Preaching in Hitler's Shadow: Sermons of Resistance in the Third Reich

by Dean G. Stroud

What did German preachers opposed to Hitler say in their Sunday sermons? When the truth of Christ could cost a pastor his life, what words encouraged and challenged him and his congregation? This book answers those questions. Preaching in Hitler's Shadow begins with a fascinating look at Christian life inside the Third Reich, giving readers a real sense of the danger that pastors faced every time they went into the pulpit. Dean Stroud pays special attention to the role that language played in the battle over the German soul, pointing out the use of Christian language in opposition to Nazi rhetoric. The second part of the book presents thirteen well-translated sermons by various select preachers, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann, and others not as well known but no less courageous. A running commentary offers cultural and historical insights, and each sermon is preceded by a short biography of the preacher.

Genres: History, Theology, Christian, Religion, World War II, Politics, Nonfiction

217 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2013

Reviews

[Brother Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a very intense honeymoon. Entered into that Confessing Church consciousness with my new wife.

[Abraham Allende · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ìntroductory material was as riveting as the sermons. This book was published in 2013, long before our current White House administration took office, yet I was struck by the parallels between the Third Reich and our current executive branch -- intolerance of dissent, xenophobia, racism of the highest order; and shamefully, support from certain segments of the religious community. Without having to say it, this book uderscored the warning that if one doesn't learn from the past, one is doomed to repeat it.

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book of collected Sermons that were preached during the reign of the Nazi Party in Germany. That the Author spends time explaining the situation that these Pastors find themselves in, adds greatly to the depth and the courage involved in the Sermons. Whilst World War II and the horrors of Nazi Germany is almost beyond our lifetime (it was over 16 years before I was born) - there are still many lessons to be learnt. We still see horrors being committed throughout our planet, and it often seems that we easily forget how easily a once noble state can turn into an evil one.

Whilst I pray that my nation never puts me or my fellow pastors into a situation even remotely like the ones that these pastors faced, I do also pray that I would have at least some of the courage that they show. The Author has also included a brief biographical background for each preacher - which I also appreciated.

As a Lutheran Pastor (though not from Lutheran nor German stock), I have many questions on how my brothers fared during the 1930's and 1940's. This book helps in answering some of those questions. Plus the Author has included Reformed and Catholic preachers - not just Lutherans. Whilst I am quite familiar with Bonhoeffer and Barth, I appreciated learning about other preachers whom I had not heard of. One big surprise was Bultmann's sermon - I've never been a big fan of Rudolf Bultmann and his de-mything of the Gospel / Scripture - but this book gave me an opportunity to see him as a Pastor. I must admit, in my ignorance, I had assumed he was only an Academic.

This is an easy book to read, and I do recommend it, especially to my fellow pastors :)

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read It

The first part details the historical context specifically as it pertained to Christians in Germany. The second part is a collection of sermons from different men at different times during the Third Reich. This book provides access to great primary source material for those who can't read German. It's easy to look back in retrospect and mercilessly judge the pulpit of those days, but there were some impressive men that stood up with a prophetic edge and shepherd's heart. I look forward to talking with some of these guys in Heaven. God give us wisdom and courage to act in timely manners.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

“True faith … originates through the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts”. This book, through biographical sketches and sermons, portrays the battle between the “German Christians” and the “Confessing Church” in Hitler’s Germany. One can only imagine the terror of those days, and appreciate what Christians in every age must guard against, especially in totalitarian societies, even in our own day.

[Jacob Padgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

What powerful words, what extraordinary boldness, and what care these pastors spoke truth to power, risking life and community. Reading through the history and the sermons from these pastors was transformative and sadly too real to consider how often we shut away from speaking to power.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Where were the Christians and the Church in Germany during the Holocaust?" It's a question I asked my history teacher in high school and continued to wonder about for many years. Reading "Preaching In Hitler's Shadow" finally gave me the answer. This was not a time of theological darkness. God and his Church were still active in places where the Nazis ruled. There were many Christians who did not hide in silence. They were fighting against Hitler and the Third Reich in the pulpit, in the Nazi occupied villages and cities, and even in the military.

