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The Original Benedict Option Guidebook: Benedict of Nursia's Own Rules for Living Christian Community in a Post-Christian Society
The life-changing guide on how to stay a faithful Christian in troubling times. Discover the timeless practical wisdom and secrets to holiness during times of social and political upheaval. Learn how to find BenOp success and avoid common pitfalls and misunderstandings of the best strategy for Christians in a post-Christian society.
The Inspiration
“What [Benedict and his monks] set themselves to achieve… was the construction of new forms of community within which the moral life could be sustained so that both morality and civility might survive the coming ages of barbarism and darkness. If my account of our moral condition is correct, we ought also to conclude that for some time now we too have reached that turning point. What matters at this stage is the construction of local forms of community within which civility and the intellectual and moral life can be sustained through the new dark ages which are already upon us..."
—Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue
Containing a new translation of the writings of St. Benedict himself, topically organized and with commentary for practical application.
Inside you will discover...
Benedict's own vision for the original Benedict Option
The secrets of leadership and holiness that have sustained Christian communities during the most trying times in our history
The ancient orthodox Christian method of community prayer applicable today
Successful principles for community organizing
Basic principles of Benedict Option Economics
The spirituality of seeking holiness in everyday life
Background
When Rod Dreher published his book The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation in 2017, he had already been speaking about the concept of the Benedict Option (or BenOp, for short) for a number of years. Dreher's original articulation of the Benedict Option took its inspiration not only from a 6th century holy monk from Nursia, Italy, but also in part from the highly influential work of Alisdair MacIntyre, After Virtue. Both MacIntyre and Dreher call out the fact that modern society in the secular global West is no longer conducive to the Christian way of life in any meaningful sense of the term-and that this has been the case for in fact quite some time.
The Benedict Option was proposed by Rod Dreher as a strategy for Christians living in a post-Christian world, but that strategy has been around for over 1,500 years, and this book you right now hold in your hands is the original guidebook (the OG, if you will) from Benedict himself for how to do it. Let us be bold and follow where Christ our Master is leading us and, following this way, we will come to the wellsprings of new and everlasting life. This book contains the most important wisdom in Benedict's own words, organized topically in a fresh and accessible modern translation, along with commentary on Benedict's own advice on putting the Benedict Option into practice.
Additionally included are the two original essays: "On Christian Culture" and "What We Can Learn from the Monastery."
The Inspiration
“What [Benedict and his monks] set themselves to achieve… was the construction of new forms of community within which the moral life could be sustained so that both morality and civility might survive the coming ages of barbarism and darkness. If my account of our moral condition is correct, we ought also to conclude that for some time now we too have reached that turning point. What matters at this stage is the construction of local forms of community within which civility and the intellectual and moral life can be sustained through the new dark ages which are already upon us..."
—Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue
Containing a new translation of the writings of St. Benedict himself, topically organized and with commentary for practical application.
Inside you will discover...
Benedict's own vision for the original Benedict Option
The secrets of leadership and holiness that have sustained Christian communities during the most trying times in our history
The ancient orthodox Christian method of community prayer applicable today
Successful principles for community organizing
Basic principles of Benedict Option Economics
The spirituality of seeking holiness in everyday life
Background
When Rod Dreher published his book The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation in 2017, he had already been speaking about the concept of the Benedict Option (or BenOp, for short) for a number of years. Dreher's original articulation of the Benedict Option took its inspiration not only from a 6th century holy monk from Nursia, Italy, but also in part from the highly influential work of Alisdair MacIntyre, After Virtue. Both MacIntyre and Dreher call out the fact that modern society in the secular global West is no longer conducive to the Christian way of life in any meaningful sense of the term-and that this has been the case for in fact quite some time.
The Benedict Option was proposed by Rod Dreher as a strategy for Christians living in a post-Christian world, but that strategy has been around for over 1,500 years, and this book you right now hold in your hands is the original guidebook (the OG, if you will) from Benedict himself for how to do it. Let us be bold and follow where Christ our Master is leading us and, following this way, we will come to the wellsprings of new and everlasting life. This book contains the most important wisdom in Benedict's own words, organized topically in a fresh and accessible modern translation, along with commentary on Benedict's own advice on putting the Benedict Option into practice.
Additionally included are the two original essays: "On Christian Culture" and "What We Can Learn from the Monastery."
