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Doris L. Bergen
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Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich Kindle Edition

by Doris L. Bergen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 19 ratings
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How did Germany's Christians respond to Nazism? In Twisted Cross, Doris Bergen addresses one important element of this response by focusing on the 600,000 self-described 'German Christians,' who sought to expunge all Jewish elements from the Christian church. In a process that became more daring as Nazi plans for genocide unfolded, this group of Protestant lay people and clergy rejected the Old Testament, ousted people defined as non-Aryans from their congregations, denied the Jewish ancestry of Jesus, and removed Hebrew words like 'Hallelujah' from hymns. Bergen refutes the notion that the German Christians were a marginal group and demonstrates that members occupied key positions within the Protestant church even after their agenda was rejected by the Nazi leadership. Extending her analysis into the postwar period, Bergen shows how the German Christians were relatively easily reincorporated into mainstream church life after 1945. Throughout Twisted Cross, Bergen reveals the important role played by women and by the ideology of spiritual motherhood amid the German Christians' glorification of a 'manly' church.
Previous page
  1. ISBN-13
    978-0807822531
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publisher
    The University of North Carolina Press
  4. Publication date
    November 9, 2000
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    5093 KB
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A superb book.

"Choice"

"Bergen is to be congratulated for this scholarly, well-balanced account.

"Theological Studies""

Bergen is to be congratulated for this scholarly, well-balanced account.

"Theological Studies"

An outstanding, stylish, and timely assessment . . . of the German Christian Movement which tried to fuse Christianity with National Socialism.

"German History"

This is a disturbing and an important book, highly relevant for many contemporary discussions concerning theology, religion and modern culture.

"Studies in Religion"

"This is a disturbing and an important book, highly relevant for many contemporary discussions concerning theology, religion and modern culture.

"Studies in Religion""

"An outstanding, stylish, and timely assessment . . . of the German Christian Movement which tried to fuse Christianity with National Socialism.

"German History""

Review

Doris Bergen has written a fine study of a crucial aspect of Nazi domestic success. Her examination of the German Christian movement is an important corrective to the widespread misunderstandings of the role of the Protestant church that have prevailed among theologians and historians.--Susannah Heschel, Case Western Reserve University

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009RUQU9E
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of North Carolina Press (November 9, 2000)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 9, 2000
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5093 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 357 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

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Doris L. Bergen

Doris L. Bergen

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
19 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Paul De Winter
5.0 out of 5 stars Dit boek heb ik nog niet gelezen, daar ik ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2017
Verified Purchase
Dit boek heb ik nog niet gelezen, daar ik vele boeken bezit over allerlei onderwerpen. Wel heb ik het boek ingezien.De Protestantse Kerk in het
Duitse Reich wou absoluut de Joodse invloed of kennis uit het Oude Testament verwijderen en Jezus Christus absoluut niet zien als een Jood,
maar wel als een Arier. Interessant boek.Een aan te raden boek, historisch en theologisch.
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Danie van Zyl
4.0 out of 5 stars The Untwisting of the Twisted Cross
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2014
Verified Purchase
The Twisted Cross corrects the misunderstanding that the German Church was Hitler's theological partner and the Confessing Church the great opponent of Nazi ideology. Doris Bergen's research portrays the church scene under Hitler as complicated and often confused. The Nazi's were very uncomfortable with the German Church and often severely curtailed its work. The Confessing Church often found itself in agreement with the German Church and joined it in some projects. While Bonhoeffer and Barth are usually presented as the true representatives of the Confessing Church's attitude to Nazi ideology, Doris Bergen makes it clear that they were the exceptions rather than the norm.
9 people found this helpful
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Elliott B. Nesch
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book. The German Christian movement parallels the postmodern ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
Excellent book. The German Christian movement parallels the postmodern church of our present day. Many of the quotes from German Christian pastors resemble what we are hearing from the Emerging Church today. I especially appreciated the chapter on anti-doctrine. This book is thoroughly researched and worth the read.
7 people found this helpful
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stillastudent
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book covering the German Christian movement and its corrupt ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2017
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Great book covering the German Christian movement and its corrupt nationalism and complicity and support of the Nazi regime.
One person found this helpful
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anonymous98736
1.0 out of 5 stars Hypocritical Tripe
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2020
BACK COVER: "In Twisted Cross, Doris Bergen addresses one important element of this response by focusing on the 600,000 self-described 'German Christians,' who sought to expunge all Jewish elements from the Christian church."

Yet nothing about the fact that such an influential individual as Åke Bonnier, a Jew in the Church of Sweden and heir to the fortune of the Bonnier publishing and broadcasting behemoth, has stated his desire that all Bibles be edited, eliminating from the New Testamant any criticism of Jews.
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Nancy Wilson
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
Doesn’t fit my expectation. Pages are too thin and small that I cannot read it clearly and free. Disappointed.
2 people found this helpful
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John W. Matthews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading!
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2015
Verified Purchase
Doris Bergen is a historian par excellence of this era and the dynamics one needs to understand. Great reading!
One person found this helpful
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exilepst
4.0 out of 5 stars Okay.
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
Repetitious, but good. I find that the book could have been about a third shorter and it would have been as good. But that is a minor quibble. I found it interesting that involvement in the German Christian Movement was minimized after the war, and that the Movement was tolerated as an odious necessity by the National Socialists. As covering an overlooked area of history, this book is helpful.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

David MacDonald
1.0 out of 5 stars Don’t share this book
Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
Hard to read and I disposed of it
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