On “Benedict option”
####################

:date: 2015-09-26T16:52:00
:category: faith
:tags: cultureWar, Catholics, BenedictOption, FirstThings, blogComment

(originally started as a comment on `the article on First
Things`_, but seriously extended).

.. _`the article on First Things`:
    https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2015/09/a-franciscan-moment

If the point of this article is that the Protestant evangelicals
and Catholics should put down their war axes and unite against
the common enemy, that is consumerism, atheism and the culture of
death, I like it very much.

I am not sure what actually “The Benedict Option” means
exactly. Of course, the work of St. Benedict and ability of
Christian to rebuild civilization on ruins of the Roman Empire is
admirable. I am just getting more and more worried by the talks
about the Benedict option, because it feels to me more and more
like supporting the idea of the isolation of us, nice Christians,
from the awful world surrounding us. Actually I believe that
“the holy huddle” of Christians isolating themselves from the
world is one of the biggest dangers for the propagation of
Gospel. I see St. Benedict and his followers (and even more St.
Francis, of course) as being passionately involved in the world
around them.

Yes, monasteries provided much needed back office for the
movement; yes, the current Church desperately needs better and
more Christian education, because the level of ignorance among
Christians about their own faith, history etc. is alarming.
However, as a general principle, I believe we need to get more
involved in the world, not less, we should have more
non-Christian friends, not less, we should learn more about the
secular non-Christian thinking not less, etc.

For the answer what to do, I really like the concept of `Creative
Minorities`_ As a Czech (and even worse as a Czech Protestant)
living as member of the "hopeless" Christian minority in
otherwise agnostic nation, I believe the creative minority,
participating but faithful, is the only solution.

.. _`Creative Minorities`:
    https://www.firstthings.com/article/2014/01/on-creative-minorities

I had a sermon on this explaining the first chapter of Daniel
(the notes_ and very poor `audio record`_ are available).

.. _notes:
    https://matej.ceplovi.cz/clanky/daniel_1.pdf
.. _`audio record`:
    http://www.praguefellowship.cz/pages/Portals/9/2015-3-15.mp3