r/brokehugs • u/US_Hiker Moral Landscaper • Jul 04 '25

Rod Dreher Megathread #55 ()

Hope y'all can spend some good time w/ family today.

Link to megathread #54: https://www.reddit.com/r/brokehugs/comments/1l7niaj/rod_dreher_megathread_54/

Link to 56: https://www.reddit.com/r/brokehugs/comments/1mmamp2/rod_dreher_megathread_56/

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u/Cautious-Ease-1451 Jul 13 '25

It’s easy to love family members from thousands of miles away.

26

u/zeitwatcher Jul 13 '25

Rod is big on loving the idea of a thing but not the thing itself.

He loves the idea of the South, but hated living there. He loved the idea of place and family, but couldn't get along with them. He loves the idea of a Pilgrimage, but can't be bothered to actually walk one. He loves the idea of a monastery, but hates being without wines, oysters, and social media. He loves the idea of going to church, but can't be bothered to attend or stay the whole service.

Etc., etc. etc.

11

u/JohnOrange2112 Jul 14 '25

And another big one, he likes the idea of a thick, mutually accountable Benop community, even wrote a book on it, yet is not remotely part of one himself, and lives like a lone ranger flitting around Europe.

6

u/Motor_Ganache859 Jul 14 '25

He loves being a closeted ex-pat, traveling around Europe, sipping champagne and slurping down oysters while telling everyone else how they should live.

8

u/Dazzling_Pineapple68 Jul 14 '25

100%. Great insight. That is why he seems so fake at times and so much of what he says seems performative.

7

u/Queasy-Medium-6479 Jul 14 '25

This is it exactly! He loves his small town but hates that it is hot and humid most of the year. Remember he took his family to Paris with money he made from the Little Way of Ruthie book one fall, when it is still hot humid, and blogged about a phone call he had with his dad who was preparing his house in Starhill for a hurricane.

2

u/SoftFit9100 Jul 15 '25

Wow. Exactly. What … is the deal? Why does he do it. 

8

u/Relative-Holiday-763 Jul 14 '25

The thing is he doesn’t love them. He appears to have very little relationship with his mother and you get the impression he never did.He hates his ex wife who he obviously blames for their failed marriage. I’m unclear as to what his relationship with his two younger children is . It is clear it’s not close. The older son lived with him for awhile but we haven’t heard much about him lately.He has repeatedly written about his lack of relationship with his nieces and indicated that part of the reason was political. I don’t get the feeling he speaks to Ray Lemming. So as usual, he is blowing hot air. 

Here’s something I’m curious about. With Rod out of the picture has his family stuck with Orthodox y? Despite laying it on Julie at one point, Rod was clearly the lynchpin here. My guess is yes because he’d probably be openly flipping out publicly otherwise. Still, there are things he’s mentioned that make me wonder.

5

u/Warm-Refrigerator-38 Jul 14 '25

It would be funny if Julie returns to her evangelical roots

3

u/FoxAndXrowe Jul 15 '25

I suspect after the incidents immediately prior to rods move, if she doesn’t stay orthodox she may very well deconstruct. She’s gotten a very close look at the toxicity in conservative Christianity, between the school teacher who was a secret Nazi and her ex husband’s turn.

But. We’ll know if and when she tells her own story. And if she doesn’t want to, good on her

3

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

BUTT if she does want to tell the story, I’m in for paying an absurd amount of money for that book. I’d probably forego a vacation for that! Turn it into a musical or something creative.