Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
5. Jahrgang
2008
Thomas Schirrmacher
National Socialism
as Religion
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Table of Contents
Inhaltsverzeichnis
‘Salvation Hitler’....................................................................... 3
14 Documents........................................................................... 3
Research on National Socialism as Religion.............................. 7
Why German Churches
Failed to Understand National Socialism.................................. 8
Annotation.............................................................................. 11
The Author.............................................................................. 13
Impressum.............................................................................. 14
1. Aufl. 2008
National Socialism as Religion
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Thomas Schirrmacher
4 MBS Texte 94
National Socialism as Religion
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Thomas Schirrmacher
6 MBS Texte 94
National Socialism as Religion
again, and this, if God wants it, ‘ in words “the first useful outline” and then
eternity’. Heil Hitler”16 . sent to Joseph Goebbels.
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Thomas Schirrmacher
8 MBS Texte 94
National Socialism as Religion
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Thomas Schirrmacher
of the Reformed (and Lutheran) Chris- but on his naïve disappointment that
tians is a striking argument against Hal the Jews did not embrace Christianity
Lindsey’s rude attack that Reformed the- once the errors of medieval Catholicism
ology will lead to a second holocaust32. had been removed through Reforma-
Normally, it is the Dispensationalist tion teaching.34) As for Pietism, it often
who will not step in for others, because based its preaching on the conscience,
this would mean becoming involved in not on the Law. Pietism could easily live
politics or economics. Lindsey must be without the Old Testament, although
reminded that love in the Bible is to be this was never stated.
measured by deeds (1 John 3,18), not by Liberal theology hated the Old Testa-
nice words, proclamations or bestsel ment, and professors of Old Testament
ling books. have done everything to undermine the
One of the main reasons why the application of the Old Testament today,
German churches did not fight against in spite of their massive studies of the
Hitler’s rival religion and his Anti- text itself. Adolf von Harnack, a fore-
semitism was the low view of the Old most liberal theologian and close ally of
Testament. Antisemitism is only possible Emperor Wilhelm II, wrote a famous
where the Old Testament and especially sentence in his book on Marcion, reject-
Old Testament Law has been put aside. ing the Old Testament as the work of
A love for the Old Testament and its another god:
Law is the best protection against Anti-
semitism. This is the major mistake “To reject the Old Testament in the
of Hal Lindsay who compares Refor second century was a mistake which the
med theology to National Socialism. great Church refused rightfully; to keep
National Socialism hated the Old it in the sixteenth century was a fate
Testament, while Reformed theology which the Reformation was not able to
is surely much closer to the Old Tes- escape; but to conserve it after the nine-
tament than hyper-Dispensationalist teenth century as a canonical text in
Hal Lindsey. Alfred Rosenberg, Hitler’s Protestantism, was the result of a reli-
agent for world view affairs, saw it the gious and ecclesiastical paralysis.” 35
biggest mistake of Protestantism that
Martin Luther translated and spread One of Hitler’s first actions was to
the Old Testament and took an oath force the churches to get rid of their
on the Old and New Testament before Jewish-Christian members. So all Jew-
the Emperor in Worms in 152033. (It ish members of all churches were dis-
should be remembered that, as a pro- ciplined. This took place in churches
fessor of Old Testament, Luther loved where church discipline had nearly
the Old Testament very much; also, totally faded! This most gigantic act of
that Luther’s oft condemned “anti- church discipline in history took place
Semitism” was founded, not on racism quietly and without much protest. And
10 MBS Texte 94
National Socialism as Religion
it excommunicated Jews, that were bap- ‘the Word of God’. But still he agrees
tized! Another religion had taken over with Rosenberg, writing:
the churches.
The theologians had prepared the “It will be the task of theology to com-
way36. A typical example is Hans bine the submission to the Word of God
Schlemmer, who wrote a book against with the perception which truthful-
Alfred Rosenberg’s main book, some- ness demands, that the origin of the
times called ‘the Bible of National canon was a rather human event and
Socialism’. This meant risking his life! that the Old Testament contains not
He writes that Rosenberg went too far a few unpleasant things and that its
by dropping the Old Testament alto- place is far below the faith of the New
gether. The Old Testament is for him Testament.” 37
Annotation
Anmerkungen
1
For example the professor of German literature 7
Confession of Faith of the “Reichsarbeitsfüh-
in Bonn, Hans Naumann, Rede zum Geburtstag rer” Robert Ley, quoted from Der Schulungsbrief:
des Führers, Bonner Akademische Reden 27 Das zentrale Monatsblatt der NSDAP und DAF,
(Bonn: Scheur, 1937), p. 17; see my disserta- 4 (1937) 4: 124.
tion Hans Naumann als Volkskundler im Dritten 8
Baldur von Schirach [Ed.], Das Lied der Get-
Reich, PhD-thesis (Los Angeles: Pacific Western reuen: Verse ungenannter österreichischer Hitler-
University, 1990) (published in 2 vol. as Bonn: jugend aus den Jahren der Verfolgung 1933–37
Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft: Bonn, (Leipzig 1940), p. 52.
