Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich - a book review

[Pah]

For the complete review

The relationship between Christianity and Nazism has long been a subject of debate. On the one hand, the principles of Christianity would seem to be opposed to Nazism and should cause Christians to fight it; on the other hand, millions of German Christians went along with Nazism and some even cooperated eagerly. What happened?

In fact, not all Christians in Germany actually believed that Nazism and Christianity contradicted one another. Many did, it is true, and many top Nazis also believed the two to be incompatible. There was, however, a large and committed group of Christians who regarded Nazi ideology as something of a modern fulfillment of Christian expectations. How and why this was so is the subject of Doris L. Bergen‘s fascinating book Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich.

Associate Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bergen focuses on the “German Christians,” a movement of over a half million Germans all over the country who held key positions in the government or Protestant churches. They influenced the course of German policy as well as the development of Christian education and ministry within Germany, attempting to blend Nazism and Christianity into a unified whole.

How and why this occurred is a vital question that should be of great concern to religious believers generally and Christians in particular. As Bergen asks early on, “What is the value of religion, and in particular of Christianity, if it provides no defense against brutality and can even become a willing participant in genocide?” In fact, as Bergen herself explains, Christianity has always been a willing participant in the affairs of state, assisting those with power:

First and perhaps most important, the German Christians strove to redefine the very nature of the Christian church itself. Instead of a universal community of believers, the idea of the Christian church was transformed so that it was partially dependent upon German notions of race and ethnicity — thus, the church became an expression not only of Christian doctrine but also German culture:

“The German Christian believed that God revealed himself to humanity not only in Scripture and through Jesus but in nature and history. Together the German Christian view of race, the visible versus invisible church, and revelation formed a mutually reinforcing system. By separating the earthly church from the universal community of believers, German Christians freed that church from any obligation to universality. By allowing for God’s revelation through nature, they could claim race was sanctified, part of a divine plan for human life.”

 

[robtex]

Great post Pah! It is imporant to keep in prespective the religous aspects of that war. Hitler was deeply religious and his speeches were similar to that of a religious sermon. How sad it was that so many millions died for a cause that nobody has been able to jusify to this day. The only injustice we could do is to let the religious aspects of that war be swept under the rug as if it never happened. I sometimes think that Germany's post ww 2 teenagers and those younger sometimes distance themselves from religion because of the Hitler/Christian connection.

 

[browser]

This is a perfect example of people twisting religion to suit themselves, whatever position you find yourself in, religion can be altered to suit that position.
To link Adolf Hitler and religion, is like linking Attila the Hun with Apple pie, the two just don't go together, Adolf Hitler was a maniac,(I don't know the technical term) and the German people were in a state of fear, just try to imagine not being able to say what you think, in fact not being able to say anything, in case it is twisted and used against you.
The reason the churches were not all destroyed, was simple, why create trouble were non exists,
as long as the so called Christians were not making trouble,they were left alone, if they had caused trouble they would have been crushed, that's where the fear came in,
keep your nose clean,and you can live.
After it was all over, the people needed to explain their actions, if only to themselves, so all kinds of theories were muted, the one quoted is just one of hundreds.
The moral I suppose is, 'Don't criticise something you cannot possibly understand'
Unless you have lived through something like that, we have absolutely no comprehension of what it was like.

 

[Pah]

This is a perfect example of people twisting religion to suit themselves, whatever position you find yourself in, religion can be altered to suit that position.
To link Adolf Hitler and religion, is like linking Attila the Hun with Apple pie, the two just don't go together, Adolf Hitler was a maniac,(I don't know the technical term) and the German people were in a state of fear, just try to imagine not being able to say what you think, in fact not being able to say anything, in case it is twisted and used against you.
The reason the churches were not all destroyed, was simple, why create trouble were non exists,
as long as the so called Christians were not making trouble,they were left alone, if they had caused trouble they would have been crushed, that's where the fear came in,
keep your nose clean,and you can live.
After it was all over, the people needed to explain their actions, if only to themselves, so all kinds of theories were muted, the one quoted is just one of hundreds.
The moral I suppose is, 'Don't criticise something you cannot possibly understand'
Unless you have lived through something like that, we have absolutely no comprehension of what it was like.