"Preaching in Hitler's Shadow" includes short biographies on several Christian pastors on the front lines of a theological war as well as a physical war. The real gems of the book are the collection of sermons these men preached at the risk of death (and more than one pastor did die) during Hitler's reign.

One of the men featured is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. While Bonhoeffer's role as a pastor who plotted with others to assassinate Hitler makes him the most well known in this book, the book also includes stories or less known men that are just as powerful. Such as Paul Schneider. Schneider, German pastor, was the first Protestant pastor to die in a concentration camp because of his opposition to the Nazis.

"Our faith stands (or) falls with the miraculous events of the cross and the resurrection." Paul Schneider

One of Bonhoeffer's sermon reminds us that God does not need to use superheroes to accomplish his mission. In reality, he often uses the underdog.

“We have Gideon because we don't want always to be speaking of our faith in abstract, otherworldly, irrreal, or general terms, to which people may be glad to listen but don't really take note of; because it is good once in a while actually to see faith in action, not just hear what it should be like, but see how it just happens in the midst of someone's life, in the story of a human being. Only here does faith become, for everyone, not just a children's game, but rather something highly dangerous, even terrifying. Here a person is being treated without considerations or conditions or allowances; he has to bow to what is being asked, or he will be broken. This is why the image of a person of faith is so often that of someone who is not beautiful in human terms, not a harmonious picture, but rather that of someone who has been torn to shreds. The picture of someone who has learned to have faith has the peculiar quality of always pointing away from the person's own self, toward the One in whose power, in whose captivity and bondage he or she is. So we have Gideon, because his story is a story of God glorified, of the human being humbled.”

This book is a good choice for anyone interested in World War II history. It is also a picture of how God's light will not be extinguished, even in the face of some of the darkest evil the earth has seen.

[Scott Head · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sermons of great bravery and conviction fill these pages. Standing upon the scriptures, here are men of faith standing against the Nazi juggernaut, many unto death. The traditions are diverse, some Catholic, some Protestant, and thus some sermons are more or less grounded in sola-scriptura than others. Yet these sermons are stirring and compelling. Indeed, the very sermon that inspired White Rose resistance fighter Sophie Scholl to stand firm in her faith in Jesus Christ even unto death is published here. That sermon is by Clemens August Graf von Galen, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Münster, who earned the name the “Lion of Münster” for his powerful preaching exposing Nazi atrocities. The unexpected case of a German Lutheran finding inspiration in a Roman Catholic's preaching is one of the ironies of ecclesiastical history, if you enjoy studying those kinds of things.

The introduction to the book offers a very insightful examination of the mind of the German citizen and the convictions of the average German Christian in the years leading up to and throughout Nazi control. This investigation is very insightful, surprisingly so, in fact. It is well worth the price of the book itself to be able to get inside the collective head of the German people. The old tale (with no real proven source) that the German church just "sang louder" to drown out the cries of the Jews as they were shunted away to death is somewhat hyperbolic in light of so many preachers risking their skin for Christ. Surely these men were the minority, but aren't all sound preachers in any day?

[Michael Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stroud provides biographical and historical background and commentary for manuscript sermons by Confessing Church pastors and Roman Catholic priests that were delivered during Adolf Hitler's rule as Chancellor of Germany. Some of the preachers were German military veterans of World War I. Some were still fiercely nationalist, which had influenced them initially to respond favorably to Hitler's plans to rejuvenate Germany and rebuild its economy and infrastructure. Stroud's presentation unveils the tensions faced by ministers and other professed Christians when a charismatic leader was greeted by some believers as a leader deserving to be followed and by others as a danger to be condemned and rebuked. Some of the preachers would die in concentration camps. At least three are still regarded as influential theologians. An American reader may note disturbing allusions and quotes that suggest contemporary parallels, although the book was published in 2013. If for no other reason, the book is worth reading as a sampling of how religious leaders responded to a controversial political leader.

