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Trojan Horse in the City of God: The Catholic Crisis Explained
Uncover the philosophical and theological roots of the issues that rock the Church today; come to understand why Catholics get so heated about them. This acclaimed 1967 work has become an international classic because of its ability to go beyond the liberal/conservative impasse to the heart of the Catholic crisis.
303 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1967
11 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Dietrich von Hildebrand
76 books210 followersDietrich von Hildebrand was a German Catholic philosopher and theologian who was called (informally) by Pope Pius XII "the 20th Century Doctor of the Church."
Pope John Paul II greatly admired the work of von Hildebrand, remarking once to von Hildebrand's widow, Alice von Hildebrand, "Your husband is one of the great ethicists of the twentieth century." Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has a particular admiration and regard for Dietrich von Hildebrand, whom he already knew as a young priest in Munich. In fact, as young Fr. Ratzinger, he even served as an assistant pastor in the church of St. Georg in Munich, which von Hildebrand frequented in the 1950s and 1960s. It was also in St. Georg that Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand were married.
The degree of Pope Benedict's esteem is expressed in one of his statements about von Hildebrand, "When the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time." Von Hildebrand was a vocal critic of the changes in the church brought by the Second Vatican Council. He especially resented the new liturgy. Of it he said "Truly, if one of the devils in C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters had been entrusted with the ruin of the liturgy, he could not have done it better."
Von Hildebrand died in New Rochelle, New York, in 1977.
Pope John Paul II greatly admired the work of von Hildebrand, remarking once to von Hildebrand's widow, Alice von Hildebrand, "Your husband is one of the great ethicists of the twentieth century." Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has a particular admiration and regard for Dietrich von Hildebrand, whom he already knew as a young priest in Munich. In fact, as young Fr. Ratzinger, he even served as an assistant pastor in the church of St. Georg in Munich, which von Hildebrand frequented in the 1950s and 1960s. It was also in St. Georg that Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand were married.
The degree of Pope Benedict's esteem is expressed in one of his statements about von Hildebrand, "When the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time." Von Hildebrand was a vocal critic of the changes in the church brought by the Second Vatican Council. He especially resented the new liturgy. Of it he said "Truly, if one of the devils in C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters had been entrusted with the ruin of the liturgy, he could not have done it better."
Von Hildebrand died in New Rochelle, New York, in 1977.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 14, 2008
This is an excellent book. The author was not out to make friends in writing it, apparently. He covers all the philosphical and theological problems in the Church in the Vatican II era. It's exceptionally clear and simple, devout and charitable, but not pretty: he lines up and knocks down a complete list of heresies, with special attention to those of Teilhard de Chardin. Mind you, I'm not sure that anyone takes him de Chardin seriously anymore, which might be a shortcoming of this book: it was written in the sixties, and could be a bit dated. Anyway, I would recommend it for thinking laymen.
February 13, 2013
The Councils of the Church were called at various times in history in order to combat a heresy or to otherwise clarify an important matter of Church Teaching. Man's ingenuity, however, is virtually endless. He is able to invent error virtually at will, which is why heresies have been combated since the very beginning of the Church.
It is interesting, therefore, how swiftly following the Second Vatican Council this book was written. Its purpose, of course, is to guard against, and to correct, misinterpretations of the documents of Vatican II. The devil has always worked against God's creation and the Salvation he offers to us. He continues in this effort by attempting to sow confusion. Anytime there is a major movement in the Church, such an opportunity for confusion presents itself.
Vatican II was called not to change the Church, but to correct misunderstandings and to insure that the teachings of the Church were understood and, more importantly, were properly understood in the current times. This book explains how the True Church did not change, but many have tried to change it. There is a difference between translating the Bible into modern language, accommodating the changes in vocabulary and idioms and the meanings of particular words, and rewriting the very words of the Bible.
A mark of a timeless work is that it is always timely. This book, 45 years old, is still cutting-edge current. Dietrich von Hildebrand patiently takes his readers through various secular philosophies. He carefully explicates the issues of Faith and the moral eternal teachings of the Catholic Church and how others attempt to coopt these teachings and lead others astray by the subtle use of vocabulary. One must always look to the substance of what is said, and not be misled by the pleasant sound of the words.
Hildebrand lived through the horrors of National Socialism and saw firsthand the evils of communism. He warns against the union of the Church with such ideologies. At the same time, it is not a full endorsement of capitalism. He presciently warned of the crisis within the Church engendered by historical relativism and temporal parochialism. He cogently set forth the difference between the study of science and science fetishism, and their relationship to Faith.
