A religious movement in Nazi Germany that attempted to align Christianity with Nazi ideology
Religion: Christianity
Denomination: Syncretic (incorporating elements of Christianity with Nazi ideology)
Founded: 1930s
Location: Germany
Other Names: Deutsche Christen (German Christians)
Positive Christianity was a religious movement within Nazi Germany that sought to intertwine Christianity with Nazi ideology, emphasizing the racial purity of the German people and redefining Christian teachings to support the political and racial objectives of the Nazi regime. The movement promoted a version of Christianity that diverged significantly from traditional Nicene Christianity, focusing on an active Christ figure who opposed Rabbinic Judaism of his day, a figure that was purportedly Aryan and non-Jewish in essence. This revisionist form of Christianity aimed at establishing national unity, eliminating Catholicism operating outside the Nazi State, and uniting Protestantism into a singular state church under Hitler’s direct control.
The theological roots of Positive Christianity can be traced back to earlier movements that sought to reject the Jewish elements of the Bible, a sentiment that found its most extreme expression in the Nazi-promoted ideology. The movement was closely linked with figures like Alfred Rosenberg, who envisioned a version of Christianity purified of its Jewish elements and merged with Norse pagan values. This interpretation was seen as a way to harmonize belief in Christ with the Nazi principles of blood and soil, ultimately aiming to create a racially pure German Nordic race.
Positive Christianity was also positioned as a means to serve the nationalist, racist, and political vision of the Nazi party, claiming a racialized and nationalist form of Christianity that was legitimate only so long as it served the state’s goals and conformed to the “moral feelings of the German race.” This manipulation aimed at co-opting the church to support the Nazi agenda, identifying anything that did not conform as “negative” Christianity. Despite its name, this movement was a significant departure from traditional Christian teachings, being criticized as a version of Christianity with no true Christian content—essentially, a political tool rather than a genuine religious faith.
image via Wikimedia Commons
