The Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity

Short Review: The publisher is clearly trying to get the attention being paid to the Benedict Option, but this is more about the 1675 book Pia Desideria, which defined the pietist movement than actually interacting with Dreher's book. And I am glad about that. I was a bit reluctant to pick this up because I didn't want to spend any more time thinking about Dreher.

This is a short, pastorally focused book that attempts to refocused our Christianity on the continual renewal of our faith by paying attention to:
A more extensive listening to the Word of God
The common priesthood for the common good
Christianity as life
The irenic spirit
Whole-person, whole-life formation
Proclaiming the good news

What I like about this book is the focus not just on belief, but on the orientation and tone of our faith. Not to be politically correct or weak on belief, but to correct an over emphasis on right belief and an under emphasis on right practice.

I don't think I would have used the word pietist to describe my faith orientation before this, but I think that it is probably a more accurate descriptor of my orientation within Christianity than Evangelical is. No word is really perfect. But in the hubbub around the word Evangelical I think this might be one part of a discussion that I have not heard

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/pietist-option/