Ultimately, this book is not only a strong defense of the Catholic Faith, but is a warning sign and a guidepost to help the faithful avoid being misled by popular fads in thinking and in the secular world. It is also a reminder that Christ has called us to be a sign of contradiction in the world, and that the way of the World is frequently not the way of God.
While the thoughts are deep, the writing is very readable and are set forth in a fashion that is at once persuasive and accessible.
It is interesting, therefore, how swiftly following the Second Vatican Council this book was written. Its purpose, of course, is to guard against, and to correct, misinterpretations of the documents of Vatican II. The devil has always worked against God's creation and the Salvation he offers to us. He continues in this effort by attempting to sow confusion. Anytime there is a major movement in the Church, such an opportunity for confusion presents itself.
Vatican II was called not to change the Church, but to correct misunderstandings and to insure that the teachings of the Church were understood and, more importantly, were properly understood in the current times. This book explains how the True Church did not change, but many have tried to change it. There is a difference between translating the Bible into modern language, accommodating the changes in vocabulary and idioms and the meanings of particular words, and rewriting the very words of the Bible.
A mark of a timeless work is that it is always timely. This book, 45 years old, is still cutting-edge current. Dietrich von Hildebrand patiently takes his readers through various secular philosophies. He carefully explicates the issues of Faith and the moral eternal teachings of the Catholic Church and how others attempt to coopt these teachings and lead others astray by the subtle use of vocabulary. One must always look to the substance of what is said, and not be misled by the pleasant sound of the words.
Hildebrand lived through the horrors of National Socialism and saw firsthand the evils of communism. He warns against the union of the Church with such ideologies. At the same time, it is not a full endorsement of capitalism. He presciently warned of the crisis within the Church engendered by historical relativism and temporal parochialism. He cogently set forth the difference between the study of science and science fetishism, and their relationship to Faith.
Ultimately, this book is not only a strong defense of the Catholic Faith, but is a warning sign and a guidepost to help the faithful avoid being misled by popular fads in thinking and in the secular world. It is also a reminder that Christ has called us to be a sign of contradiction in the world, and that the way of the World is frequently not the way of God.
While the thoughts are deep, the writing is very readable and are set forth in a fashion that is at once persuasive and accessible.
January 11, 2015
A brief and concise introduction to the changes that happened after the Second Vatican Council. If you think Iota Unum by Romano Amerio is too heavy to digest, then Trojan Horse must be easy-to-read book because it offers straightforward analysis. It's a must-read book for Catholic traditionalist who wants to get an overall picture of the errors that infect the post-concilliar Church and how to combat them.
April 19, 2022
Although I probably have learned very few new things from reading it, I have nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed this famous "forbidden" book, a philosophical treatise exposing the errors of liberal and progressive catholics, which the "catholic" publishing company owing the copyright constantly refuse to reprint... perhaps mostly due to the incredibly upright and courageous epilogue, in which von Hildebrand directly calls out many of his contemporary self-labelled "catholic" theologians as heretics, traitors and false prophets - they have lost their faith, they have become deaf to the message of Christ, they have sold Him for the recognition of the world. As to the rest, there is laid up for them an eternal hellfire, which the Lord the just judge will render to them in that day (reversing 2 Timothy 4:7-8). As a prime example, von Hildebrand specifically analysed the bankrupted theology of Fr. Teilhard de Chardin SJ, the celebrated "scientist-priest-prophet" of many Vatican II catholics, and pointed out how this "apparently faithful" good father was in fact appallingly treacherous by subtly preaching a vicious form of pantheism covered in orthodox christian terminologies. "He is most anxious in defending Christ... but what a Christ that is!" No, by defending "Christ", Fr. de Chardin has dishonoured Him, disfigured Him, dismembered Him. Today more than ever, we need people like von Hildebrand, brave as lion and skilful as lancet in telling the truth against the lies of the evil one.
August 28, 2025
Chyba jestem zbyt modernistyczna, żeby w pełni docenić tę książkę i wszystkie zawarte w niej myśli. Niemniej uważam, że warto po nią sięgnąć, przeczytać i wyrobić sobie swoją własną opinię.
