Transcript Christianity and the Holocaust

Church and State
in Nazi Germany
European theology, the
Enlightenment, and war
• Karl Barth: “Something had to be wrong
with a theological tradition that led to”
support for “German war-theology”
(Placher, 291)
• Enlightenment ideals
– Human history shows progress, is reaching
new heights (confused Christ and culture)
– Think for yourself, but obey the secular
authorities
Christian anti-Judaism
• Supersessionism: Contrasts NT and OT
– Sound like Marcion?
• Jews as “the other”
• Characterizes most of Christian history
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4th c. destruction of synagogues
Medieval Crusades and “blood libel” charges
Reformation slurs (Luther): spiritual vs. “carnal”
Enlightenment philosophy: denial of revelation
Abuse of power (pogroms)
• Whole tradition has been re-evaluated since the
Holocaust
German Christians in the Third
Reich
• Virulent tradition of anti-Judaism
• Nazi appeal to German identity, economic
progress worked after devastation of WWI
– Nazis not Christian; actually quite critical
– Had a “neopagan” focus
– But, could exploit Christian rhetoric
• Obedience to state
• Anti-Judaism
Protestants in Germany
• Rely on protection of state for religious
freedom (Kant, Luther, etc.)
– In return, give obedience to state
• Divided church
– German Christian movement: supported
Reich
– Confessing Church: opposed Reich
• Barmen Declaration
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Catholics in Germany
• Different church-state relationship
• Yet, we see similar patterns of complicity
and division among Catholics
• German bishops
– May 1945: Head of German bishops’
conference calls for priests to say mass for
Hitler
• Some priests and laity die in camps
– 20% Polish clergy
Pius XII
• Did not support Reich
• But, people question, why didn’t he speak out
against Reich more?
– 1942 Christmas sermon: mentions “hundreds of
thousands” killed because of “race”
– Was informed of killing of Jews
– Same kind of question asked about US gov’t
– First priority to keep Catholic church going?
• 1998: JPII apologizes for inaction of Catholic
church during Holocaust