In Praise of Division, by Hunter Leonard

By Hunter Leonard, Crisis Magazine, June 8, 2021

Hunter Leonard is a passionate Catholic with an intense love for learning about and sharing the Faith. He holds an M.A. in Theology from the Augustine Institute and a B.A. in English from California State University at Northridge. …

There’s no doubt we’re living in a time marked by extreme divisions. Whether it be political candidates and parties, economics and foreign policy, marriage and abortion, gender and race—we are a divided nation and a divided people. Religion is not exempt from the plague of division. Today, Catholics are extremely divided on a host of topics, whether it be Vatican II and the liturgy, the morality of vaccines and masking, Pope Francis and the USCCB—we are just as divided as the rest of the world.

In the face of such widespread division, there can be a real temptation to strive for false unity and cohesion. While the desire for unity is, of course, a good one, we must recognize that unity—in and of itself—is not the highest good we ought to strive for. This temptation can be especially strong for Christians. …

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