Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

Rod Dreher, the New York Times bestselling author of "The Benedict Option," highlights the potential threats facing American Christians by drawing on the insights of Christians who survived Soviet oppression. According to Dreher, émigrés from the former Soviet Union have repeatedly pointed out to him that America is beginning to show early signs of a soft totalitarianism, more akin to what is described in "Brave New World" than "Nineteen Eighty-Four." The growing influence of identity politics is encroaching on various facets of daily life, while civil liberties are increasingly viewed as obstacles to security. Progressive forces tend to marginalize conservative, traditional Christians along with other dissenting voices. The combined forces of technology and consumerism pave the way for a corporate surveillance state. Moreover, the pandemic's economic impact renders the nation particularly susceptible to the sway of demagogues. In "Live Not By Lies," Dreher shares the urgent messages from individuals who resisted totalitarian regimes, illustrating that modern-day threats rely more on psychological rather than physical coercion. By recounting experiences from Soviet Union and Eastern Europe dissidents, Dreher offers American Christians practical guidance to detect and combat these encroaching threats. Inspired by a pastor from World War II-era Eastern Europe who warned his followers about the advent of communism, "Live Not By Lies" provides a framework for resistance with three core principles: recognizing reality, evaluating it through a Christian lens, and taking steps to defend the truth. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once underlined the peril of underestimating the possibility of totalitarianism within one's own nation, and Dreher echoes this sentiment. As many American Christians remain oblivious to the gradual loss of their freedoms, "Live Not By Lies" aims to awaken and prepare them for sustained resistance.