Role under authoritarianism Christianity in the 20th century

christ saviour cathedral moscow after reconstruction


catholics , protestants under third reich

the relationship between nazism , protestantism, german lutheran church, complex. though majority of protestant church leaders in germany supported nazis growing anti-jewish activities, such dietrich bonhoeffer (a lutheran pastor) opposed nazis. bonhoeffer later found guilty in conspiracy assassinate hitler , executed.

in 1937 encyclical mit brennender sorge, drafted future pope pius xii, pius xi warned catholics antisemitism incompatible christianity. read pulpits of german catholic churches, described hitler insane , arrogant prophet , first official denunciation of nazism made major organization. nazi persecution of church in germany began outright repression , staged prosecutions of monks homosexuality, maximum of publicity . when dutch bishops protested against deportation of jews in netherlands, nazis responded more severe measures.

neo-orthodoxy branch of protestant thought arose in 20th century in context of rise of third reich in germany , accompanying political , ecclesiastical destabilization of europe in years before , during world war ii. neo-orthodoxy s highly contextual, dialectical modes of argument , reasoning rendered main premises incomprehensible american thinkers , clergy, , either dismissed out of hand unrealistic or cast reigning left- or right-wing molds of theologizing. karl barth, swiss reformed pastor , professor, brought movement being drawing upon earlier criticisms of established (largely modernist) protestant thought made likes of søren kierkegaard , franz overbeck. bonhoeffer adhered school of thought; classic cost of discipleship best-known , accessible statement of neo-orthodox philosophy.

in poland, nazis murdered on 2,500 monks , priests while more sent concentration camps. priester-block (priests barracks) in dachau concentration camp lists 2,600 roman catholic priests. joseph stalin staged more severe persecution @ same time.

after world war ii historians such david kertzer accused church of encouraging centuries of antisemitism, , accused pope pius xii of not doing enough stop nazi atrocities. prominent members of jewish community, including golda meir, albert einstein, moshe sharett , rabbi isaac herzog contradicted criticisms , spoke highly of pius efforts protect jews, while others such rabbi david g. dalin noted hundreds of thousands of jews saved church. regarding matter, historian derek holmes wrote, there no doubt catholic districts, resisted lure of national socialism nazism far better protestant ones. pope pius xi declared - mit brennender sorge - fascist governments had hidden pagan intentions , expressed irreconcilability of catholic position , totalitarian fascist state worship, placed nation above god , fundamental human rights , dignity. declaration spiritually, [christians] semites prompted nazis give him title chief rabbi of christian world .

many catholic laypeople , clergy played notable roles in sheltering jews during holocaust. head rabbi of rome became catholic in 1945, , in honour of actions pope undertook save jewish lives, took name eugenio (the pope s first name). former israeli consul in italy claimed: catholic church saved more jewish lives during war other churches, religious institutions, , rescue organisations put together.