Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust: Genocide and Moral Obligation

by David P. Gushee

"Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust by David P. Gushee is an authoritative and indispensable exploration of a highly important aspect of the Holocaust, the willingness of a small, but morally significant, number of non-Jews to take on great risks for themselves and their families to rescue Jews from the Nazi death machine. In this well-documented, well-written book, Gushee explores the full range of Gentile responses to the plight of the Jews from overt hostility and obscene brutality to altruistic rescue, the better to understand the achievements of truly Righteous Gentiles. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the Holocaust."―Richard L. Rubenstein, President Emeritus, Distinguished Professor of Religion, University of Bridgeport

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Holocaust, Theology

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1994

About the author

Rev. Prof. Dr. David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre. He is also the elected past-president of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics. Dr. Gushee is the author, co-author, or editor of 28 books, including the bestsellers Kingdom Ethics and Changing Our Mind. His other most notable works are After Evangelicalism, Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust, Introducing Christian Ethics, and The Sacredness of Human Life. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading Christian moral thinkers. Gushee and his wife, Jeanie, live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Reviews

[Karan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most convicting and compelling book I’ve ever read. It is not a book for the faint of heart, and it has caused a great deal of soul searching concerning the superficiality of my personal Christian response to those in need. As Omer Barton stated, “Genocide cannot take place without a majority of passive bystanders.”

[Greg]

A thought-provoking exploration of why some Gentiles helped Jews under Nazi persecution. Gushee is a Christian ethicist.

[Angelika Sorrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-fiction book, which focuses on those who helped the Jews during the Holocaust, was written by one of my college professors (Christian Ethics prof). I was so impressed by the way he handled sensitive topics with conviction and compassion (instead of dogmatic condemnation), that I bought the book soon after graduation. I couldn't put it down. It has a wonderful balance between scholarship, compassion, humanity, and overall is a thought provoking book. There is a lot of historical narrative, as well as true stories of individuals who lived through the Holocaust (victims, in addition to those who helped them). I can't give too much detail beyond that because it has been almost ten years since I read it, but it made a lasting impression on me.

[Kelly Brill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a helpful and important book as we contemplate how to resist the evils of our day and time. I see that a new edition has been released - I was reading the 1994 edition. Gushee analyzes the motivations of those Christians who rescued nearly 250,000 persons during the Holocaust. Carefully and sensitively-written, he acknowledges that 99% of Christians were either complicit or neutral. The stories of the members of the Resistance are completely inspiring.

[Christina Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow... this is a very hard book. Its amazing to me, the author did a phenominal job. I am more than half way through... but One has to take a break to process.