Benedict Option Communities

[TCOCBR18]

I'm guessing a lot of you know what I'm talking about if I mention the Benedict Option. For anybody who doesn't, the basic gist of the idea is that engaging with the secular and increasingly anti-Christian, atheistic, and satanic world is a generally losing proposition for Christians, and the best solution is to seek out and build up parallel communities of Christians that are internally self-sustaining and help one to reduce or minimize his interaction with the hostile world. Adopting the Benedict mentality could range from a small-scale improvement like just strengthening a parish brotherhood group, or it can be implemented on a large scale with people literally moving their families into full-fledged Christian alternative communities and trying to completely separate from the mainstream.

I have heard a number of Christian commentators mention the establishment and growth of such intentional alternative communities of Christians. But does anybody know about any of them? I wish there were a map of Christian intentional communities to give a young man an idea of where he might go. I hear about people doing things like this, but have no idea where to start in finding such a community, so that's what I'm asking this forum.

Also, I'm not trying to cause debate about whether or not Benedict Option communities are a good idea or not. There's always a tension between Christians wanting to separate from the world vs. wanting to improve the world by their presence in it. I have encountered many different arguments about this and I have not made any firm decisions for my future, it's not like I'm going to move to an intentional Christian community next month, it's just that I'd like to know where any of these exist if they do, to just be able to consider the option.

 

[Rodion]

the basic gist of the idea is that engaging with the secular and increasingly anti-Christian, atheistic, and satanic world is a generally losing proposition for Christians, and the best solution is to seek out and build up parallel communities of Christians that are internally self-sustaining and help one to reduce or minimize his interaction with the hostile world.

The problem is the question of whether this is refusing to take up your cross in the world and also refusing the cross of monasticism, a sort of comfort-seeking halfway house. Of course many people who do not believe in prayer also think monasticism is hiding away.

Theres also many questions of authority, the spiritual life of the community etc. interdenominational communities would be absolutely unsustainable.

I know you said you didn’t want to start a debate about it, but it seems unavoidable. Talking to your spiritual father about it would also be essential

 

[Blade Runner]

The problem is again one of modernity, and I've talked about this for my whole life. We don't even really have communities anymore. A lot of our churches are attended by people who drive at least 30 minutes to get there. A lot of that is because of ethnic "orthodox" churches as well, which sort of require that. What's weirder is that in the modern day most kids raised in the greek/syrian/lebanese/oca/rocor whatever church you want to name, don't get married to those in that same church community.

That's because the real communities are school and university, and they are daily, and all year round, mostly. And you know what they teach at this point.

 

[Lawrence87]

Just being under the broad category Christian would not be enough to sustain a community. People can put aside differences in doctrine on places like this forum, but actually living together is a totally different kettle of fish. When things get tough things would absolutely fracture along denominational lines and it would get messy. I also don't think it would be sustainable without a hierarchical structure that extends beyond the reach of the community itself (such as the Orthodox church). Having the buck stop at the head of the community so far as hierarchy goes, is a recipe for problems. Orthodoxy in many ways is an ideal candidate for a community. You have the external hierarchy, you have the unified doctrine, so it is conceivable that an Orthodox community could work, or Roman Catholic for that matter.

The notion that interdenominational communities could exist is pie in the sky though. When the baptist family's teen kid does something horrible to the Catholic family's kid its immediately going to turn factional and fall apart. And living in a community you are necessarily going to have to deal with situations like that.