I'm reminded of complaints about Rev. D. James Kennedy's replacement, Tullian Tchividjian, at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. I believe the "Benedict Option" argument begins with the assumption that a large portion of Christians have ceased to be cultural conservatives because they've grown illiterate regarding their own faith. Thus, a renewed emphasis on teaching them the faith, so that they will embrace the application to the rest of life:
....The feud at Coral Ridge appears mostly to be a matter of style, not substance. Under the leadership of Kennedy, who died in 2007, the church was a forerunner to modern evangelical megachurches, a fiercely conservative voice on social issues including homosexuality and abortion, and a powerful political voice. Tchividjian, 37, took over earlier this year. While he has shown no sign of theological differences with Kennedy, he has rejected politics as the most important force for change, and his sermons have not focused on divisive issues.
-- from the thread Hundreds leave pioneering Fla. megachurch'Preachers these days are expected to major in “Christian moral renovation.” They are expected to provide a practical “to-do” list, rather than announce, “It is finished.” They are expected to do something other than, “more than”, placarding before their congregations eyes Christ’s finished work, preaching a full absolution solely on the basis of the complete righteousness of Another. The irony is, of course, that when preachers cave in to this pressure, moral renovation does not happen. To focus on how I’m doing more than on what Christ has done is Christian narcissism (an oxymoron if I ever heard one)–the poison of self-absorption which undermines the power of the gospel in our lives. Martin Luther noted that “the sin underneath all our sins is the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and that we must take matters into our own hands.”'
-- Tullian Tchividjian, from the thread God's Final Solution
The illiteracy of their own faith may be an important observation, it is undoubtedly true in many cases. How do Christians pull off a “strategic withdrawal {of Christians} from the mainstream of American popular culture” and then reenter the culture with any organized strength or credibility? Can’t the congregants be strengthened in genuine faith without churches backing off and giving toe-holds to the left about issues of homosexual marriage, homosexuality or abortion?
I appreciate your post, BTW.