Betrayal: German Churches and the Holocaust
Product Description
By Robert P. Ericksen & Susannah Heschel
A sweeping historical examination of the often-neglected roles that Christian churches played in the Third Reich, this outstanding volume presents original research on Christian attitudes and responses to Hitler's persecution of the Jews. Probing the churches' history, institutional structures, teachings, and actions of prominent church people and theologians, leading historians tell the story of Christian involvement from the rise of the Nazi party to the post-World War II period. They document the general support of Christians for Hitler and his program, and they detail the range of ecclesial responses---from occasional resistance to passionate and enthusiastic leadership. They ask, "What religious convictions sparked resistance in some and compliance in others, and why did so many people simply fail to act?' Together these superb studies show how the powerful moral authority of the Christian pulpit sanctioned death-dealing Nazi propaganda and raise profound questions about Christian responsibility for the ensuing catastrophe.
A sweeping historical examination of the often-neglected roles that Christian churches played in the Third Reich, this outstanding volume presents original research on Christian attitudes and responses to Hitler's persecution of the Jews. Probing the churches' history, institutional structures, teachings, and actions of prominent church people and theologians, leading historians tell the story of Christian involvement from the rise of the Nazi party to the post-World War II period. They document the general support of Christians for Hitler and his program, and they detail the range of ecclesial responses---from occasional resistance to passionate and enthusiastic leadership. They ask, "What religious convictions sparked resistance in some and compliance in others, and why did so many people simply fail to act?' Together these superb studies show how the powerful moral authority of the Christian pulpit sanctioned death-dealing Nazi propaganda and raise profound questions about Christian responsibility for the ensuing catastrophe.