It seems the scholarship of the book makes your statements misguided errors.

Bob

 

[robtex]

Browser Hitler was elected into power. He was elected Chancellor of Germany in on January 30 1933. http://en.wikepedia.org/adolph_hitler

Hitler was mentally competent. Here is a copy of Mein Kampf. You can learn alot about him from this.
http://www.hitler.org/writings/mein_kampf/

Hitler/the Catholic church/the Nazi's were a sorta neo-trinity at that time. The Catholic Church was supportative of Hitler's efforts

a couple of supporting links before I touch on this
1) www.humanismbyjoe.com/hitler.htm
2) www.evilbible.com/hitler_was_christian.htm
3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pope_pius_xll
4) www.nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm

If you are not aware of the connection it I can outline if for you and you can follow the dots if you choose to.
1) Hitler was a Catholic and former alter boy (# 2)
2) Cardinal Pacelli (pope pius XII) became the secretary of state of Germany in 1939 (#3)
3) Hilter routinely used religion to motivate and was at times qouted Martin Luther famous anti semantic founder of Lutherism (# 2)
4) The Catholic church helped nazis escape after WW2
(http://hist.academic.claremontmckenna.edu/petropoulos/holocost/aftermath.htm
5) Neo-Nazi's today tend to be strong Christians and affliated groups like the KKK require members to be Christians.

 

[cardero]

Browser writes: To link Adolf Hitler and religion, is like linking Attila the Hun with Apple pie, the two just don't go together, Adolf Hitler was a maniac,(I don't know the technical term) and the German people were in a state of fear, just try to imagine not being able to say what you think, in fact not being able to say anything, in case it is twisted and used against you.

The two are not that different. There are some religious denominations that are living in “fear” of God’s judgment except that they call it LOVE. They cannot say or do anything because they feel it would offend or displease God.

Pah quotes: “The German Christian believed that God revealed himself to humanity not only in Scripture and through Jesus but in nature and history. Together the German Christian view of race, the visible versus invisible church, and revelation formed a mutually reinforcing system. By separating the earthly church from the universal community of believers, German Christians freed that church from any obligation to universality. By allowing for God’s revelation through nature, they could claim race was sanctified, part of a divine plan for human life.”

I think this line of reasoning begins with denominations who feel they are GOD’s chosen, that GOD prefers/chooses/rejects one society over another. This way of thinking begins with THE BIBLE. Nothing could BE farther from the TRUTH. I do not think a Supreme BEing would support segregation or prejudice, on the other hand I would think that a LOVING BEing would encourage ways to recognize our equality. Sure it is nice to realize pride but what good is that pride if it isn’t shared by everyone? If you are a sports fan you probably have realized that it feels good to “root” for your own home team but the home is this planet and the team is humans.

 

[browser]

Robtex, you wrote:
Neo-Nazi's today tend to be strong Christians and affliated groups like the KKK require members to be Christians.

Am I expected to believe that, to be a Nut Case today, requires you to be a Christian?
I know I am out of touch, but this is crazy!!!

And when I wrote 'the German people were in a state of fear', I know they voted him into power, but I don't think they knew what was going to happen after he got power, don't forget, Germany had inflation problems unlike anything seen before, at any other time in German history, he would not have even come close to being elected.

 

[jewscout]

Robtex, you wrote:
Neo-Nazi's today tend to be strong Christians and affliated groups like the KKK require members to be Christians.

Am I expected to believe that, to be a Nut Case today, requires you to be a Christian?
I know I am out of touch, but this is crazy!!!