Osobiście miałam różne momenty. Czasami kompletnie się nie zgadzałam z wypowiadaną tam krytyką, żeby później przytakiwać i myśleć „dokładnie, dokładnie tak jest”. Momentami miałam wrażenie, że czytam narzekanie dla narzekania, a czasem... po prostu nie rozumiałam słów i nie wiedziałam o co chodzi (dlatego przy tych fragmentach odpływałam). Zdecydowanym plusem jest to, że nie mamy tutaj do czynienia ze ślepym wychwalaniem czegokolwiek lub kogokolwiek (ani świeckich, ani duchownych, ani filozofów itd).
Doceniam ugruntowaną wiarę pana Hildebranda i życzę Kościołowi więcej myślicieli, którzy tak na poważnie przyglądają się swojej wierze. Myślę, że jeszcze kiedyś znów sięgnę po tego autora, chociaż dopiero za jakiś czas.
Osobiście miałam różne momenty. Czasami kompletnie się nie zgadzałam z wypowiadaną tam krytyką, żeby później przytakiwać i myśleć „dokładnie, dokładnie tak jest”. Momentami miałam wrażenie, że czytam narzekanie dla narzekania, a czasem... po prostu nie rozumiałam słów i nie wiedziałam o co chodzi (dlatego przy tych fragmentach odpływałam). Zdecydowanym plusem jest to, że nie mamy tutaj do czynienia ze ślepym wychwalaniem czegokolwiek lub kogokolwiek (ani świeckich, ani duchownych, ani filozofów itd).
Doceniam ugruntowaną wiarę pana Hildebranda i życzę Kościołowi więcej myślicieli, którzy tak na poważnie przyglądają się swojej wierze. Myślę, że jeszcze kiedyś znów sięgnę po tego autora, chociaż dopiero za jakiś czas.
October 23, 2020
The quote that sums up this book pretty well is:
"We wish to repeat emphatically: there is no closed, homogenous epoch in history; there is no 'modern man.' And most important of all, man always remains the same in his essential structure, in his destiny, in his potentialities, in his desires, and in his moral dangers; and this is true notwithstanding all the changes that take place in the external conditions of his life. There is and has been but one essential historical change in the metaphysical and moral situation of man: the advent of Christ and the salvation of mankind and reconciliation with God through Christ's death on the Cross."
"We wish to repeat emphatically: there is no closed, homogenous epoch in history; there is no 'modern man.' And most important of all, man always remains the same in his essential structure, in his destiny, in his potentialities, in his desires, and in his moral dangers; and this is true notwithstanding all the changes that take place in the external conditions of his life. There is and has been but one essential historical change in the metaphysical and moral situation of man: the advent of Christ and the salvation of mankind and reconciliation with God through Christ's death on the Cross."
February 17, 2023
What I admire most in Von Hildebrand is something not particularly philosophical or even something the distinctness of which he was aware of: namely that he truly belongs to a "before" time which has since been utterly lost.
The *real,* not affected or inauthentic disgust he feels for sin has more or less vanished completely from the western world, along with the total inability in him to understand or appreciate our degraded forms of modern music, art, for what they ultimately are... deviations which are finally untrue to human nature.
It is in these singularly stubborn and even "irrational" things (in that they are not a question of logical proof) that I find him most appealing, most interesting, most admirable.
But his ideas are also brilliant.
The two notions that really stick with me from this book are his idea that the truth is not a mean between opposites and his distinction between faith *of* and faith *in.*
First, the non-synthetic notion of truth. Each pole of falsehood is untrue to the "exaggerated" pole, not just the "neglected" pole. In fact, it's wrong to speak of one pole as being exaggerated. It is also neglected, albeit in a less obvious sense than its opposite.
The example he gives is between individualism and communitarianism. Individualism does not give the individual enough credit. It fails to see that the individual, by its nature, needs communities (how relevant for the modern developed world!) And the opposite error, communitarianism, does not give communities enough credit—they are most themselves when they are collections of individuals.
So the truth is not a mean between these two poles (a little bit of anomie and a little bit of collectivism)... but some higher truth which unites and transcends them both.
The other idea is faith *in* vs. faith *that*. Christian faith is essentially a faith *in* Christ, submission to a person. It surpasses rational conviction, which we may have for the proposition truths of faith. This is something the late Pope Benedict stressed during his papacy—that Christianity is essentially a relationship with a person, not an intellectual worldview, however sublime.
Another interesting idea he puts forth is the distinction between morality and ethics. Morality is a question of values, ethics their philosophical formulation.
