culture

#FaithandCulture Reading: Benedict Option, Talking Sexuality with Teens, ‘Great British Baking Show’ and Reading Tips

Post Icon

What is the Abrahamic Alternative to the Benedict Option? How can you address sexuality with teenagers? Why does our post-Christian culture need to hear a better story from us? What can we learn from The Great British Baking Show? And how can you read more efficiently?

Get answers to these questions and more from Bruce Ashford, Michael Guyer, Abigail Murrish, Hugh Whelchel and Dougald McLaurin in today’s #FaithandCulture Reading.


An Abrahamic Alternative to the Benedict Option

Rod Dreher’s Benedict Option has stirred intense debate. In this article, Bruce Ashford responds to the book with an “Abrahamic Alternative to Dreher’s Benedict Option.” He explains,

I would suggest a slightly different path than Dreher’s Benedict Option. When as Christians we find ourselves in a position of social, cultural, and political weakness, and when we agree that the church is in sore need of building up its own internal resources, it does not follow that we should also and at the same time minimize our political involvement. Instead, we should hold these two aspects of the Christian life in balance; we should construct a resilient ecclesial counterculture while simultaneously working for the common good via political means. Read More>>

4 Essential Aspects of Addressing Sexuality with Teenagers

Michael Guyer offers wisdom for how parents and churches can talk about sexuality in this article at The Ethics and Religious Liberty CommissionHe writes,

We must talk about the uncomfortable issues—homosexuality, same-sex attraction, gender fluidity, pornography, and sexual immorality—and we must do so clearly and compassionately. We cannot retreat out of fear or remain silent out of ignorance in either the home or the church. Now is the time for honest answers to hard questions. Read More>>

The Power of Story: Why Our Post-Christian Culture Needs One Now

Over at The Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, Hugh Whelchel writes about the importance of stories. He writes,

Truth is, we as believers do have the better arguments and the truth. Why have we lost the ability to influence the culture around us? Part of the answer lies in the fact that over the last century we have lost the ability to tell the story of the gospel in a relevant and powerful way. Read More>>

The Great British Baking Show: A Lesson in Image Bearing

What can we learn about limitations and creativity from the popular Great British Baking Show? Much, explains Abigail Murrish in this powerful article at Christ and Pop Culture. She writes,

The Great British Baking Show embodies the truth that parameters don’t necessitate suppression. Rather, they often provide a framework that spurs us to truth, beauty, and goodness instead of floundering in unrealized, undefined possibility. Read More>>

Reading More Better

The school year is just around the corner. In this article, Dougald McLaurin offers a few handy reading tips which will serve you well this semesterHere’s an excerpt from our sister blog, Between the Times:

Reading, to a certain extent, is word recognition—but it is more than this. Reading is the recognition of and active engagement with ideas. This is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. Read More>>

What are you reading this weekend?

Email Signup

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

  • culture
  • Weekend Reading
Center for Faith and Culture

The L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture seeks to engage culture as salt and light, presenting the Christian faith and demonstrating its implications for all areas of human existence.

More to Explore

Never miss an episode, article, or study.

Sign up for the Christ and Culture newsletter now!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.