De Lubac and The Augustinian Option

Some years ago, the American writer Rod Dreher wrote The Benedict Option. In this book, Dreher argues that common ecclesial life is in decline and hence endangers the continuation of christian faith itself. Rather than opt for a restorationist strategy, Dreher suggests a tactical retreat: the church should build a parallel society because the temptations of secular culture are too strong.
In this paper, I sketch how De Lubac fought against theocratic notions by suggesting a mystical reading of Augustine’s De Civitate Dei. I argue that De Lubac’s Augustinian option points the church of today in a more helpful direction than Dreher.