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Wyatt Graham

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Benedict Option

The Gospel Option: An Evangelical Response to the Benedict Option

March 30, 2017 by wagraham 1 Comment

“Illustration from Mikael Agricola’s New Testament” (source) PD-1996

David Brooks at the NYTimes called The Benedict Option “the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade.” Over at The Week, Damon Linker wrote that The Benedict Option “may be the most important statement of its kind since Richard John Neuhaus’ The Naked Public Square, the 1984 book that Dreher’s implicitly seeks to supplant.” 

The plethora of reviews written for The Benedict Option (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and probably many more) as well as the various discussions and controversies surrounding the book prove just how discussed The Benedict Option is. The internet, it seems, is alive with the sound of The Benedict Option.

For my part, I believe that Rod Dreher has correctly diagnosed our times but has prescribed the wrong medicine. Instead of retreating into Christian communities to create a Christian cultural witness, we need to return to a New Testament Gospel witness. But before I get to that, let’s start with what Dreher gets right. [Read more…] about The Gospel Option: An Evangelical Response to the Benedict Option

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: Benedict Option, Bill 28, C-14, C-16, Canada, Christians in Canada, Culture, Gospel, Rod Dreher, TWU

The Benedict Option: What is It?

March 15, 2017 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Author. 1825. Public Domain
Author. 1825. Public Domain

Rod Dreher’s book The Benedict Option has gained a foothold in the minds of many. David Brooks from the NYTimes calls The Benedict Option “the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade.” What makes The Benedict Option‘s influence striking is that it made such a big splash before the book was even released.

For many, however, the Benedict Option (BenOpt) is an unknown entity or fuzzy concept. In light of these factors, I will explain what the BenOpt is and will try to explain why the BenOpt has gained so much attention over the past few weeks.  [Read more…] about The Benedict Option: What is It?

Filed Under: Books, Culture Tagged With: Benedict Option, Rod Dreher

Review: The Benedict Option by Rob Dreher

March 6, 2017 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Dreher, Rob. The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation. New York: Sentinel, 2017. Pp. x + 262. ISBN 9780735213296. $29.98 CAN [Hardcover]. Source for Book Cover.

The Benedict Option may be one of the most important books of the next decade because it outlines a strategy for Christians to survive and thrive in a post-Christian culture. Dreher describes the Benedict Option with the iconic image of the Ark:

The image of the church as an Ark floating atop tempestuous waters of destruction is one of great antiquity in the history of the Christian faith. This iconic concept of the church’s self-understanding must be recovered with vigor. (238)

The church is an ark that withstands the waves of a collapsing culture. Is is also a wellspring of life (238). The church must withstand the pressures of culture and also thrive on living waters. [Read more…] about Review: The Benedict Option by Rob Dreher

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Benedict Option, Culture, Post-Christian

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Wyatt is the Executive Director of The Gospel Coalition Canada. He enjoys his family and writing. You'll generally find him hiding away somewhere with his nose in a book.

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