No you don't need to be Christian to be a Nut Case but Christianity is a major part of the docterine of groups like WAR, KKK, Neo-Nazis, etc.
One of the biggest religious affiliates of these groups is the Christian Identity Church
http://www.kingidentity.com/

 

[Dadball]

I can not nor will I defend the actions of some German Christians of WWII. I will state that Dietrch Bonhoeffer is an insprational source to many modern day Christians. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer I like this review better. http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=28606849378558

 

[Pah]

Robtex, you wrote:
Neo-Nazi's today tend to be strong Christians and affliated groups like the KKK require members to be Christians.

Am I expected to believe that, to be a Nut Case today, requires you to be a Christian?
I know I am out of touch, but this is crazy!!!
...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan The KKK groups are Protestant Christian organizations. From the early 1900s through the 1940s, hundreds of thousands of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs), primarily in the South saw the KKK as a part of their faith. Millions more viewed the KKK's tactics as morally reprehensible and extreme, but nonetheless saw its members as valid Christians and generally agreed that WASPs were inherently superior to other groups. At that time, oppressing black people, as well as Jews and Catholics, was seen by many as part of "God's plan" (by the early 1970s, however, most groups claiming ties to the KKK dropped anti-Catholicism from their officially-stated doctrines, and in the mid-1980s a Klan chapter was found to exist in New York City's borough of Queens, with most of its reputed members in fact being Catholic, primarily of Irish descent). A much smaller number of Americans still have such views today. Many people hold that the Klan's members were not really Christian, as they didn't follow the nonviolent, "turn the other cheek" teachings of classical Christianity.

Yes, you are expected to believe the facts

See also http://atheism.about.com/od/christianidentity/

Bob

 

[Ardhanariswar]

hitler was actually a genius. capable of moving the people. appealing to the masses.

cept for the, lets blame races for our problems bit.

 

[painted wolf]

and the lets take over the world part.
oh, and the lets ban swing music as sinfull... and ban 'modern' art...and burn books we don't like... and slaughter gays... and so on and so on... Hitler had more bad ideas than just the Genocide of Jews and other racial groups.

he did put in place the first rigorus animal rights laws. He liked animals more than people.

wa:do

 

[browser]

Put your hands up if want to be Christians,
a lot has been done in the name of religion, But this takes the biscuit,
they may like to call themselves Christians, but what do you think they are??

 

[robtex]

Robtex, you wrote:
Neo-Nazi's today tend to be strong Christians and affliated groups like the KKK require members to be Christians.

Am I expected to believe that, to be a Nut Case today, requires you to be a Christian?
I know I am out of touch, but this is crazy!!!

And when I wrote 'the German people were in a state of fear', I know they voted him into power, but I don't think they knew what was going to happen after he got power, don't forget, Germany had inflation problems unlike anything seen before, at any other time in German history, he would not have even come close to being elected.

ON paragraph #1. Those are facts. To be a member of the KKK u have to be a Christian. There are no Muslim KKK's and Jews are the KKK's sworn enemy. I can get you some links if you really need proof of this. Oh look Pah beat me to it. Cool. Also almost all neo-nazi's/skinheads use Christanity to propogate their cause.

In regards to being a Christian nutcase. First off what you did is use an illogical fallacies called the strawman arugement. I said Neo-nazi's today tend to be strong Christians and you changed it to me saying "to be a Christian today you have to be a nutcase." I never said that nor believe that. There are so many good loving careing Christians in the world today. But your religion has in the past does today and if not challenged by other Christians will in the future be used as a tool to kill torture and destory others. By pretending religion had no impact on WW2 and the Nazi party you are paving the way for the next Hitler.

The German's inflation was a huge factor no doubt and the French virtually owning much of Germany made it worse. Really Germany was inbetween a rock and a hard place. But and its a big but, the systematic extermination of the Jews by the Nazi party with collaborating effort from the Catholic church (and the Jews had nothing to do with German poverty ) is not acceptable. By denying the Christian link to the Nazi and Catholic anti-semisim or by silence you are endorsing it as acceptable behavior.

