A Survey of Encounter between Protestant Churches of Germany and Nazi Regime

The appearance of Nazism, rising to power and bringing about 2nd world war, raised a difficult situation for people in Europe and Germany. German churches found themselves in a trial in this period and their theological points of strength and weakness revealed. The behavior of protestant churches is noticeable. Two movements, German Christians and Confessing Church, were shaped that respectively were adherent and opponent of Nazi regime. Roots of some protestant churches’ submission to state and hostility to Jews can be traced to Luther theology and his two kingdoms doctrine that affect on their function in this period. Some theologians and pastors tried to remove these defects; Karl Bart and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were of key figures and writing Barmen Declaration was an important event in this regard. Failure in protecting Jews was an obvious weakness in the operation of churches. However the appearance of Nazi regime was instructive for German churches and had some consequences for them. The conflict between fear and faith was explicit in collective and individual level. A tradition, based on reading and exegesis of bible, was established in this period and has been useful for the Europe churches after that.