Anthony Stevens-Arroyo redefines "conservative" and "liberal" Catholics as "retro" and "purpose-driven" in a blog post this week at On Faith. Here is how he groups Catholics:
The Purpose Driven Catholic differs from the Retro Catholic because the guiding principle seeks an immediate impact of the faith on society. While the Retro Catholic emphasizes tradition as a guide and seeks to remedy conflict by a return to practices that previously insured normalcy, the Purpose Driven Catholic is more willing to engage the contemporary and blaze new paths through the maze of social issues in a pluralistic world."
He goes on offer examples of how these divisions play out in abortion and same-sex marriage. Categorizations often fail but certainly "liberal" and "conservative" often don't work when talking about Catholics. I'm curious of what our diverse mix of readers think of these categories. Do you fit in one of the categories and would you be proud to call yourself one or the other? Can you accept his statement that "Retro and Purpose Driven Catholics do not differ on doctrine and one is not less Catholic than the other"?
H/T to The Deacon's Bench