19921; in 1 vol. 20002), p. 291. 9
Song of the Reichsjugendführer in: Baldur von
2
See the literature in my article “Adolf Hitler und Schirach [Ed.], Das Lied der Getreuen, op. cit.,
kein Ende”, Factum 6/1989, pp. 252–255. p. 7.
3
Quoted from Gerhard E. Stoll, “Gebete in pub- Quoted by Joseph Wulf, Literatur und Dich-
10
lizistischer Umgestaltung”, Publizistik 3(1958): tung im Dritten Reich (Gütersloh: Sigbert Mohn
337–352, here p. 346. The article discusses ‘secu- Verlag, 1963), p. 299.
lar’ forms of German prayers used in press and
propaganda. Song by Ernst Leibl in: Reichsarbeitsdienst
11
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Thomas Schirrmacher
14
Reichspropagandaleitung [Ed.], Vorschläge 1989). See also: Manfred Ach, Clemes Pentrop,
der Reichspropagandaleitung zur nationalsozialis- Hitlers ‘Religion’: Pseudoreligiöse Elemente im
tischen Feiergestaltung (München Zentralverlag nationalsozialistischen Sprachgebrauch, Irmin-
Franz Eher, n.d.). Edition 3 (München: Arbeitsgemeinschaft für
15
Taken from and put against the liturgi- Religions- und Weltanschauungsfragen, 1977
cal ending of the Lord’s prayer “Our Father in [3. ed. 1982]), for an excellent sketch of Hitler’s
Heaven ...”, which is found from the second cen- religious language and his view of Christianity
tury on and taken partly from Dan 2,37; cf.2Chr and religion. The collection includes a survey of
29,11–12. the literary background to National Socialism’s
esoteric nature and 247 quotations by Hitler on
16
SS-Obergruppenführer Schulz, quoted from Christianity and religion.
Johann Neuhäuser, Kreuz und Hakenkreuz, op.
cit., p. 255. Thomas Schirrmacher, Adolf Hitler und kein
23
12 MBS Texte 94
National Socialism as Religion
31
I agree with the judgment of Gary North, Anfang und Ende von ‘Christian Reconstruc-
Dominion and Common Grace (Tyler: Institute tion’ (1959–1995): Geschichte, Theologie und
for Christian Economics: Tyler, 1987), p. 151, Aufsplitterung einer reformierten Bewegung
that Bart hianism believes together with antino- (Bonn: VKW, 2001).
mianism that God does not speak to any specific See Hans Schlemmer, Evangelische Gedanken
33
Institute for Christian Economics, 1989); Steve vom fremden Gott (Leipzig, 1921), p. 248.
Schlissel, David Brown, Hal Lindsey and the 36
See especially Robert P. Ericksen, Theologians
Restoration of the Jews (Edmonton: Still Waters under Hitler (New Haven: Yale University Press,
Revival Books: Edmonton, 1990). On Christian 1985).
Reconstructionism see my history and refuta- Adolf von Harnack, Marcion: Das Evangelium
37
tion of the movement, Thomas Schirrmacher, vom fremden Gott (Leipzig, 1921), pp. 19–20.
The Author
Über den Autor
Thomas Schirrmacher (born 1960) earned four doctorates in
Theology (Dr. theol., 1985, Netherlands), in Cultural Anthro-
pology (PhD, 1989, USA), in Ethics (ThD, 1996, USA), and in
Sociology of Religions (Dr. phil., 2007, Germany) and received
two honorary doctorates in Theology (DD, 1997, USA) and
International Development (DD, 2006, India). He is profes-
sor of ethics and world missions, as well as professor of the
sociology of religion and of international development in Ger-
many, Romania, USA and India, and is president of Martin Bucer Theological
Seminary with 11 small campuses in Europe (including Turkey).
As an international human rights expert he is board member of the Inter-
national Society for Human Rights, spokesman for human rights of the World
Evangelical Alliance and director of the International Institute for Religious
Freedom. He is also president of Gebende Hände gGmbH (Giving Hands), an
internationally active relief organisation. He has authored and edited 74 books,
which have been translated into 14 languages.
Thomas is married to Christine, a professor of Islamic Studies, and father of
a boy and a girl.
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