and freedom across generations. Populists call Christians to stand shoulder to shoulder with everyday Americans in protecting religious liberty, strengthening families, honoring patriotism, and upholding the Constitution. These ideals still run strong in much of our nation, and they provide fertile ground for believers to shape society with gospel conviction and moral courage.
Rather than retreating into isolated enclaves, Christians should stand alongside like-minded Americans who long for a return to traditional values. Within the democratic framework, believers can fight for policies that secure the common good, safeguard religious freedom, and restore moral education. Populist engagement empowers ordinary citizens by recognizing their God-given agency and forges alliances across political and religious lines to defend shared convictions. By stepping boldly into political and civic life, Christians can shape the nation's future with truth and conviction rather than abandon it.
Conclusion
While The Benedict Option highlights a world overshadowed by unbelief, the gospel shines even more brilliantly. A Wesleyan, evangelical, free-market, and populist vision urges us not to retreat but to move forward. The first disciples did not seclude themselves; they brought holiness into public spaces, boldly proclaiming Christ and living as beacons of hope in challenging environments. We must do the same. We are called to embody holiness in our daily lives, share the good news without hesitation, engage in the economy with integrity and generosity, and stand united with our neighbors to uphold truth and freedom. The church does not withdraw from the world—it engages it with love, truth, and the power of resurrection. Our mission is not to create enclaves of fear but to ignite communities of passion, transforming culture from within until every knee bows and every tongue acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord.
In these days of confusion and decay, we do not cower, for the apostle Peter arms us with our charge: "In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Pet. 3:15). Our hope does not flicker like the world's shifting ideologies; it roars with the certainty that the mission of Christ will not fail. Jesus has promised, and his word cannot fail: "The gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matt. 16:18).
Alasdair MacIntyre referenced a "very different St. Benedict," a figure capable of providing stability in times of division. He was indeed correct; however, this figure is not a monk retreating into silence, but rather a church radiating a sacred presence in the public sphere. This presents a risk: when Christians pursue temporary political victories and reflect the world's corruption, they betray the cross they uphold. Dreher's call for withdrawal serves as a caution against this danger. At times, retreating is the discipline that preserves our integrity and prevents us from exchanging eternal values for temporal power. The apostles themselves illustrated this paradox. Matthew—aligned with the Roman Empire—and Simon the Zealot—a revolutionary opposed to it—stood united as brothers in Christ.
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