Trent Horn: Dangers of Progressive Catholicism Book Review

In the introduction to his new book: Confusion in the Kingdom: How “Progressive” Catholicism Is Damaging and Scandalizing the Churchauthor and apologist Trent Horn explains his motives for writing a book that many will consider divisive.

He says:

As long as someone affirms what the Church teaches, rejects what the Church opposes, and allows disagreement on matters on which the Church has no teaching, I generally have no problem with him. But I do have a problem with the liberal Catholic who ignores what is obligatory, celebrates what is evil, and dogmatizes what might be a matter of reasonable disagreement. (emphasis added)

He continues:

Instead of mandating good (as conservatives often do), evil is more often allowed. It sows confusion about whether it is okay to engage in homosexual behavior, have an abortion, or use contraception. And instead of banning the permitted, the obligatory often becomes optional. (emphasis added)

Moreover, as someone who also writes about the dangers of progressive Catholicism, Horn’s book comes at a crucial time within the Church. Many will criticize Horn’s book and write it off as merely an attempt at the “culture wars” of a conservative Catholic. However, given the well-researched and thorough examination of primary progressive sources such as The Catholic reporter, America, Commonwealth, Where Peter is, and figures like Fr. James Martin, SJ, Horn presents an exceptionally damning case against progressive Catholicism.

Below I highlight some of his best arguments and key points. I also highly recommend this book to any serious Catholic thinker. Five out of five stars.

Sexual ethics

If there’s one issue that progressive Catholics are upset about, it’s the Church’s teaching on sexual ethics. Writing long enough in support of the Church’s position on human sexuality guarantees the eventual label of “culture warrior,” “idealogue,” or, worse, “conservative.” Now, progressive Catholics like Father Fr. James Martin may scoff at this accusation, but Horn provides the proof. With regard to Motte and Bailey’s doctrine, Horn makes the following comment.

Someone will hold the “baily,” or hold a desirable position that is logically weak and therefore easy to refute (such as a liberal Catholic saying that Pete Buttigieg is “married”). When the baily is then attacked (as when faithful Catholics point out that the Church says these are not marriages), the person will retreat to the less desirable view that is easier to defend: the motte. For Fr. Martin, that’s the qualifier for Pete Buttigieg being “legally married.”

Another name for this strategy is ‘bait and switch’. And as someone who engages in debates with progressive Catholics, I can attest to the frequent use of the Motte and Baily tactic. It can even be used in the comments section of this article.

Ideology and sex

Furthermore, the question of sexual ethics leads to what constitutes a valid or invalid Catholic anthropology. Recently, the Vatican addressed this issue with the document Dignitas Infinita (DI). To read my thoughts on the document, click here. Contrary to valid Catholic anthropology, progressive Catholics tend to mimic the current cultural zeitgeist, which in turn causes confusion, damage, and scandal. Completely agree with DIHorn quotes the late Pope Benedict XVI in 2008:

What is often expressed and understood by the term “gender” ultimately ends up as man’s attempt at self-emancipation from creation and the Creator.

Moreover, Horn does not mince his words in his criticism of the progressive priest Fr. Daniel Horan. Fr. Horan often criticizes “conservatives” for their outdated anthropology, based on Thomistic philosophy, which identifies categories of male, female, and human as immutable.

It is also ironic that Fr. Horan complains that critics don’t have a universal definition of “gender ideology,” but sees no problem with transgender advocates not having a universal definition of “woman.” They don’t even have that a meaning beyond useless circulars such as ‘a woman is anyone who claims to be a woman’.

For the record: Fr. Horan, the anthropology of St. Thomas Aquinas IS the anthropology of the Catholic Church. You and others may want to change this fact, but the fact remains.

Pro-Life vs. Other problems

Many progressive Catholics complain that Catholics in general focus too much on abortion and not enough on “other lives” issues such as poverty, immigration and the environment. They often turn to Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s “seamless garment” to place abortion on the same level as poverty, immigration and the environment. In response, Horn directly quotes Cardinal Bernadine and his dismay at those on the “left” who have adopted and abused his concept. Horn makes a poignant observation that abortion is just one issue among many.

…making abortion just “one problem among many” does not increase the urgency of addressing other problems– it only reduces the urgency of helping the unborn and justifies ignoring it. (emphasis added)

Hoorn’s conclusions

Trent Horn’s book covers many other topics not covered in this review, including: feminist theology, liberation theology, eucharistic theology, biblical reliability, apologetics, racism, and gun violence. In short, this book addresses all the current issues that progressive Catholics care about and the future they envision for the Catholic Church. Horn ends his book on a sad note. He laments that progressive Catholicism is abandoning the people who need God and His Church most. About progressive Catholicism he says:

It causes them (those who need God and His Church) to downplay the spiritual view of conscience and guilt. Because they have not completely hardened their hearts by becoming outright dissenters, they can still hear God’s voice calling them to repent of supporting or participating in sins such as sodomy and abortion. But instead of responding to God’s voice, they turn inward and find useless expressions for their natural religiosity. For example, while granting freedom of conscience to the most hardened sexual libertine who says he is Catholic, they fixate on Catholics who own guns or are Republican, claiming that in reality they are the ones who need to convert because they are “the Church ruin. ”

Final thoughts…

Finally, I would like to reiterate my assessment that this book gets five out of five stars. Always an apologist on the subject, Trent Horn applies his exceptional skills to the problems inherent in progressive Catholicism. Of greatest concern to Horn (and yours truly) when it comes to progressive Catholicism is the effect on the soul it causes. In short, it “celebrates what is evil, and dogmatizes what might be a matter of reasonable disagreement.” Go outside and get this book.

Thank you!

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