Our readings in this series are from the book, The Church Captive. Here is a brief excerpt from pages 28 and 29:
“The desert fathers of the third and fourth centuries believed that they could be helped on their way in loving God and their neighbors by fleeing from churches that had become too materialistic, competitive, routinized, comfortable, and lax in spiritual life. They would have said that the Church of their day had become captive to the ways of the world, with which an easy peace had been forged. Their sayings and example confront us with the question of whether we in our generation have become captive in our affections to things other than Christ.
“Some would say this is the case today, and are calling for recovering the austere and renewing life of monastic retreat. Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option calls the Church to wake up to its worldly captivity and look to the ancient paths for renewal in the reality of faith. His book has been widely reviewed, discussed, and debated in many Christian circles…
“Does all the buzz around the Benedict Option indicate that the Church today is captive? Are we in need of some key to unlock the shackles of worldliness that are keeping us from the simplicity and reality that are in Christ?”
Now, and for a limited time, you can order The Church Captive together with the next book in our Read Moore series, Revived!, at no cost. Order copies for yourself and for a study group or companion. A free discussion guide is available as well.
T. M. Moore.
