Christianity on Life Support in America?

As a young man in the fifth century, Benedict of Nursia traveled to Rome in order to pursue his education, but left wearied by the corruption and licentiousness of the privileged classes. Fleeing to the rural areas surrounding Rome, Saint Benedict first lived as a hermit before finding community among other monks. Ultimately, he founded twelve monasteries, re-built Monte Cassino into a grand monastery and wrote the “Benedictine Rule,” a book of precepts that formed the cornerstone of Western monasticism. In his new book, “The Benedict Option” (Sentinel/Penguin 2017), American Conservative senior editor Rod Dreher zealously argues that modern-day Christians must follow St. Benedict's example by retreating inward, re-capturing the depth of biblical Christianity as an antidote to the depravity of our now “post-Christian” nation. Below is a transcript of RealClearBooks in conversation with Rod Dreher.