Religion through Race The religious perceptions of Den Nordiske Motstandsbevegelsen Kristin Holtekjølen Dugstad Master Thesis in Religious Roots of Europe Faculty of Theology UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Spring 2018 II Religion through Race The religious perceptions of Den Nordiske Motstandsbevegelsen III © Kristin Holtekjølen Dugstad 2018 Religion through Race Kristin Holtekjølen Dugstad http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Private IV Abstract This thesis considers the religious perceptions of a very vocal, self-identified National Socialist group in Norway called “Den Nordiske Motstandsbevegelsen” or “The Nordic Restistance Movement” (DNM). The thesis consists of three main approaches; 1. To contextualize expressions of the group concerning religion and religiosity to National Socialism of the 1920s and 30s as found in the parties of NSDAP (Germany) and NS (Norway) as well as the political group Ragnarok (Norway). 2. To uncover religious ideas and cosmology of the group as found in the textual sources on their webpage. 3. To discuss the groups understanding of the traditional religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam as well as more loose-fitting religious concepts, popularly referred to as “New Age” My findings indicate that the complex relations between National Socialism and religious thought as were present in the 20s and 30s are still relevant to current groups like DNM. The group is not opposed to religion and does acknowledge the spiritual need of human beings, but places the core features of National Socialism above religious sentiment. These core features include biological-racial ideas as well as a fundamental anti-Semitism. A religion can hence only be accepted if perceived as compatible with National Socialism, leaving religious freedom intact yet within the frames of the ideology. The main difference between National Socialism then and now is the relative decline of importance, where DNM rarely explicitly discuss religion and only occasionally refer to religious issues or the place and space of religion within National Socialism. Because race rather than religion is regarded as the defining characteristic of an individual, DNM do not partake much in oppositional stances against Christianity or Islam and neither seem to have any particular preference for Neo- Paganism as was quite prominent within certain fractions in the 20s and 30s. The assessment of Judaism is however digressing from the clear-cut separation of race and religion, where no great difference is made between the two elements, leading the question of intellectual influence on Christianity an open, unanswered question as opposed to previous National Socialism. The relative peripheral role of religion is also present in the apparent distance of DNM to occultism and “New Age” which has influenced the general Nazi scene to some extent in recent decades. Nevertheless, there are elements which can be given clear religious meaning and perceptions within the cosmology of DNM closely related to the almost sacral apprehension of NSDAP; the role of Hitler, eternal life within the racial memory, struggle as the ultimate meaning of existence and the martyrium surrounding these sacrifices. As such the manifestation of religion is present, but mainly through the context of race. V VI Preface To write the final words of this thesis which has been my main occupation for the last year, is indeed ambivalent. After many days of reading and writing I am ready to let my thesis fly away on the wings of love, but at the same time there is so much more to be said and researched on this so interesting topic. As such, the feeling of curiosity and thirst for knowledge is supressing the bursts of stress and anxiety now the process of the thesis is at an end. There are many who are to be thanked for their help and support. I would like to thank teachers and co-students of the program Religious Roots of Europe 2016-18; you have made the last two years of studying a real treat with knowledgeable interactions and forgetful compact seminars. Particularly Violina has been a great comrade in arms with continuing offers of decadence and shelter in the great Babylon. I would also like to thank my family for stimulating my passion for history and religion at a very early stage, where the Third Reich has been an ever-recurring field of interest. Supervisor Dag Thorkildsen has been invaluable during the writing of the thesis, and despite the geographical distance between us been ever-available with crucial insight and thoughtful advices. Finally, I would like to thank my