:The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919–1945

Abstract

Richard Steigmann-Gall has challenged traditional notions regarding National Socialist leaders and the influence of Christianity in the Nazi movement. His title is aptly named for the questions he considers: did the leadership believe they were working to create a “holy” Reich, and what exactly were their conceptions of Christianity? More specifically, how did the Nazi party leaders situate their world view with regard to the “positive Christian” outlook, and how did their religious positions possibly influence Nazi policy? Looking at Point 24 of the NSDAP platform, Steigmann-Gall argues that the Nazis were indeed thinking of themselves as part of a Christian community. Specifically, he lays out the three main components of Point 24: “the spiritual struggle against the Jews, the promulgation of a social ethic, and a new syncretism that would bridge Germany's confessional divide” (p. 14). Throughout the work, the author consistently argues that Point 24 was an attempt on the part of Nazi leaders to portray themselves as the “active Christians” of the new Germany. This interpretation stands in stark contrast to most accepted analyses of Point 24, which has generally been seen as a cynical ploy on the part of the Nazis to ingratiate themselves with practicing German Christians. To Steigmann-Gall, the critical element in Point 24 was the “positive” part of Christianity. In that sense, positive Christianity was left open to many fluid interpretations, and Steigmann-Gall sets out to examine just how Nazi members defined their religious beliefs, free from traditional Christian dogma yet incorporating significant Christian concepts.