Ebook126 pages2 hours
'And The Cock Crowed Again': Essays on Political Ideology and German Church History
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
Friedrich-Martin Balzer's publications have attained attention at home and abroad and found their way into many libraries and scientific works worldwide. Worldcat.org lists more than 70 publications, 13 of which are catalogued in the Library of Congress. Konrad Jarausch, teaching at Chapel Hill in North Carolina, in his book "After Hitler. Recivilizing Germans. 1945-1995 (Oxford University Press 2006), chooses a shocking speech by the 19 year-old Balzer in 1960 as a convincing example of restoring the civil liberty destroyed by the Nazis. Eric Hobsbawm, in connection with Balzer's publication "Blick in den Abgrund" (Bonn 2002), speaks of a "significant contribution to the history of Germany in the years of transition to Hitler". To Hobsbawm "Blick in den Abgrund" represents "not only an important contemporary testimony of the time when Hitler rose to power, but also something which is too often forgotten - the radical leftwing element in German Protestantism in the Weimar Republic". In his introduction to the first publication of the written judgement in the Frankfurt Auschwitz-Trial (Bonn 2004) Balzer reminds the reading public of the very few theologians who strongly warned and protested against the rising fascism.
"After 1945, the role of the churches during the Third Reich was depicted by the survivors as a heroic struggle to maintain their institutional autonomy and ideological integrity in the face of Nazi persecution or theological perversion. [.], as more documentation became available, younger historians have adopted a more sceptical stance, and a certain amount of overdue 'demythologization' has taken place. Left-wing critics especially have pointed out that the Church Struggle was never in fact against the Nazi state as such, and that the majority of churchmen, whether Catholic or Protestant, remained throughout in favour of Hitler's nationalist, and even his anti-Semitic objectives. The silence of the churches on such occasions as the notorious and very public Crystal Night pogrom in 1938, or their chorus of praise for Germany's victories in 1940, are evidence of their real political stance." (John S. Conway)
In German Studies, Balzer is seen by John S. Conway from the University of British Columbia as an example of this "revisionist" point of view. "Not only does he demonstrate that the German Protestant churches were, and have remained, bastions of a conservative political consensus, but he suggests that their leaders' sermons and speeches were primarily prompted by the desire to provide theological justifications for such reactionary views. True Christianity, he believes, consists in supporting a democratic, or better still a 'socialist' political order. [.] More positively, he seeks to rescue from oblivion the history of the few pioneers of a 'religious Socialism', particularly in the 1920s, such as Erwin Eckert, a radical preacher whose adherence to the Communist Party [after his exclusion from the Social Democratic Party] made him an outcast to the majority of his colleagues. [.] Balzer's achievement is, however, to show that there were alternatives in the German churches to the majority's antidemocratic, patriarchal, and authoritarian attitudes. Only a tiny minority upheld the antinationalist, anti-imperialist causes of democracy or of peace, and frequently they paid a heavy penalty. As such they deserve to be remembered [.]" With "And the cock crowed again" a selection of Balzer's essays is presented here in an English translation for the first time.
"After 1945, the role of the churches during the Third Reich was depicted by the survivors as a heroic struggle to maintain their institutional autonomy and ideological integrity in the face of Nazi persecution or theological perversion. [.], as more documentation became available, younger historians have adopted a more sceptical stance, and a certain amount of overdue 'demythologization' has taken place. Left-wing critics especially have pointed out that the Church Struggle was never in fact against the Nazi state as such, and that the majority of churchmen, whether Catholic or Protestant, remained throughout in favour of Hitler's nationalist, and even his anti-Semitic objectives. The silence of the churches on such occasions as the notorious and very public Crystal Night pogrom in 1938, or their chorus of praise for Germany's victories in 1940, are evidence of their real political stance." (John S. Conway)
In German Studies, Balzer is seen by John S. Conway from the University of British Columbia as an example of this "revisionist" point of view. "Not only does he demonstrate that the German Protestant churches were, and have remained, bastions of a conservative political consensus, but he suggests that their leaders' sermons and speeches were primarily prompted by the desire to provide theological justifications for such reactionary views. True Christianity, he believes, consists in supporting a democratic, or better still a 'socialist' political order. [.] More positively, he seeks to rescue from oblivion the history of the few pioneers of a 'religious Socialism', particularly in the 1920s, such as Erwin Eckert, a radical preacher whose adherence to the Communist Party [after his exclusion from the Social Democratic Party] made him an outcast to the majority of his colleagues. [.] Balzer's achievement is, however, to show that there were alternatives in the German churches to the majority's antidemocratic, patriarchal, and authoritarian attitudes. Only a tiny minority upheld the antinationalist, anti-imperialist causes of democracy or of peace, and frequently they paid a heavy penalty. As such they deserve to be remembered [.]" With "And the cock crowed again" a selection of Balzer's essays is presented here in an English translation for the first time.
Related to 'And The Cock Crowed Again'
Related ebooks
Why the Germans? Why the Jews?: Envy, Race Hatred, and the Prehistory of the Holocaust Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Arnold Köster: Two Distinct Voices in the Midst of Germany's Third Reich Turmoil Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Destruction of Reason Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Dawn of Day Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Shadow of Catastrophe: German Intellectuals Between Apocalypse and Enlightenment Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Earthly Powers: The Clash of Religion and Politics in Europe, from the French Revolution to the Great War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5George Bell, Bishop of Chichester: Church, State, and Resistance in the Age of Dictatorship Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPreaching in Hitler's Shadow: Sermons of Resistance in the Third Reich Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Karl Barth and the Making of Evangelical Theology: A Fifty-Year Perspective Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dawn of Day by Friedrich Nietzsche - Delphi Classics (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGerman Culture Past and Present Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDamning Words: The Life and Religious Times of H. L. Mencken Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Music of Stockhausen: An Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Communist Manifesto: The Political Classic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReading Faithfully, Volume 2: Writings from the Archives: Frei’s Theological Background Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEugenics and Other Evils (Annotated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTo Carl Schmitt: Letters and Reflections Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Traitors or Patriots?: A Story of the German Anti-Nazi Resistance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHeidegger's Children: Hannah Arendt, Karl Löwith, Hans Jonas, and Herbert Marcuse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Desolation and Enlightenment: Political Knowledge After Total War, Totalitarianism, and the Holocaust Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTactics and Ethics: 1919-1929 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNietzsche's Philosophy of the Eternal Recurrence of the Same Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paganism - Christianity - Judaism: A Confession of Faith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA war of individuals: Bloomsbury attitudes to the Great War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Germany and the Confessional Divide: Religious Tensions and Political Culture, 1871-1989 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBetween Marx and Christ: The Dialogue in German-Speaking Europe, 1870-1970 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Palace and the Bunker: Royal Resistance to Hitler Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPoets of Protest: Mythological Resignification in American Antebellum and German Vormärz Literature Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHeretics (Annotated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior of the Light: A Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for 'And The Cock Crowed Again'
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
'And The Cock Crowed Again' - Friedrich-Martin Balzer
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1