Benedict Option (Rod Dreher)

Status
Not open for further replies.
I grew up on a street where I was related to more than half of the people living there. My great, great grandfather owned all of that land, and it was subdivided between his children (he had 12) and grandchildren over time. I have thought of trying to emulate his example in the interest of planting a natural Christian community over the course of a couple of generations. Obviously, it would be necessary to have a church nearby, and possibly a school. @BayouHuguenot, do you think that the natural development of such a community would keep it from many of the common pitfalls of "intentional communities?"

The goal would be the preservation of a Reformed heritage, similar to the way that the people belonging to the NRC and FRCNA churches have been able to preserve their distinctiveness without absolutely cloistering.
 
@BayouHuguenot, do you think that the natural development of such a community would keep it from many of the common pitfalls of "intentional communities?"

It is certainly better. There are pros and cons. If not watched, it could quickly develop the traits of a tribal community, but I don't think that is necessary.
 
As much as it pains me to say it, I agree. It isn't simply Woke Commies any more. Both socialism and aspects of a market economy have merged with Big Tech
As much as it pains me to say it, I agree with Gary North that "socialism" (or Marxism) isn't what we're dealing with. Unless the government owns the means of production, it isn't socialism. I'm not sure if there is anyone in national office today who can really be said to be a socialist. Not even Elizabeth Warren is a real socialist. That probably goes for Bernie too, even though he has identified as one for years. Warren is a capitalist who favors more regulation and a strong welfare state. If someone were to tell me that the UK after WWII (where the gov't owned the means of production in some industries, if I'm not mistaken) was more socialist than the Scandinavian countries are, I wouldn't be shocked. (That said, I wonder if North missed the local official in Seattle or somewhere else out west who said something like "We want nothing less than full communism" a few years ago.)

Woke capitalism is the much bigger threat. Wall Street has their man in the White House. We see that the hedge funds reasserted their control yesterday with Game Stop (where what amounts to a populist uprising was causing them to lose millions) and at least in the short run aren't real concerned with repercussions. They aren't real worried about socialism. But most of them are all for caving into wokeism even if they aren't woke themselves. A socialist or Marxist millionaire is a contradiction.

Who you've got to worry about is the 22 year recent grad working in HR who is looking to ferret out "whiteness" and "hate speech" and "transphobia" etc. Many older people who suspect that's wrong will remain quiet lest they get lumped in with the deplorables. It was happening before, but this merger of capitalism and wokeness came to the forefront with RFRA in Indiana where the government was forced to do an about face, the bathroom bill in NC, and any other time when something like that is proposed. Why did the corporations used to listen to the American Family Association? Because they were afraid they'd lose money if they didn't. It's the same reason why they bow down to the Human Rights Campaign now. Plus, most of them probably agree a whole lot more with the HRC than they ever did with the AFA.
 
I am weary of house church movements because it sounds too much like Doug Phillips and Rushdoony. The father acts as prophet, priest, and king. Really creepy stuff.
Doesn't Beeke also say that fathers act as a prophet, priest, and king? Maybe others take it too far, but Beeke strikes me as quite grounded.
 
I know some of his associates in the Family Integrated Church movement say that, which I find very disturbing.
And if he just means that a father governs his house (king), teaches his family (prophet), and prays for them (priest)? Certainly I don't think a father should be an autocrat, a Joseph Smith, or an Aaronic priest, but can't these words be understood in a sound way?
 
And if he just means that a father governs his house (king), teaches his family (prophet), and prays for them (priest)? Certainly I don't think a father should be an autocrat, a Joseph Smith, or an Aaronic priest, but can't these words be understood in a sound way?
I think the terms would carry too much qualification.
 
And if he just means that a father governs his house (king), teaches his family (prophet), and prays for them (priest)? Certainly I don't think a father should be an autocrat, a Joseph Smith, or an Aaronic priest, but can't these words be understood in a sound way?

Intellectually, they can be distinguished and made to sound okay. Given the track record of guys like Scott Brown, Phillips, RCjr, and the like, I am still wary. A priest mediates. Pastors can pray (still wrong for a father to be the pastor), but a priest mediates.
 
Intellectually, they can be distinguished and made to sound okay. Given the track record of guys like Scott Brown, Phillips, RCjr, and the like, I am still wary. A priest mediates. Pastors can pray (still wrong for a father to be the pastor), but a priest mediates.
We, any Christian, can intercede but not in the way a priest does. We all are priest prophet and king in that sense.
 
I can't remember if the father as prophet, priest, and king (or even simply the father as priest) was discussed on this thread or another recent one. As others have said, it seems that older writers may have used this terminology as an analogy whereas more later writers are taking it pretty literally. The result is that there are husbands who literally think that they will give an account to God for their wife's relationship toward God (her sanctification if not justification) and things like that.
 
I can't remember if the father as prophet, priest, and king (or even simply the father as priest) was discussed on this thread or another recent one. As others have said, it seems that older writers may have used this terminology as an analogy whereas more later writers are taking it pretty literally. The result is that there are husbands who literally think that they will give an account to God for their wife's relationship toward God (her sanctification if not justification) and things like that.

You summarized it perfectly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top