This could clear up a lot of confusion about the modern world and its value-confusing (which condition I think we all share, wittingly or not). Frequently we think that our values depend on arguments. But really, they're either truths we recognize (and accordingly order) or falsehoods which we misrecognize (and accordingly dis-order).
This idea still has a great deal of relevance. For example, many in the Catholic Church try to defend certain aspects of the natural law by bolstering or relying on St. Thomas' arguments for them. I think of Edward Feser and his attempted rehabilitation of some Thomistic ideas. But Von Hildebrand concedes that these arguments may be weak, but that in itself does not overturn the moral ideal, because the ideal is not based on intellectual arguments. This is a very valuable insight to recapture, and one which is somewhat inextricable from his obvious "old-Europe" personality.
In a sense he reminds me of Tolkien. One of those astonishing dinosaurs who were, in a very true sense, the last of their race. Yet in both cases, their spirit was so great that it was able to establish a bridge between the dying world and our own (the dead one), such that continuity wouldn't be totally lost.
The *real,* not affected or inauthentic disgust he feels for sin has more or less vanished completely from the western world, along with the total inability in him to understand or appreciate our degraded forms of modern music, art, for what they ultimately are... deviations which are finally untrue to human nature.
It is in these singularly stubborn and even "irrational" things (in that they are not a question of logical proof) that I find him most appealing, most interesting, most admirable.
But his ideas are also brilliant.
The two notions that really stick with me from this book are his idea that the truth is not a mean between opposites and his distinction between faith *of* and faith *in.*
First, the non-synthetic notion of truth. Each pole of falsehood is untrue to the "exaggerated" pole, not just the "neglected" pole. In fact, it's wrong to speak of one pole as being exaggerated. It is also neglected, albeit in a less obvious sense than its opposite.
The example he gives is between individualism and communitarianism. Individualism does not give the individual enough credit. It fails to see that the individual, by its nature, needs communities (how relevant for the modern developed world!) And the opposite error, communitarianism, does not give communities enough credit—they are most themselves when they are collections of individuals.
So the truth is not a mean between these two poles (a little bit of anomie and a little bit of collectivism)... but some higher truth which unites and transcends them both.
The other idea is faith *in* vs. faith *that*. Christian faith is essentially a faith *in* Christ, submission to a person. It surpasses rational conviction, which we may have for the proposition truths of faith. This is something the late Pope Benedict stressed during his papacy—that Christianity is essentially a relationship with a person, not an intellectual worldview, however sublime.
Another interesting idea he puts forth is the distinction between morality and ethics. Morality is a question of values, ethics their philosophical formulation.
This could clear up a lot of confusion about the modern world and its value-confusing (which condition I think we all share, wittingly or not). Frequently we think that our values depend on arguments. But really, they're either truths we recognize (and accordingly order) or falsehoods which we misrecognize (and accordingly dis-order).
This idea still has a great deal of relevance. For example, many in the Catholic Church try to defend certain aspects of the natural law by bolstering or relying on St. Thomas' arguments for them. I think of Edward Feser and his attempted rehabilitation of some Thomistic ideas. But Von Hildebrand concedes that these arguments may be weak, but that in itself does not overturn the moral ideal, because the ideal is not based on intellectual arguments. This is a very valuable insight to recapture, and one which is somewhat inextricable from his obvious "old-Europe" personality.
In a sense he reminds me of Tolkien. One of those astonishing dinosaurs who were, in a very true sense, the last of their race. Yet in both cases, their spirit was so great that it was able to establish a bridge between the dying world and our own (the dead one), such that continuity wouldn't be totally lost.
September 21, 2023
Fairly prophetic take on modernization in the Church. Written during turbulent papacy of Paul VI. Dietrich is respectful of existing thought but sufficiently critical of false teachers. In particular Teilhard de Chardin.
“A disastrous habit of certain theologians popular among progressive Catholics is their equivocal use of terms. One crucial example is their use of the term future. One moment it refers to eternity, the next to the historical future — that is, to the generation to come in the course of human history. But eternity and the historical future are such totally different realities that the term future cannot be used for both without falling into a complete equivocation. Teilhard de Chardin’s naturalistic and evolutionalistic interpretation of man’s destiny had obviously played a role in promoting this confusion.” (Chapter 23 Dialogue)
“A disastrous habit of certain theologians popular among progressive Catholics is their equivocal use of terms. One crucial example is their use of the term future. One moment it refers to eternity, the next to the historical future — that is, to the generation to come in the course of human history. But eternity and the historical future are such totally different realities that the term future cannot be used for both without falling into a complete equivocation. Teilhard de Chardin’s naturalistic and evolutionalistic interpretation of man’s destiny had obviously played a role in promoting this confusion.” (Chapter 23 Dialogue)
February 3, 2017
This is a very good book that anyone who is Catholic probably should read. I do not understand why material like this was not taught in my Catholic high school.
