#284 The Benedict Option Heresy

Program #284 “The Benedict Option” – 4/9/2017 – Synopsis

As one could have guessed, as a response to our national moral decline, some are proposing that the solution is a Christian exodus from the larger society as was practiced in monasticism. Last month Rod Dreher caught everyone’s attention by putting out a book called
The Benedict option. In the book he makes the case that Saint Benedict’s monastic reaction to the disintegration of the Roman Empire was a valid response to be repeated in our current demise of Western Culture. In communal living, Christians can live holy and preserve the Christian culture. These communes will serve as lights to the pagan world.

As our nation goes into moral decline, I want to address all of the unbiblical responses that pop up. Dreher’s Benedict Option is one of them. Despite what is claimed by some Romanists, Monasticism was not a preserving force – it was a scourge on Christianity. Given the anti-Gospel teachings of Benedict, to even suggest that Benedict should be a model for Christians today is a total misunderstanding of the Gospel and the Christian mission. I strongly suggest you be aware of this latest heresy in the event that it becomes a popular movement.

Matthew 10; Isaiah 26:20; Luke 21:21; Revelation 18:4; John 17:15-18; Jeremiah 9:2, 29:4-7; Matthew 23:4; Colossians 2:23