Women Against Hitler: Christian Resistance in the Third Reich

by Theodore N. Thomas

Overview

Adolf Hitler declared war on Christianity when he silenced the Catholic Church with a diplomatic treaty and arranged for a Nazi Army chaplain to become supreme bishop over the Protestants of Germany. The Confessing Church resisted. Pastors were muzzled, put under house arrest, jailed, and held for years in concentration camps. Thousands were drafted and sent to the war to die, while others were murdered outright. The result was a lack of man-power. Women stepped in. Pastors' wives replaced their absent husbands in the pulpits, and Theologinnen—theologically trained women—preached and assumed administration of the orphaned parishes. Women fought to save their civil rights, and freedoms of speech, assembly, press, and religion. Some went to jail. Some died. A social and theological revolution thus erupted when women stood by the side of men in leadership positions in the church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275946197
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/28/1995
Series:	Wiley Investment Classics (Hardcover)
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)
Lexile:	1530L (what's this?)

About the Author

THEODORE N. THOMAS is is Associate Professor of Humanities, History, and German at Milligan College.

Table of Contents

Illustrations
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
A Narrative Introduction: Three Stories
The Church Struggle in Nazi Germany
Laywomen in the Confessing Church
Pastors' Wives
Theologinnen
Conclusions
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

A fascinating account of the German church struggle against the Third Reich, beginning with three cases of resistant Christian women. Following chapters cover the church struggle in broad terms, Confessing laywomen in the struggle, pastors' wives of the Confessing Church, and Theologinnen in the Confessing Church. B&w photographs. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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