While this is not only for Catholics, it is helpful if you have an interest in the Second Vatican Council. It spends a lot of time going into detail on what happened and how some people improperly interpreted it.
If you are neither Catholic nor interested in the Second Vatican Council, you might find this book to be a bit dull.
While this is not only for Catholics, it is helpful if you have an interest in the Second Vatican Council. It spends a lot of time going into detail on what happened and how some people improperly interpreted it.
If you are neither Catholic nor interested in the Second Vatican Council, you might find this book to be a bit dull.
March 15, 2020
Great book. Would have been good to include more primary citations. He very thoroughly outlines the various fronts in which “the termites” are working to devour the Church’s bulwarks from the inside. There is a reason this went out of print, and it wasn’t because it wasn’t relevant.
March 3, 2022
A well laid out philosophical and theological breakdown of the errors of the modernist/ progressive Catholic mindset and initiatives. This is a 'sit down and read a section then mull over what you have read' type of book. Worth reading.
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September 4, 2021A must read for everyone interested in the Catholic Church and the cataclysm that followed the Second Vatican Council.
August 31, 2023
I enjoyed much of von Hildebrand's observations and analysis. My only major objections were his complete misunderstanding of Lutheran theology the few times he references it.
October 21, 2024
A FAMOUS CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHER LOOKS AT THE "CRISIS" (circa 1967)
Dietrich von Hildebrand (1889-1977) was a German Catholic philosopher and theologian, and the author of many books (e.g., 'The New Tower of Babel: Modern Man's Flight from God') from a conservative Catholic perspective.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1967 book, "This book is addressed to all those who are still aware of the metaphysical situation of man, to those who have resisted brainwashing by secular slogans, who still possess the longing for God and are still conscious of a need for redemption... This book seeks to appeal to those in whom a sense of real depth and grandeur is to be found..."
He begins by stating that "the idea of a 'progressive Catholic' ... is an oxymoron." (Pg. 10) Later, he notes that "The Nicene Creed speaks with great simplicity and lucidity of this impenetrable mystery (the Incarnation). The Jesuit Karl Rahner, on the contrary, replaces this mystery with obscure, abstract speculation... (where) facts lose their preciseness and the mysteries are replaced by confusing rationalizations." (Pg. 171)
He decries "the great secularizing error of our time: the idea that religion should be adapted to man, rather than man to religion." (Pg. 198) He also rejects Teilhard de Chardin: "His success in wrapping a pantheistic, gnostic monism is Christian garments is most evident in 'The Divine Milieu.'" (Pg. 291)
The modern reprinting of von Hildebrand's books such as this one indicates their continuing relevance to many modern Catholics.
Dietrich von Hildebrand (1889-1977) was a German Catholic philosopher and theologian, and the author of many books (e.g., 'The New Tower of Babel: Modern Man's Flight from God') from a conservative Catholic perspective.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1967 book, "This book is addressed to all those who are still aware of the metaphysical situation of man, to those who have resisted brainwashing by secular slogans, who still possess the longing for God and are still conscious of a need for redemption... This book seeks to appeal to those in whom a sense of real depth and grandeur is to be found..."
He begins by stating that "the idea of a 'progressive Catholic' ... is an oxymoron." (Pg. 10) Later, he notes that "The Nicene Creed speaks with great simplicity and lucidity of this impenetrable mystery (the Incarnation). The Jesuit Karl Rahner, on the contrary, replaces this mystery with obscure, abstract speculation... (where) facts lose their preciseness and the mysteries are replaced by confusing rationalizations." (Pg. 171)
He decries "the great secularizing error of our time: the idea that religion should be adapted to man, rather than man to religion." (Pg. 198) He also rejects Teilhard de Chardin: "His success in wrapping a pantheistic, gnostic monism is Christian garments is most evident in 'The Divine Milieu.'" (Pg. 291)
The modern reprinting of von Hildebrand's books such as this one indicates their continuing relevance to many modern Catholics.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews