Race Above Grace

RACE ABOVE GRACE

  • Title: The Removal of Jewish Heritage from the German Evangelical Church

  • Presented by: Kaylie Melville, Milligan University | Fall 2024

THESIS STATEMENT

  • The German Evangelical Church purged its Jewish heritage by:

    • Utilizing existing antisemitism

    • Altering the Biblical canon

    • Remaking Jesus into an Aryan figure opposing Jews

HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1919-1923)

  • 19% of Germany's male population wounded or killed in World War I.

  • Civilians suffered from the Allied blockade.

  • Workers’ rebellions and strikes marked the Inter-War period.

  • National humiliation and a collapsing economy.

  • Germany to pay 132 million gold marks in reparations, printing money resulted in hyperinflation.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1923-1934)

  • 1923: Germany defaults on reparations.

  • 1924: The Dawes Plan adjusts reparations and provides loans.

  • 1928: The Young Plan continues to reduce reparations.

  • 1929: Stock market crash leads to economic default by 1931.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Adolf Hitler's Rise

  • Rise of the National Socialist Party; platform focused on economic recovery and national pride.

  • 1930: Nazis win 18% of the parliamentary vote.

  • 1933: Hitler appointed Chancellor; 1934 he becomes Fuhrer, gaining control over the government.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Church History in Germany

  • Population: 67 million (60 million Christian); 40 million Protestant, 20 million Catholic.

  • Declining church attendance due to socio-economic struggles.

  • Hitler's "Positive Christianity" promoted a racially strong German church, leading to increased attendance.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Nazi Influence in the Church

  • Emergence of the Nazi "German Christian" movement in the 1930s, merging Christianity with Nazi ideology.

  • Adoption of anti-Jewish sentiment; the church purged Jewish heritage due to the scapegoating of Jews by Hitler.

BUILDING UPON EXISTING ANTI-SEMITISM

  • AD 70: Destruction of the Temple; Jews dispersed, forming a minority.

  • Christian domination led to negative portrayals of Jews, fostering centuries of antisemitism.

  • Martin Luther's 1543 book compounded anti-Jewish sentiment, influencing Lutheran thought for centuries.

GERMAN CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT

  • The German Christian Movement glorified Martin Luther’s views.

  • Incorporated anti-Semitic themes, promoting a racially charged interpretation of Christianity.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ARYAN PARAGRAPH

  • Aryan Paragraph (April 1933): removed non-Aryans (Jews) from civil service, impacting church positions.

  • Churches played a role in enforcing these policies through record-keeping.

ALTERING THE BIBLICAL CANON

  • 1939-1945: Establishment of the Institute for Research into and Elimination of Jewish Influence in German Church Life.

  • Removal of Jewish references from the Bible, hymns, liturgy, including a de-Judaized New Testament.

  • Altered hymns and catechisms to eliminate Jewish influences and promote Aryan narratives.

CREATING AN ARYAN IMAGE OF JESUS

  • Nuremberg Laws (1935): clarified Jewish status, questioned Jesus' Jewish identity.

  • German Christian Movement leaders emphasized Jesus as Aryan;

    • Dismissed genealogy proving Jewish heritage.

    • Promoted Jesus as an opponent of Judaism, viewed as a precursor to Nazi ideology.

PROPAGANDA TOOL

  • Jesus re-imaged as opposing Judaism; used for promoting Nazi racial ideologies.

  • Jesus depicted as a model for Aryan manliness and a moral compass for Nazi Germany.

QUESTIONS?

  • End of Presentation

Concepts

  • Anti-Semitism

  • Aryan identity

  • Christian domination

  • Propaganda

Facts

  • 19% of Germany's male population wounded or killed in World War I.

  • Germany was to pay 132 million gold marks in reparations.

  • The Aryan Paragraph removed non-Aryans from civil service.

  • Jewish references were removed from the Bible during 1939-1945.

People

  • Adolf Hitler: Leader of the National Socialist Party and Chancellor of Germany.

  • Martin Luther: Influential in fostering anti-Jewish sentiment in Christian thought.

Events

  • World War I (1914-1918)

  • German defaults on reparations (1923)

  • Rise of the National Socialist Party (1930-1934)

  • Implementation of the Aryan Paragraph (April 1933)

  • Establishment of the Institute for Research into and Elimination of Jewish Influence (1939-1945)

Things to Know

  • Nuremberg Laws (1935) that defined Jewish identity.

  • Characteristics of the German Christian Movement and its impact on church policies.