indispensable Dotto. You are the sun whose rays are all ablaze. VII VIII Table of content 1. Introduction p.1 1.1 The topic of choice p.1 1.2 Scope and limitations p.3 1.3 The academic development on the topic p.4 1.4 The importance of the research p.5 1.5 The structure of the thesis p.5 2. Method, concepts and the problems of categorisation p.7 2.1 Introduction p.7 2.2 Approach of method: discourse analysis p.7 2.3 Definitions of concepts p.11 2.4 National Socialism as a political religion? p.15 3. The Völkisch circles and the early NSDAP p.18 3.1 Introduction p.18 3.2 A brief sketch of the völkisch ideology p.18 3.2.1 The religious identity of the völkisch p.19 3.2.2 Aryanized Christianity p.20 3.2.3 Neo-paganism and the religious revival of the nation p.23 3.3. Religion and NSDAP p.26 4. Religion and National Socialism in interwar Norway p.32 4.1 Introduction p.32 4.2 The early presence of völkisch and radical right in Norway p.32 4.3 The Ragnarok-group p.34 4.3.1 The enemies in Rome and Judea- the cosmological world view p.34 4.3.2 Neo-Paganist belief and practice as opposed to Christianity p.36 4.3.3 The relation to Nasjonal Samling- a conflict over religion p.38 4.4 The continuing religious conflicts within Nasjonal Samling p.42 5. National Socialism and religion after 1945 p.46 IX 5.1 Introduction p.46 5.2 The reconstruction of cosmology p.46 5.2.1 The myth of Hitler and the meaningful sacrifice p.48 5.2.2 Elitism and the origin of the Aryan race p.49 5.3 The US as influencer p.50 5.4 The development in Norway; a short overview p.52 6. The current struggle; religion defined and discussed by DNM p.56 6.1 Introduction p.56 6.2 Den nordiske motstandsbevegelsen p.56 6.2.1 Religious perceptions in the political program of DNM p.57 6.2.2 Religious perceptions in the philosophical program of DNM p.61 6.3 Religious perceptions presented at Frihetskamp.net p.66 6.4 Islam and the conflict lines of DNM p.71 6.5 The enigmatic enemy of DNM: the Jews p.74 6.6 Jewish influence on Christianity p.77 7. Chapter 7: The mystic heritage of NSDAP and the occult p.80 7.1 Introduction p.80 7.2 The mythos of Hitler p.80 7.3 DNM understanding of eternal life and the concept of martyrdom p.83 7.4 DNM understanding of occultism and religiosity within NSDAP p.85 7.5 DNM understanding of the dynamic between NS and Ragnarok p.86 7.6 DNM relation to the occult in the post-war Nazi scene p.88 8. Concluding remarks p.92 8.1 Introduction p.92 8.2 The main findings of my research p.92 8.3 Suggestion for future research p.96 9. Biography p.98 9.1 Literature p.98 9.2 Internet Sources p.101 X Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 The topic of choice Most defining books concerning themselves with National Socialism have regarded the movement primarily as a political ideology where spiritual elements have been considered opportunistic, half-hearted or at best demagogic. Already the conservative Chancellor of Germany 1932 and co-Chancellor with Hitler 1933-34, Franz von Papen labelled NSDAP more of a sect than a political party in the ordinary sense of the word: 'it´s axiom of the exclusiveness of the political all or nothing [and] its mystical Messiah-faith in the word- mighty Führer as the only one summoned to control destiny (Tal, 2004, p.17). As such the dynamic between the political and the religious elements of NSDAP has been used in order to devaluate the complexity of the movement; if it were to be a sect its deep, political resonance in Germany didn’t have to be taken seriously, if it were to be a political party its religious aspects would merely be a superficial display of populism. A similar dichotomy has been found in the discussion of the religious properties in National Socialism; if one is to accept its religious perceptions, is it to be interrelated to Christian, Neo- Pagan or more non-committed religious understandings? A traditional approach has been to oppose the teachings of Christianity to the teachings of National Socialism as incompatible of which the churches themselves were very active. As noted by Steigmann-Gall, the churches of Germany in post-war society were very emphatical in distancing any clerical connections to the former regime. By emphasising the clerics who contradicted the Nazi potentate and creating an aura of martyrdom around Christians executed by the state, it removed all ties between Christian creed and National Socialism (Steigmann-Gall, 2003, p.4). By placing religious tendencies as Neo-Pagan, atheistic or even occult, and easy explanation to the very complex question of how Hitler and NSDAP could gain power in Germany is offered (Emberland, 2003, p.149).