The Holy Reich

AnalyzingthepreviouslyunexploredreligiousviewsoftheNazielite,RichardSteigmann-GallarguesagainsttheconsensusthatNazismasawholewaseitherunrelatedtoChristianityoractivelyopposedtoit.HedemonstratesthatmanyparticipantsintheNazimovementbelievedthatthecontoursoftheirideologywerebasedonaChristianunderstandingofGermany'sillsandtheircure.Aprogramusuallyregardedassecularininspiration-thecreationofaracialist'people'scommunity'embracingantisemitism,antiliberalismandanti-Marxism-was,fortheseNazis,conceivedinexplicitlyChristianterms.Hisexaminationcentersontheconceptof'positiveChristianity,'areligionespousedbymanymembersofthepartyleadership.Healsoexploresthestrugglethe'positiveChristians'wagedwiththeparty'spaganists-thosewhorejectedChristianityintotoasforeignandcorrupting-anddemonstratesthatthiswasnotjustaconflictoverreligion,butovertheverymeaningofNaziideologyitself.