Western Religious Leaders, Communities, and Organizations Before and During World War II

Abstract

Abstract “Religion”—in the form of tradition, religious communities and institutions, religious leadership, and international organizations—became a global force during the twentieth century and was a multifaceted and profound aspect of World War II. Colonialism, the rise of fascism and other ethno-nationalist movements in interwar Europe, church–state issues, and refugee issues were areas in which religious figures played a powerful role. By the 1920s, there was an international network of religious leaders and organizations, and a growing sense among European and North American religious leaders that they had a larger global and political responsibility. This chapter will examine the influences on western religious leaders, communities, and organizations in the early twentieth century and offer an analysis of how these historical factors shaped their responses in the era of “total war.”