
For the Soul of the People
Protestant Protest against Hitler
Barnett(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 4. June 1998
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-0-19-512118-6 (ISBN)
Description
Organized religion is often justly accused of hypocrisy and complacency, of which there can be no better example than the acquiescence of German Christians in Hitler's genocidal persecution of the Jews. One church, however, has long been explicitly exempted from this charge. The Confessing Church, which broke away from the state church to protest against Nazi interference in church affairs, was labelled a `resistance movement' and produced many examples of moral heroism and not a few martyrs. As the book reveals, however, the `resistance' of the Confessing Church was neither unqualified nor unanimous.
Victoria Barnett has interviewed more than sixty Germans who were active in the Confessing Church. They reflect on what happened to them politically and morally during the Third Reich and how those experiences affected their values and politics after 1945. The resulting frank testimony provides the material for an engrossing case-study in moral behaviour that is not only an important contribution to our understanding of German behaviour under Nazism, but a timely addition to the ongoing debate about the proper relation of religion to political belief and action.
Victoria Barnett has interviewed more than sixty Germans who were active in the Confessing Church. They reflect on what happened to them politically and morally during the Third Reich and how those experiences affected their values and politics after 1945. The resulting frank testimony provides the material for an engrossing case-study in moral behaviour that is not only an important contribution to our understanding of German behaviour under Nazism, but a timely addition to the ongoing debate about the proper relation of religion to political belief and action.
Reviews / Votes
excellent book. * The New York Review, December 1992 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
20 Fotos bzw. Rasterbilder
16 pp halftones
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
585 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-512118-6 (9780195121186)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/1998
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€93.99
Available for download
Person
Victoria Barnett is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, New York, and a professional writer whose articles have appeared in Christianity and Crisis, The Christian Century, The Witness, and the news bulletins of Religious News Service. She lived in Germany for 13 years and now lives in Washington, D.C.