National socialism as a political religion: Potentials and limits of an analytical concept

Abstract

In this paper, I test the analytical value and pertinence of the concept of political religion with respect to National Socialism in three steps: (1) I point out the religious’ elements in the area of organisation and cult, and I show that the Nazi festivals and ceremonies provided ritual forms for confessions of faith. (2) Following Eric Voegelin, I maintain that the ‘articles of faith’ that were presented in the Nazi cult can be understood as the manifestation of an existential core of religious character. (3) Finally I demonstrate that ‘believing intellectuals’ outlined a Nazi ‘theology’ and a Nazi ‘history of salvation’ and that Hitler himself and other leading Nazis cherished an apocalyptic world‐view that must be seen as the most poignant manifestation of the National Socialist political religion and as the only plausible explanation of the holocaust.