[Rodney Harvill · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
George Orwell

This book is about pastors and theologians in the Third Reich who chose to remain faithful rather than compromise with Nazi theology, a choice made by many. The main portion of the book is a set of sermons, some of which overtly challenge a Nazi practice or doctrine and some of which were revolutionary acts by virtue of merely proclaiming scriptural truth. These sermons are preceded by a section providing a historical context. Because popular history and actual history tend to be two separate creatures that might occasionally stumble into each other in the night, this was a wise move by the author. Furthermore, the author provides ample footnotes in the sermons explaining why some point was an act of defiance. Not having direct experience of the cultural and historical context, we readers benefit greatly from this act of foresight by the author.

As Hitler and his NSDAP were rising to power, they attempted to placate the church. While the NSDAP platform promised to correct the mismanagement of the ruling authorities, church leaders were justifiably troubled about other aspects of Nazism. In response, NSDAP leaders promised not to interfere with the church. Of course, once in power, they quickly broke this promise, aggressively promoting a church leadership that would proclaim Nazi theology rather than Christian theology. For example, Jesus was re-made into a Gentile, and the Old Testament and Jewish elements of the New Testament were suppressed. In Nazi theology, there was no need for grace and forgiveness because nothing they did was ever wrong. The atoning blood of Christ was replaced with the blood of the Aryan people.

I think it is already well known that youth organizations including church youth groups were conscripted into the Hitler Youth and that their activities were scheduled to interfere with attendance at church services. What is less well known is that churches were banned from engaging in charity; this role was reserved for the state alone. With this, Hitler was avoiding, intentionally or otherwise, the mistake of Julian the apostate. As Roman emperor he tried to revert the empire back to paganism after Constantine’s Christianization of the empire, but he ran into one big problem. The Christians were known for their charity, and he was not, costing him the goodwill of the people. Hitler forced the Christians to not be known for charity.
The featured theologians and their sermons are:

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Gideon
• Karl Barth – A Sermon about Jesus as a Jew
• Paul Schneider – Christ Crossing the Stormy Lake and Jesus’ Glory
• Martin Niemoller – A Sermon about the Relevance of Christianity in Nazi Germany
• Paul Schneider – A Sermon about Giving Thanks in the Third Reich
• Julius Von Jan – O Land, Land, Land: Hear the Word of the Lord!
• Helmut Gollwitzer – A Sermon about Kristallnacht
• Helmut Gollwitzer – A Sermon about Faith as War Begins
• Gerhard Ebeling – A Sermon for a Victim of Aktion T4
• Rudolf Bulmann – A Sermon about the Parable of the Great Banquet
• Clemens August Von Galen – A Sermon about Aktion T4
• Wilhelm Busch – The Way of True Faith

Just from their titles, it is obvious that some of the sermons overtly defied Nazism. Two of these sermons are sharply critical of Aktion T4, a euthanasia program. Most of today’s readers would not know this. Gollwitzer’s sermon about faith is noteworthy for its lack of criticism of Nazism. When war broke out in 1939, the people still had bad memories of the Great War (World War I) and were exceedingly troubled by the prospect of another bad war. There is a time to resist evil, but there is also a time to give comfort. We must never forget this.

There is also an appendix containing a sermon about the loyalty oath to Hitler that the official in charge of religious affairs decided that all pastors needed to take an oath of loyalty as a condition of retaining their jobs. The sermon outlines a way to interpret the oath such that it would not conflict with their duty to God. Some were willing to do this, but others felt that even that was too much of a compromise and refused. Interestingly, the government didn’t care whether they took the oath seriously; it just wanted the moral boost of a high participation rate.

There is a point I consider necessary to make in this review although I would prefer not to. In our culture, every Republican presidential candidate or president has been slandered as “Hitler” for quite some time. I am aware of such slanders of presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump and presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney. Such slanderous behavior probably goes back even further, and I remember seeing some article pointing out how Harry Truman or at least his campaign even compared Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey to Hitler. Not one of these men was Hitler. Just as Germany’s encounter with totalitarianism reflected German culture, America’s coming encounter with totalitarianism will be uniquely American. Any sermons or other commentary against contemporary government policy present a low risk regarding life or livelihood, but that will someday change. In that day, real courage will be necessary, and I hope we can draw inspiration from the theologians featured in this book. There is no indication that the author considers anybody but Hitler to be Hitler; I am merely making this point to any Hitler resister wannabe who thinks opposing any and every right-wing policy is equivalent to resisting Hitler.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly moving book examing faithful pastors who resisted the Third Reich, not just in the shadows but in public sermons. Some of the pastors in the collection were killed for their words.

