What matters at this stage is the construction of local forms of community within which civility and the intellectual and moral life can be sustained through the new dark ages which are already upon us. And if the tradition of the virtues was able to survive the horrors of the last dark ages, we are not entirely without grounds for hope. This time however the barbarians are not waiting beyond the frontiers; they have already been governing us for quite some time. And it is our lack of consciousness of this that constitute part of the our predicament. We are waiting…for another – doubtless very different – St Benedict.
Alasadair MacIntyre After Virtue p.263
Local forms of community? The Church, of course – the community that produces saints, like Benedict. What we need is monks, that is, people solely dedicated to singing the praises of God.
