Overview

"In his book The Benedict Option, Rod Dreher issued a timely warning to the church. In an attempt to engage the broader culture with the gospel it had failed to create a distinct Christian culture and instead had been coopted by American consumer culture. The result was an anemic church ill-prepared to face a quickly darkening cultural landscape and civilizational decline. In response, Dreher argued, it was time for the church to develop new ways of ""doing"" church. It was time to create new institutions and strategies to help it better form disciples, minister to the broader culture, and survive the years ahead. It was time for a ""Benedict Option."" This book provides a template for how the leaders in a local church might go about creating their own Benedict Option Community (Ben Op community). It looks specifically at the early Irish monastic movement for principles church leaders today can use to develop their own Ben Op community, or ""modern monastic settlement."" In the process, Davis provides the reader a brief introduction to architecture, urban planning, and place-making and explains why an understanding of these disciplines is necessary to create a healthy, effective Ben Op community."

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Reviews

"""Who would have guessed our model of doing life together as the church entering the twenty-first century would be found in the ancient Irish Monastic settlements of the seventh century? With a clear eye toward the ancient past, Ward Davis paints a vivid picture of what Christian community might look like in the future as we face an increasingly secular culture."" --David Horn, director of the Ockenga Institute, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary ""Rod Dreher's The Benedict Option stirred much conversation around the role of Christian community in an increasingly secular culture. Despite such prevalent discourse, however, not many communities have arisen to actually accomplish what Dreher challenged the church to do. We have needed a clear guidebook that delivers the specifics of how one can put these ideas into action. In Building the Benedict Option, Ward Davis does exactly this. Through a broad discussion of theology, sociology, and architecture, Davis provides an invaluable guide for the establishment of Christian communities."" --Jordan B. Cooper, president, American Lutheran Theological Seminary"

"""Who would have guessed our model of doing life together as the church entering the twenty-first century would be found in the ancient Irish Monastic settlements of the seventh century? With a clear eye toward the ancient past, Ward Davis paints a vivid picture of what Christian community might look like in the future as we face an increasingly secular culture."" --David Horn, director of the Ockenga Institute, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary ""Rod Dreher's The Benedict Option stirred much conversation around the role of Christian community in an increasingly secular culture. Despite such prevalent discourse, however, not many communities have arisen to actually accomplish what Dreher challenged the church to do. We have needed a clear guidebook that delivers the specifics of how one can put these ideas into action. In Building the Benedict Option, Ward Davis does exactly this. Through a broad discussion of theology, sociology, and architecture, Davis provides an invaluable guide for the establishment of Christian communities."" --Jordan B. Cooper, president, American Lutheran Theological Seminary"

Author Information

Ward Davis has served in a variety of pastoral positions over the years, as well as working as a researcher in nonprofit management at the Hudson Institute and Clemson University's Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life. He has an MDiv. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry. See more at www.ward-davis.com.

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