The book is split into two parts. The first portion is an overview of the religious situation in the Third Reich. It was the most valuable part, and I could have read 400 more pages unpacking more of these ideas. It provides much-needed context to understand the pressures pastors faced and how radical some of their sermons were.

The second portion is the collection of sermons from well-known Christians (Bonhoeffer, Barth, and Bultmann) and relatively forgotten Christians. It was incredibly powerful to read these sermons. I was even surprised by how much I appreciated Bultmann and Barth. There are sermons in this collection I will return to again and again. We are privileged to hear these words from the cloud of witnesses.

What stood out to me the most is how these men responded to the Third Reich in their preaching. They did not become more overtly political but more Biblical and gospel focused. Their return to the Scriptures and to the gospel was a radical move. And they explicitly preached how the government was denying the fundamentals of the gospel. It helps demonstrate that sermons do not have to become more partisan or political in order to convict and be prophetic in the midst of a depraved government.

I can't recommend this enough. It is one of the most moving books I have read in a while. It gave me plenty to chew on as a preacher in our country's current political climate.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly inspiring book! While I knew the Nazis used all kinds of propaganda to promote their distorted racist beliefs, I didn't know that they purposely targeted the Church and tried to initially promote Nazism as a "Christian" based government, then shortly re-wrote the Bible to exclude anything about Jews (which needless to say is pretty much ALL of it)! Pastors during this incredibly difficult time had to decide whether to stand against the Nazis at their own personal risk or keep quiet. The first part of the book explores how Nazism tried to infiltrate the Church and how pastors stood up against it - many of them dying in concentration camps because of their stand. The second part is a collection of sermons. Each chapter gives background information on the pastor, background on the sermon, and the actual message. I can't even imagine living during that time and facing down that kind of evil. These men show that no matter how dark the days God's light still shines from His believers.

Quotes I really liked:

"Bonhoeffer told the Christians that they had to aid victims of Nazi persecution, regardless of religious affiliation or status in the Nazi state. If persecution continued, then Bonhoeffer suggested yet a third step. This measure was one that he ultimately would take himself, and it would cost him his life. 'The third possibility is not just to bandage the victims under the wheel, but to jam a spoke into the wheel itself.' Here Bonhoeffer's Christian faith required political and self-sacrificing opposition. His way of 'jamming a spoke' into the Nazi wheels that were crushing Jews would be to join those plotting to kill Hitler." (p. 37)

"As life became more and more difficult in Germany, Bonhoeffer accepted an invitation to teach in the United States, but soon after his arrival he decided to return to Germany. Bonhoeffer left New York for Germany on July 27, 1939. A little more than a year later, in September 1940, Bonhoeffer, like so many other pastors, was officially banned from preaching and speaking in the Third Reich...After his arrest in April 1943, Bonhoeffer continued to be a model of Christian courage...Dietrich Bonhoeffer refused to allow prison confinement to silence Christian witness. By special orders of Hitler, Bonhoeffer was hanged on April 9, 1945, just days before Germany surrendered." (p. 52-3)

"The sermon included here [by Karl Barth] was preached just at the end of Hitler's first year as chancellor. Its theme is Jesus as a Jew. Copies were made the following day, and Barth even sent the sermon to Hitler. The Jewishness of Jesus offended some in the church, and they walked out. Writing later to a woman from the church, Barth insisted that one simply cannot sever Jesus from his Jewishness: 'anyone who believes in Christ, who was himself a Jew, and died for Gentiles and Jews, simply cannot be involved in the contempt for Jews and ill-treatment of them which is now the order of the day.'"(p. 64)

