Options Benedict and Jeremiah in Higher Education

At my church, many high schoolers chose to attend a Christian college. At my (extremely) secular high school, not one student did. Indeed, I doubt that one even considered it. This religious vs. secular decision has extraordinary ramifications for one’s college experience, both inside and outside the classroom. Of course, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all correct choice; some students should attend a Christian school, while others would grow more in a secular one. This point, I believe, demonstrates the error of the Benedict/Jeremiah dichotomy. But first, let’s establish what these two options advocate.

The Benedict Option receives inspiration from Alasdair MacIntyre’s seminal work After Virtue. After pursuing many ethical and political investigations throughout the book, he concludes that we have entered a new spiritual dark age. To survive, he argues, we must wait for another St. Benedict. This reference to St. Benedict, however, seemingly comes out of nowhere and is the final line of the book. He does not lay out even briefly what he means or how we should proceed. Rod Dreher defines the option as “creating small, stable communities within which we can live out faith and virtue together.” Let’s run with this definition.

The Jeremiah Option receives inspiration from the prophet Jeremiah’s exilic writings. Most pertinently, he implores Israelites to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).

Of course, the education analogy is imperfect. When students at religious institutions graduate, many enter the “secular” world and live out what they have learned. It is a temporary community. But this analogy, imperfect though it is, indicates the flaws of gravitating too far toward either pole. On the one hand, withdrawing too much can render your community and values irrelevant in the public square. It’s great that you are retaining your Christian values, but how are you being salt and light to the world around you? On the other, immersing oneself too much into contemporary culture compromises one’s Christian identity. This point is illustrated starkly by sociologist Mark Regnerus’s findings about churches that accept same-sex marriage; their beliefs about all sexual issues (including infidelity, abortion, pornography, etc.) are remarkably similar to those of our culture. When choosing between Christianity and culture, then, culture can never win. Siding with cultural norms (which change on a whim) compromises Christianity.

Maybe the two options are not as incompatible as they seem. No one who supports the Benedict Option advocates complete isolation. And Jeremiah certainly didn’t care about the Israelites studying up on the latest trends. Each option should influence our spiritual walks. The Benedict Option reminds us not to compartmentalize our faith. We cannot turn off our Christianity or compromise our values as soon as we leave church. The Jeremiah Option reminds us of our calling to serve our neighbors and our communities. The former certainly offers a more pessimistic outlook, but both can acknowledge the depravity of our culture. But first and foremost, we must all acknowledge the depravity of ourselves. Whatever we do, we must proceed from there.