Book · 2018 · Religion
The Benedict Option
A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation
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You must know Rod Dreher. What do you think of The Benedict Option? Withdraw. I want to do Rod justice, and I think it’s easy to strawman Rod and say that he’s just recommending that everybody move to a small farm.
Tyler Cowen · Conversations with Tyler · Aug 2026 The best things said about it
You wrote a book called “The Benedict Option” in the mid-2010s that crystallized a sense of Christian disillusionment with politics and disengagement with politics.
I mean the obvious stuff is like language communities you know like religious communities you know you're going to have uh for example like Rod draher has this book called The Benedict option right if you want to be a religious Christian guess what.
He's been like a right-wing like Catholic uh I think he's a a right-wing Catholic sort of columnist for a long time and like you know if you go back to like 2017 his big thing was this whole was this thing called the Benedict option.
Where and when it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
4 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher is a conservative Christian book that argues for the intentional withdrawal of believers from mainstream secular culture to build resilient, traditional communities. On Conversations with Tyler, Tyler Cowen brought up the book, prompting Luke Burgis to evaluate the concept of cultural withdrawal and clarify that it is not merely a call to move to a small farm. On Interesting Times, Ross Douthat mentioned the book to discuss Christian disillusionment and political disengagement, comparing its themes to Dreher's later work on Hungary. On the a16z Podcast, Balaji Srinivasan cited the book as an example of a religious community that could form a network society. On Behind the Bastards, Christopher Wong brought up Dreher’s book while discussing his earlier ideas about Christians withdrawing from secular society. Together, these podcast discussions highlight how Dreher's text serves as a prominent touchstone for conversations regarding religious preservation, cultural alienation, and the strategies traditional communities employ to survive in an increasingly secularized modern world.
Every mention
Ross Douthat You wrote a book called “The Benedict Option” in the mid-2010s that crystallized a sense of Christian disil… 2
“You wrote a book called “The Benedict Option” in the mid-2010s that crystallized a sense of Christian disillusionment with politics and disengagement with politics.”
“So let’s talk about Viktor Orbán’s Hungary since you brought it up. Because right. You wrote your most recent book, Living in wonder about the re-enchantment of the world and one of your most famous books, the Benedict option, was about rebuilding Christian community in a secular age and not relying heavily on politics.”
Balaji Srinivasan I mean the obvious stuff is like language communities you know like religious communities you know you're g… 1
“I mean the obvious stuff is like language communities you know like religious communities you know you're going to have uh for example like Rod draher has this book called The Benedict option right if you want to be a religious Christian guess what”
Christopher Wong he's been like a right-wing like Catholic uh I think he's a a right-wing Catholic sort of columnist for a l… 1
“he's been like a right-wing like Catholic uh I think he's a a right-wing Catholic sort of columnist for a long time and like you know if you go back to like 2017 his big thing was this whole was this thing called the Benedict option”
Tyler Cowen You must know Rod Dreher. What do you think of The Benedict Option? Withdraw. I want to do Rod justice, and… 1
“You must know Rod Dreher. What do you think of The Benedict Option? Withdraw. I want to do Rod justice, and I think it’s easy to strawman Rod and say that he’s just recommending that everybody move to a small farm.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“rod has written two previous new york times bestsellers the benedict option and the little way of ruthie lemming as well as crunchy cons and how dante can save your life”