Hitler's Priests: Catholic Clergy and National Socialism
Author: Kevin P Spicer
Shaken by military defeat and economic depression after War World I, Germans sought to restore their nation's dignity and power. In this context the National Socialist Party, with its promise of a revivified Germany, drew supporters. Among the most zealous were a number of Catholic clergymen known as "brown priests" who volunteered as Nazi propagandists. In this insightful study, Spicer unearths a dark subchapter in Roman Catholic history, introduces the principal clergymen who participated in the Nazi movement, examines their motives, details their advocacy of National Socialism, and explores the consequences of their political activism.
Some brown priests, particularly war veterans, advocated National Socialism because it appealed to their patriotic ardor. Others had less laudatory motives: disaffection with clerical life, conflicts with Church superiors, or ambition for personal power and fame. Whatever their individual motives, they employed their skills as orators, writers, and teachers to proclaim the message of Nazism. Especially during the early 1930s, when the Church forbade membership in the party, these clergymen strove to prove that Catholicism was compatible with National Socialism, thereby justifying their support of Nazi ideology. Father Dr. Philipp Haeuser, a scholar and pastor, went so far as to promote antisemitism while deifying Adolf Hitler. The Führer's antisemitism, Spicer argues, did not deter clergymen such as Haeuser because, although the Church officially rejected the Nazis' extreme racism, Catholic teachings tolerated hostility toward Jews by blaming them for Christ's crucifixion.
While a handful of brown priests enjoyed the forbearanceof their bishops, others endured reprimand or even dismissal; a few found new vocations with the Third Reich. After the fall of the Reich, the most visible brown priests faced trial for their part in the crimes of National Socialism, a movement they had once so earnestly supported.
In addition to this intriguing history about clergymen trying to reconcile faith and politics, Spicer provides a master list-verified by extensive research in Church and government archives-of Catholic clergy who publicly supported National Socialism.
The Washington Post - James J. Sheehan
deeply researched and deeply disturbing…A priest and member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Spicer has an insider's grasp of the church's organization and governance. He has combed through an impressive number of diocesan and government archives to assemble a list of 138 "brown priests," who were either members of the Nazi party or at least active supporters of its program. His book is devoted to a detailed account of the radical nationalism and virulent anti-Semitism that led these men to believe they could be followers of both Hitler and Christ.
What People Are Saying
Peter Hayes
"[Spicer] keeps his rhetorical balance very well, managing to convey the thinking of his protagonists fairly yet also to be judgmental where appropriate. His research is impeccably thorough and unparalleled in the existing literature."--(Peter Hayes, Northwestern University)
Beth A. Griech-Polelle
"Hitler's Priests will contribute to the much debated argument of the level of Catholic Church resistance, conformity, and accommodation to the Nazi regime. Spicer's use of archival materials is almost superhuman and he has done a true detective's job in tracking down priests who I'm sure the Catholic Church leadership would rather be left missing from the historical record."--(Beth A. Griech-Polelle, Bowling Green State University)
Table of Contents:
Introduction 3
1 Adapting Catholic Teaching to Nazi Ideology 12
2 In the Trenches for Hitler 29
3 The Old Fighters under Hitler's Rule 74
4 Antisemitism and the Warrior Priest 101
5 From Nationalism to National Socialism 135
6 Germanizing Catholicism 154
7 Judgment Day - Brown Priests on Trial? 203
Conclusion 228
Appendix 1 German Catholic Ecclesiastical Structure 235
Appendix 2 The Brown Priests - Biographical Data 239
Notes 301
Sources Cited 333
Index 357
Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran
Author: Kenneth R Timmerman
In his chilling new book, New York Times bestselling author Kenneth R. Timmerman blows the lid off the greatest threat America faces: the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Using his exclusive access to previously classified documents, Iranian defectors and officials, and high-level sources in the U.S. government and intelligence community, Timmerman blows the lid off previously unreported threats and our intelligence community's failure to deal with these dangers.
And now it could be too late.
To get the complete story on Iran's radical Islamic regime, Timmerman crisscrosses the globe, taking the reader into secret terrorist gatherings in Tehran, into tense meetings in the White House, to debriefings at an obscure CIA outpost in Azerbaijan, to diplomatic face-offs in the Kremlin, and to many other spots along the way. His extensive investigative reporting allows him to lay bare the true nature of the Iranian threat.
For Americans interested in the truth about Iran, Countdown to Crisis may amount to a call for action-or even a case for war.
nationally syndicated columnist - Cal Thomas
"Ken Timmerman delivers another blockbuster, this time on Iran and its clandestine nuclear program. Few things are more relevant to today's world than what happens in the Middle East-especially in Iran, a major player in the 'axis of evil.' Read this book, be warned, and then equip yourself for battle."
9/11 Commission member and former Secretary of the Navy - John F. Lehman
"With so many amateur intelligence experts clouding the public dialogue, it is a pleasure to read the work of an author of real professionalism. Timmerman adds texture and clarity to the gross failures of our intelligence establishment and new visibility to the role of Iran in the Islamist war against America."
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