102 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2021
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Benedict of Nursia
106 books65 followersItalian monk Saint Benedict of Nursia, considered the patriarch of western monasticism, founded the Benedictine order circa 529.
The Catholics and the Anglican Church honor this Christian patron of Europe and students.
With 12 communities at Subiaco, forty miles to the east of Rome, he moved to Monte Cassino in the southern mountains. The mere confederation of autonomous congregations, not commonly understood, originated later.
His main achievement, his "Rule of Saint Benedict," contains precepts. The writings of John Cassian heavily influences this book, which shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master. This unique spirit of balance, moderation, and reasonableness (ἐπιείκεια, epieikeia) persuaded most religious communities, founded throughout the Middle Ages, to adopt it. As a result, his Rule most influences religious rules in Christendom.
The Catholics and the Anglican Church honor this Christian patron of Europe and students.
With 12 communities at Subiaco, forty miles to the east of Rome, he moved to Monte Cassino in the southern mountains. The mere confederation of autonomous congregations, not commonly understood, originated later.
His main achievement, his "Rule of Saint Benedict," contains precepts. The writings of John Cassian heavily influences this book, which shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master. This unique spirit of balance, moderation, and reasonableness (ἐπιείκεια, epieikeia) persuaded most religious communities, founded throughout the Middle Ages, to adopt it. As a result, his Rule most influences religious rules in Christendom.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 16, 2021
The Guiding Light of St. Benedict
What does meaningful Christian community look like in today’s world, and how can we reclaim it? The so-called Benedict Option, proposed by Rod Dreher a few years back, tends to be viewed as a reactionary isolationism away from the modern world (which—turns out—is totally a misreading of the idea, but that’s another conversation), and so there’s a risk of missing what we might learn from the real Saint Benedict and what the in real life actually opted for. Now, the Notre Dame ethics professor Alasdair MacIntyre, who spelled out the inspiration for Dreher’s later idea of the Benedict Option, gives us some direction as to where to begin looking, but he assumes a great deal of knowledge on the part of his audience and is primarily focused on speaking in abstract philosophical terms about virtue ethics, so that unless you specialize in a very particular (*very* particular) area of academics, it’s hard to distill out what he’s aiming at and how to apply it.
I propose that we should look to what St. Benedict of Nursia himself can tell us to shed some light on the present situation, which in many ways is quite similar to the predicament of Christian culture that he boldly faced in his own day. Now, the Rule of St. Benedict—especially in its received form, in its abysmally arcane translations into English—can be a bit overwhelming to try and make heads or tails of. This book offers a much better translation into modern English and conveniently organizing it by topic, as well as practical commentary guiding the reader through Benedict’s wisdom in how we can apply these principles in our real lives.
What this book does is give us a profoundly spiritual and yet highly applicable guide to what Benedict himself proposed for the original Benedict Option and how it can change the way we live Christian Community today.
What does meaningful Christian community look like in today’s world, and how can we reclaim it? The so-called Benedict Option, proposed by Rod Dreher a few years back, tends to be viewed as a reactionary isolationism away from the modern world (which—turns out—is totally a misreading of the idea, but that’s another conversation), and so there’s a risk of missing what we might learn from the real Saint Benedict and what the in real life actually opted for. Now, the Notre Dame ethics professor Alasdair MacIntyre, who spelled out the inspiration for Dreher’s later idea of the Benedict Option, gives us some direction as to where to begin looking, but he assumes a great deal of knowledge on the part of his audience and is primarily focused on speaking in abstract philosophical terms about virtue ethics, so that unless you specialize in a very particular (*very* particular) area of academics, it’s hard to distill out what he’s aiming at and how to apply it.
I propose that we should look to what St. Benedict of Nursia himself can tell us to shed some light on the present situation, which in many ways is quite similar to the predicament of Christian culture that he boldly faced in his own day. Now, the Rule of St. Benedict—especially in its received form, in its abysmally arcane translations into English—can be a bit overwhelming to try and make heads or tails of. This book offers a much better translation into modern English and conveniently organizing it by topic, as well as practical commentary guiding the reader through Benedict’s wisdom in how we can apply these principles in our real lives.
What this book does is give us a profoundly spiritual and yet highly applicable guide to what Benedict himself proposed for the original Benedict Option and how it can change the way we live Christian Community today.
Displaying 1 of 1 review