How did Germany's Christians respond to Nazism? In Twisted Cross; Doris Bergen addresses one important element of this response by focusing on the 600;000 self-described 'German Christians;' who sought to expunge all Jewish elements from the Christian church. In a process that became more daring as Nazi plans for genocide unfolded; this group of Protestant lay people and clergy rejected the Old Testament; ousted people defined as non-Aryans from their congregations; denied the Jewish ancestry of Jesus; and removed Hebrew words like 'Hallelujah' from hymns. Bergen refutes the notion that the German Christians were a marginal group and demonstrates that members occupied key positions within the Protestant church even after their agenda was rejected by the Nazi leadership. Extending her analysis into the postwar period; Bergen shows how the German Christians were relatively easily reincorporated into mainstream church life after 1945. Throughout Twisted Cross; Bergen reveals the important role played by women and by the ideology of spiritual motherhood amid the German Christians' glorification of a 'manly' church.
#2014293 in Books The University of North Carolina Press 2012-04-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .97 x 6.63 x 9.54l; 1.26 #File Name: 0807835455296 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Richmond's Ekoji Buddhist Sangha has a great storyBy Uncle DanJeff Wilson provides us with a detailed description of the unique Buddhist temple in Richmond; Virginia. It houses several different Buddhist groups -- Pure Land; Zen; Vipassana; Tibetan and a more secular meditation group. They all get along and cooperate to keep the institution vital.The story of the institution's founding by the Reverend Kenryu Tsuji is worth the price of the book. Toward the end of his life; after serving as bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America; Tsuji looked for opportunities to spread the dharma in the South. He began two temples in Virginia that took very different paths through the years.Wilson may be less successful in his argument that the Richmond Ekoji Sangha represents a Southern regional Buddhist institution. It owes much to its context in Richmond; but its unique model hasn't been duplicated elsewhere in the South.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Insightful for any southern BuddhistBy crowtalesI found this to be a wonderfully insightful text for any Buddhist living in the South; or trying to understand Buddhism in the South. My only complaint is that I want to see more of what he's investigating - I want more information and study on Buddhism in the South in general. The specific limitations of the study and information presented here leave me wondering of what details could be found in other cities.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A lot of lessons for those of us in the southBy Mettai CherryThis book is very academic and thus not as enjoyable a read as I would have liked. Never the less; as a southern buddhist trying to make a go of creating and sustaining a Sangha in the south; it offers some perspective. It would be nice to have a broader version of this looking at more states as well.