"I would rather die for my faith than live a cowardly and cultured life with the rest of the world. For nowhere is it said that God will allow us in all circumstances her to live the little span of earthly life without going through loss of money, property, honor, life and limb, wife and child. Even more, such sorrows must come upon the Christian at times; but the Lord brings the little boat of the church through the stormy seas of human events, which must grow calm at his word." (p. 84 -Paul Schneider)

"It is inside us all; this truth that upright men and women can turn into horrible beasts is an indication of what lies hidden within each of us to a greater or lesser degree. All of us have done our part in this: one by being a coward, another by comfortably stepping out of everyone's way, by passing by, by being silent, by closing our eyes, by laziness of heart that only notices another's need when it is openly apparent, by the damnable caution that lets itself be prevented from every good deed, by every disapproving glance and every threatening consequence, by the stupid hope that everything will get better on its own without our having to become courageously involved ourselves. In all these ways we are exposed as the guilty people we are, as men and women who have just enough love left over for God and our neighbor to give away when there is no effort or annoyance involved." (p. 122-3 - Helmut Gollwitzer)

"Now just outside this church our neighbor is waiting for us - waiting for us in his need and lack of protection, disgraced, hungry, hunted, and driven by fear for his very existence. That is the one who is waiting to see if today this Christian congregation has really observed this national day of penance. Jesus Christ himself is waiting to see." (p. 126 - Helmut Gollwitzer)

"The Christian faith is not something that lets us rest. It is not simply the possession of the conviction of certain teachings that one can make one's own once and for all. Rather the Christian faith is an attitude of the will. It is only alive in us when it continually proves itself in new ways. It does not suffice to have decided for faith in God once in the past, but rather this decision for faith has to be implemented anew time and time again whenever he encounters us, when his call meets us. Always again it remains true: Now! Through his encounters God puts us to the test. To be ready for his call, that demands from us that we keep an inner detachment from everything that has a claim on us, from our work and cares, from joys and sorrows; that nothing entirely claims us, lest we become blind for his encounter and deaf to his call." (p. 153 - Rudolf Bultmann)

"How many behave like this with Jesus. For a period of time his is okay. But when things head into the dark, into the dying of the old man, into the shattering of our wishes and hopes, then one says: 'That is going too far. I am turning around.' True faith, however, goes with the savior even into the darkness. Thus we read of Abraham (Heb. 2:8): 'By faith Abraham was obedient when he was called to go out...and he went out and did not know where he was to go.' He went with Jesus into the darkness and the unknown. And one day the command came that he should sacrifice his only son on Mount Moriah. He did not scream: 'That's going too far!' but rather he went comforted by faith along this dark path that led ultimately to light." (p. 176 - Wilhelm Busch)

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

There are several good books that have been written in recent years about some of the major Christian influences in Nazi Germany, but this one is somewhat unique in that it primarily contains primary sources of these brave Christians. I thought the editor did a great job of commenting on the sources in a way that added depth and emotion to the sources and compiled the sermons in a way that drove toward his central point. A great read for anyone interested in Christianity in the WWII era.

[Steven Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is tremendously encouraging and terrifying at the same time. I'm thankful for brave men willing to stand in the pulpit and say "Thus saith the LORD" (or "Das sagt der Herr," as the case may be), even in the face of the Third Reich.

May we honor these men and their faithfulness by learning from it. May we recognize the ways in which we are enticed and compelled to compromise and refuse to do so as courageously and Christ-honoringly as they did.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly powerful sermons, demonstrating the conviction of faith and the power of the Word in the face of a totalitarian regime. There was much more at stake than simply loss of reputation when these ministers stepped into the pulpit; they very much preached knowing their lives were at risk. And yet preach they did - powerfully, directly and boldly. A most important collection well worth the time to read.

[Pat Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

a Timely/Timeless Read

The issue of one's devotion to the seen and unseen values that influence our choices and actions is always before us. I like how the book and the editor's footnotes present the tension between the Christian and non- Christian worldviews. I appreciate how both Catholic and Protestant Christians faced the same challenge from a shared faith in God through Christ.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight from sermons during the Third Reich, both from the Roman Catholic church and Evangelical confessing church. Showing the nuances pastors had to navigate in both preaching the gospel faithfully, showing godly deference to the state whilst calling out their sin. Sermon on the loyalty Oath to Hitler very interesting.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both convicting and comforting, I truly enjoyed reading this selection of sermons preached during the Third Reich by men who were willing to — and did — risk their lives for their faith. The messages in each still stand firm today, and are worth a close study by any believer.

