Rod Dreher

Rod Dreher (b. February 14, 1967), originally from St. Francisville, Louisiana, is a Dallas-based writer and editor. He is an editorial writer and columnist for "The Dallas Morning News" and a contributor to "The American Conservative" and "National Review". Previously, he was a film reviewer for the "South Florida Sun-Sentinel" and a columnist for "The New York Post". He also runs a blog called "Crunchy Con" at beliefnet.com.

In 2002, Dreher wrote an essay in "National Review" that explored a subcategory of American conservatism he defined as "granola conservatism," whose adherents he described as "crunchy cons." He defined these individuals as traditional conservatives who believed in environmental conservation, frugal living, and the preservation of traditional family values. They also express skepticism about aspects of free market capitalism and they are usually religious.

Four years later Dreher published a book that expanded upon the themes of this manifesto. This book was "Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, Gun-Loving Organic Gardeners, Evangelical Free-Range Farmers, Hip Homeschooling Mamas, Right-Wing Nature Lovers, and Their Diverse Tribe of Countercultural Conservatives Plan to Save America (or At Least the Republican Party)." [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/02/AR2006050201873_pf.html "Crunchy Culture: Author Rod Dreher Has Defined A Political Hybrid: The All-Natural, Whole-Grain Conservative"] , by Hank Stuever. "The Washington Post", May 3, 2006] He has said he is working on another book of a similar theme. Dreher has suggested on his blog that it may center on "the Benedict Option," the idea that those who want to live with traditional morality should separate themselves to some degree from mainstream society and try to live in intentional communities or other subcultures.

Dreher holds a B.A. in journalism from Louisiana State University. Raised a Methodist, he later converted to Catholicism. On October 12, 2006, he publicly announced his conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy. [ [http://www.beliefnet.com/blogs/crunchycon/2006/10/orthodoxy-and-me.html "Orthodoxy and Me"] ]

Interviews and commentary

* [http://www.nationalreview.com/dreher/dreher071202.asp Birkenstocked Burkeans] , "National Review Online" Commentary, July 12, 2002
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5256754 What Is a Crunchy Conservative?] "National Public Radio" Commentary
* [http://www.afewmomentswith.com/ Interview] on "Fox News Radio"
* [http://www.godspy.com/reviews/Crunchy-Cons-An-Interview-with-Rod-Dreher-by-Angelo-Matera.cfm Crunchy Cons Rising: An Interview with Rod Dreher]

References

External links

* [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/columnists/rdreher/bio/ Mini-bio from The Dallas Morning News]
* [http://www.beliefnet.com/blogs/crunchycon/ Crunchy Con: Beliefnet.com]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/books/review/12kirkpatrick.html?ex=1299819600&en=301cb373c99ae063&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss Moosewood Republicans] New York Times' Book Review
* [http://www.reason.com/news/show/36685.html God, Guts, and Granola] A critical review of Dreher's "Crunchy Cons" by Washington Times' editor R.S. McCain.
* [http://www.nationalreview.com/goldberg/goldberg200603020807.asp Huh? Going After the Crunchies] A critical review of Dreher's "Crunchy Cons" by Jonah Goldberg of National Review.
* [http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=127 Hold the Granola] A critical review of Dreher's "Crunchy Cons" by Gilbert Meilaender in First Things.
* [http://concrunchy.blogspot.com The Contra-Crunchy Conservative] Light-hearted parody and criticism of Crunchy Conservatism.
* [http://www.wrf.ca/comment/article.cfm?ID=215 Has neoconservatism passed its 'Best-Before' date? By Russ Kuykendall] An analytical review of Rod Dreher's "Crunchy Cons".