“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it…” (Genesis 6:11-15).
It is here that Rod Dreher picks up his pen and constructs one of the greatest treatises on conservative strategy in our post-Christian nation since Nietzsche declared God to be dead. In his book The Benedict Option, Dreher attempts write out the blueprints for an ark to preserve the Christian faith and tradition amidst the flood of secularism.
For the past six decades, Christians have faced surmounting pressure to conform and capitulate to the tide of materialism and social Marxism, which entirely contradicts biblical teachings. If recent studies have shown anything, such as Arizona Christian Universities’ Cultural Research Center report, the typical American adult is not a worldview purist but essentially a worldview plagiarist, combining beliefs and behaviors borrowed from an average of nine recognized worldviews into their personal worldview blend. This finding aligns with the fact that syncretism, a customized blend of philosophies of life, is the dominant worldview in America, chosen by 92% of adults.
This syncretistic approach has seen an increase since 2021, when only 88% of American adults subscribed to it. The ten most common worldview beliefs conflicting with a biblical worldview include ideas from Mormonism, secular humanism, pantheism, animism, and other philosophies. 46% of Americans believe in eternal marriage, and the same percentage believes people are neither inherently good nor bad but shaped by their life choices. Additionally, 35% think right and wrong are determined by personal reason and emotions, while 31% believe humans are not given dominion over nature and that all living things have unique spirits. Though extremely disheartening, these numbers should not be surprising considering America’s hellbent race to becoming a multicultural, diverse, tolerant, religiously pluralistic society.
Any biblically knowledgeable Christian reading this, which I pray is more than the studies’ predicted 6% of you, will recognize the reference, “nothing is new under the sun.” The idea that proximity to evil corrupts the individual is as old as Genesis, where Lot moved near the Jordan River by Sodom, while Abram, soon to be Abraham, lived more broadly in the land of Canaan. Practically, Lot’s choice of land was not bad—it was fertile and led to his family’s future success. However, Genesis 13:13 tells us that Sodom was well-known for its wickedness, and Lot knew this. Lot either underestimated the danger or, defying Abram’s advice, protested, “But Abram, I will send my children into Sodom’s expensive private schools to witness to the pagans.” Regardless of his short-sighted reasoning, that decision of proximity would cost him dearly (Genesis 19).
Though not explicitly, Dreher draws from this principle, making clear the simple, though not easy, call to contemporary Christian families: Move away from Sodom and embrace the Benedict Option.
This plan, at first, may seem unnecessary if one does not understand the gravity of the situation we Christians inhabit. Understanding the current cultural context is crucial, which is why Aaron Renn’s mapping of the Three Worlds of Evangelicalism was the focus of the first installment of this series, The Negative World is Not Here To Stay. Aaron Renn’s concept of “The Negative World,” where Christianity is not merely marginalized but actively opposed, is understood as a reality in The Benedict Option. Rod Dreher falls in the camp of those who believe that “The Positive World” the era prior to 1990, is not even something worth returning to. As written in the first installment of this series, “The elite have long championed the clownish insanity prevalent in today’s negative world from their ivory towers. The 60-year period during which the filth from conquered institutions polluted the mainstream was merely the travel time it took to get there.”
Rod Dreher’s 2017 New York Times bestseller, The Benedict Option, opens by discussing the 6th-century monk Saint Benedict of Nursia and his monastery. Dreher argues that to preserve Western Civilization, we must return to the way of life championed by St. Benedict of Nursia, who is often regarded as the father of monasticism. As Dreher describes,
“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…”
In his book, Dreher argues that we are witnessing the collapse of Western civilization—a comfortable collapse, due to our wealth, but a collapse nonetheless. He draws parallels to the fall of Roman civilization in the fifth century and asserts that Christians must recognize we are living in a post-Christian era. Dreher advocates for building an “ark” to preserve and nurture our faith until the darkness passes and civilization becomes receptive to the truth again. By reinforcing the strength of our own spheres—family, church, and local community—Dreher believes Christians can maintain their moral integrity and pass their faith on to future generations, waiting for the right time for reintegration into society.
Though he offers limited practical, immediate advice, Dreher is emphatic in his exhortation to Christian parents to “get your kids out of public schools.” His discussion on homeschooling is balanced; while he supports it, he recognizes that “it is not for everybody” (p. 165). The importance of removing children from a polluted culture and problematic influences cannot be understated in The Benedict Option: “Though parental influence is critical, research shows that nothing forms a young person’s character like their peers”
Dreher’s vision in The Benedict Option is both clear and adaptable, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. He supports various interpretations and responses to contemporary challenges. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a notable rise in homesteading and migration away from urban centers. This shift, catalyzed by the anarcho-tyranny within public schools, has awakened many Christian parents to the need for change.
With The Benedict Option as a guide, numerous families are now pursuing models that emphasize multi-generational living, a connection to the land, and economic agrarianism. This contrasts sharply with the materialistic and socially corrosive suburban lifestyle, fostering a way of life that prioritizes spiritual and familial bonds over material wealth and societal status. Although this approach may not suit everyone, Dreher’s message is clear: If Christians are to step forward, they must first step back.
