Title: Demonizing the Jews : Luther and the Protestant church in Nazi Germany /
Authors: Probst, Christopher J., 1969-
Publisher: Indiana University Press,
Year: 2012
Subjects: Luther, Martin,; Bekennende Kirche History.; Antisemitism Germany; Church and state Germany History; Christianity and antisemitism.; Protestant churches Germany History; National socialism and religion.; Germany Church history.
Abstract: "The acquiescence of the German Protestant churches in Nazi oppression and murder of Jews is well documented. In this book, Christopher J. Probst demonstrates that a significant number of German theologians and clergy made use of the 16th-century writings by Martin Luther on Jews and Judaism to reinforce the racial antisemitism and religious anti-Judaism already present among Protestants. Focusing on key figures, Probst's study makes clear that a significant number of pastors, bishops, and theologians of varying theological and political persuasions employed Luther's texts with considerable effectiveness in campaigning for the creation of a "de-Judaized" form of Christianity. Probst shows that even the church most critical of Luther's anti-Jewish writings reaffirmed the antisemitic stereotyping that helped justify early Nazi measures against the Jews." -- Publisher's description.
Contents: Protestantism in Nazi Germany -- "Luther and the Jews" -- Confessing church and German Christian academic theologians -- Confessing church pastors -- German Christian pastors and bishops -- Pastors and theologians from the unaffiliated Protestant "middle".