[Peter Stonecipher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling and convicting sermons from faithful pastors in an extremely difficult time.

[Robert Conder · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is great to see the sermons of some of the courageous pastors who preached in the church during Hitler. They preach the Gospel and live out their faith. I plan to read it again.

[Mike Fedewa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as part of Bonhoeffer reading group. Chilling.
There were many brave preachers who suffered greatly for the Gospel.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to be uncomfortable?

Put yourself in the shoes of these preachers. The Third Reich is clearly antithetical to the Gospel, but conditions conspire to conceal that, at least at first. By the time you realize you've signed on with the devil, dissent will cost you your church, your freedom, or your life.

Also uncomfortable is knowing where the line of compromise should be drawn. Christians are constantly being asked to go along to get along. Will a small sell-out here lead to catastrophe later? Non-believers don't realize how much their comforts derive directly from the Gospel. Too often we're willing to saw that branch on which we sit.

On the other hand, the Gospel is offensive enough without making mountains of molehills. Where should we draw the line?

History judges the church to have gotten it wrong in Nazi Germany. Largely that indictment is deserved. This is a book filled with those who stood up to Hitler. What price am I willing to pay if I'm called to make a similar stand?

[Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book profiled sermons of mostly Protestant Ministers (one Catholic Bishop) that were preached during the time that Hitler ruled Germany. There are historical facts regarding the different groups of Christians - some that embraced Hitler and those who where dismissed (or worse) from their posts for opposing his policies.

People who argue using Hitler's reputation don't usually understand how bad it actually was during his Reich. Language was key to his domination of culture. Over and over again do the sermons subtly address his Aryan terms. Self-deception by Christian supporters of Hitler were widespread, since mentioning the Jewishness of Jesus was tantamount to treason.

Learning from history is always important. Learning from the deep reflections of history should be more pressing to keep us from repeating our sinful mistakes. This book of Christian reflections is an attempt to facilitate that end.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is rightly famous for his stand against the tyranny of the Nazi regime. Because of his execution at the end of the war he has taken on the role of martyr. We know that Karl Barth and Martin Niemoller played significant roles, but there are many others who wrestled with the challenge to the church and to soiciety posed by the pagan ideology of Hitler and party.

Dean Stroud has brought together a selection of sermons that include the three aforementioned persons, but a number of others. Some, such as Rudolph Bultmann, are known to many, but many others are unknown. These preachers faced tremendous odds. Some were imprisoned, some murdered, some simply continued to preach the gospel of Jesus as revealed in Scripture without giving in to the temptation to water it down with German nationalist ideology.

This is well worth the read.

[Jolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed/horrified at how Hitler used religion(Christianity) to his own purposes. I learned so much about Nazism that I didn't know (didn't really know anything) from Mr. Stroud's explanations in the first part of the book. It is so very scary particularly since there are people who still subscribe to these beliefs. I did not get through all of the sermons before I had to return the book to the library but I plan to purchase a copy for myself so I can read the rest and have the book to refer to in the future.

[Phil Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

The editor of this collection of sermons has done a nice job of providing the context for the historical context of Germany in the 1930s and 40s as well as a brief introduction to each sermon's author and his context. There is much food for thought here for any person of faith wishing to speak truth to power.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sermons in this volume are excellent examples of those faithful pastors who resisted the Nazi regime. The editor unfortunately does not appear to be aware of some basics about German church life and thus makes some unfortunate mistakes, like using the King James Version of the Bible rather than Luther translation.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is a great account of multiple pastors and theologians that were actually in Nazi Germany pre-holocaust and during, even after. It is a great way to see what the church and its leaders were really thinking.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't know what Aktion T4 was, look it up, and then have nightmares for the rest of your life.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for the faint of heart. Both the subject matter and writing styles require toughness and endurance as you read.