Christians talk alot about original sin and while I don't buy into the notion but I find it preplexing that people in your religion can take full responsiblity for Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit and in the same breath downplay the Christian impact on the holocaust taking little or no responslity for something evil that happened in THIS CENTURY due to in part by the Christian faith.

 

[robtex]

Put your hands up if want to be Christians,
a lot has been done in the name of religion, But this takes the biscuit,
they may like to call themselves Christians, but what do you think they are??

Yes they were Christians....how is it you don't see this? Do you think they were all pseduo-Christians? Did you click on any of the links provided for your education on this thread? My personal favorites were the pictures catholic priest saluting Hitler.

And what would be nice is for the Catholic church to accept responsiblity for the murder of 6 million Jews in the name of Jesus Christ.

The evil of that day is the evil of today when Christians deny the holocaust happened and or pretend that Christanity had no impact on it at all.

Maybe it will do you good to see what you relgion did to the Jewish religion during the holcaust
www.jewishlink.net/holocaust.html

 

[Ardhanariswar]

they were christiasn by name, but they werent christians by heart. oops. i shouldnt judge. but hey, you gotta admit, it was quite bad what they did.

not everything in a church is christian, not everything in a garage is a car.

 

[browser]

What I said was, 'they may call themselves Christians', some serial killers may like to think of themselves as Christians, killing in the name of God, but they are no more Christian than I.

 

[michel]

Great post Pah! It is imporant to keep in prespective the religous aspects of that war. Hitler was deeply religious and his speeches were similar to that of a religious sermon. How sad it was that so many millions died for a cause that nobody has been able to jusify to this day. The only injustice we could do is to let the religious aspects of that war be swept under the rug as if it never happened. I sometimes think that Germany's post ww 2 teenagers and those younger sometimes distance themselves from religion because of the Hitler/Christian connection.

Hi, Robtex

According to the Bible, the love of money is the root of all evil. Hitler was no exception.

A love of money (cloaked as Aryan Supremacy) is what drove Hitler, not religion.

 

[jonny]

I sometimes think that Germany's post ww 2 teenagers and those younger sometimes distance themselves from religion because of the Hitler/Christian connection.

This is an interesting thought and I have always thought that WWII had something to do with the religious attitude in Germany today. As a missionary in Germany, I spoke to many people who were angry at God because of WWII. I remember one man who was in a Russian prisoner of war camp. He said that there couldn't be a God because God wouldn't have let him go through what he went through. I always thought, "well, you WERE trying to take over the world."

From many of the people I spoke with who were alive during WWII, most of them did not know what was going on in the concentration camps. They didn't want to be involved in what was going on, but the fear of what might happen to them if they didn't cooperate was greated than the desire to resist and make a difference in their country.

 

[michel]

Rob, I am quite prepared to believe that Hitler was sane when he wrote Mein Kampf; but I think that there was little doubt that he had contracted syphilis, which would have brought about mental instability.


http://hnn.us/comments/9441.html
http://216.26.163.62/2004/lev8_20.html

In his 500-page biography of Hitler “The Psychopathic [!] God [!] Adolf Hitler,” Robert Waite, professor of modern German history at Williams College, answers the question already in the title of his volume — Hitler was psychopathic, or to put it simply, insane, but to a majority of the German people he was God because they were also psychopathic. It is not clear how this explains other “right-wing” dictatorships over most of Europe from Italy and Spain to Hungary and Roumainia.

BTW, you are now famous!
Religious Education - Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement ...
[size=-1]Hitler was mentally competent. Here is a copy of Mein Kampf. You can learn alot
about him from this. http://www.hitler.org/writings/mein_kampf/ ...
www.religiousforums.com/ forum/archive/index.php/t-6458.html - 24k - Cached - Similar pages [/size]