DOCSLIB.ORG

The Messenger

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Messenger S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 NATIONAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH THE MESSENGER www.nationalchurch.org September 11th Remembrance IN THIS ISSUE Autumn Worship Pages 2-3 Silence the Violence Honk Jr. Page 4 Food for Thought page 5 You are invited to a Prayer & Meditation Service commemorating the 20th year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. The Metropolitan Memorial Garden @ St.Lukes Update sanctuary will be open from 5-8 pm on Saturday, September 11 for you to Farm Market Recovery participate in individual experiential prayer stations at your own pace. Page 6 Learning Opportunities Our clergy will be available for personal prayer throughout the evening. A Pages 7-9 short communal liturgy will be offered on the portico at the beginning of UMW Sunday each hour. The meditation stations will be open throughout the 5-8 pm Page 10 timeframe. You are welcome to come just as you are, whatever you are feeling (or not feeling) as you recall the events of 9/11 and beyond. You Jazz@Wesley Page 10-11 can come for 5 minutes or stay the whole time. All are welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Ali DeLeo ([email protected] | 202-744-6440). An Invitation to Autumn Worship from Pastor Doug The outdoor worship service at Metropolitan Memorial was drawing to a close when this bright yellow butterfly hovered overhead during one of the hymns. A bumblebee had passed earlier in more of a direct line, but this butterfly seemed to linger there as the hymn “In Christ Alone” echoed across campus. It seemed to enjoy the song as much as I did: In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand The butterfly departed for a moment, then American University Chaplain Rev. Bryant Oskvig rose to offer the benediction and as he did, the same butterfly swooped down to the back row of worshippers where I was seated, looping down to each one seated there. Some of us held out our hands imagining it might land but it moved continuously all the way down one aisle then banking hard left, passing along the row in front of us. Hands were opened there as well. Then it turned right and seemed to tap each head—"duck, duck, duck, goose.” All summer we have reflected together on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts and dozens of ways that Spirit was manifest in town after town as the apostles declared Christ as their hope, light, strength, and song. This Sunday, at the conclusion of the series, it seems God provided a visual aid! Many of us have experienced the touch of that Holy Comforter in the midst of this pandemic, “firm through the fiercest drought and storm.” Sundays in September and October we will celebrate church groups which have been a particular source of strength during this time. The choir has been this yellow butterfly not only for those of us who delight in what we see and hear week after week, but also for each one recording their individual track. Some musicians have suffered tremendous loss and sadness, yet each week a director meets them with a new song, a new pattern to follow, and glory be to God, all of these individual voices are woven into holy harmony! (9/12) Renowned composer Mark Miller joins NUMC Virtual Hymn Sing Spiritual study groups have also brought heavenly beauty down into this pandemic for many. One group met to discuss David Finnegan-Hosey’s “Grace is a Pre-Existing Condition” in which the author wrote, “By going first with my own story of mental health struggle, mental illness, and long path to recovery, I could help create space for others to share their own stories and particularly to empower faith communities to be places where people could bring their whole selves to God and to each other, could be brave and vulnerable and honest about their struggles in a space where such sharing could be met with care and grace and solidarity.” Zoom classes have created these brave, vulnerable spaces. (9/19) Page 2 The circles of United Methodist Women and Thursday Men’s Meditation group have opened the hands of women and men during this past year, inspiring members to deliver life-giving services and support for those in need. Although Zoom gatherings initially felt like an impediment for the Men accustomed to early morning prayer gatherings in the Metropolitan Memorial chapel and to women enjoying comfortable gatherings in homes, both have now been able to welcome long-distance participation! God is doing a new thing in our midst! (9/26) Connie Sommers and Martha Mizroch prepare caring bears for distribution. Youth ministry activities continued this year through such things as side-walk chalk at Wesley Campus, capture the flag games at St. Luke’s Mission center, and food and bike donation programs at Metropolitan Memorial. But the moment when the bright butterfly of the Spirit seemed to move most completely in our midst happened during the course of Confirmation. As a pastor I relished weekly check-in sessions with parents and mentors sharing theology and I cherished long walks with our young people around the church parking lot as each shared what shape the Church might take in their lives. (10/4) The NUMC Racial Justice Team met consistently throughout the pandemic, bridging divides and pursuing justice together. We gathered to hear stories of our origins and ancestors as well as the longings of our young people who insisted our work stretch beyond performative posturing. We will hear some of these voices on Indigenous Persons Sunday, October 11th, and we the congregation will be invited to claim new heights of love and depths of peace. (10/11) Katie, Rita, Judy, Robin, and Jeanie “March On Washington” for Voter Rights. The Transitional Housing Board recently concluded operation of transitional housing spaces in St. Luke’s Mission Center and Metropolitan Memorial. Last month, board member Ann Michel wrote on behalf of the group: “When St. Luke’s House and Metropolitan House first opened their doors, there were literally no other homeless services available in upper Northwest DC. In the face of this urgent need, St. Luke’s UMC, Metropolitan Memorial UMC, and other churches took the bold and courageous step of sheltering people within their church buildings. Since our shelters first opened in the early 1990’s, homeless services have become more professionalized and more available. New initiatives, such as permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and robust efforts to address veterans’ and family homelessness have changed the landscape of needs and services and introduced new standards of care. Against this backdrop, all the other congregations in Northwest that once operated shelters have brought their ministries to a close. We are proud to have helped lead this movement that ultimately gave rise to the development of other types of services, while providing safe and secure shelter to hundreds and hundreds of individuals over the years.” On the day of the Tyler Rusch Walk to End Homelessness we will honor those volunteers who have tended this ministry all of these years including young Tyler, we will celebrate all of those transitional residents who felt the touch of grace and dignity in these spaces, we will raise money to support Friendship Place’s advanced initiatives for rapid rehousing, and we will tour the MetroHouse shelter which is currently empty, awaiting its next assignment. The same Spirit which circled our worship service this summer will lead us into the next chapter of God’s story for our church! (10/19) These next six Sundays prepare us to welcome a surprising guest! The same Christ who met us these past several months through these circles of safety and networks of need is still on the move, hovering and swooping. The moment comes in every service where we are invited to depart to serve a risen Lord, rising to be the hands and feet of Christ. Sometimes when we least expect it, the Spirit comes down, touches us on the head and heart, and leads us out! Page 3 ALL SAINTS SUNDAY November 7, 2021 One of the traditions of the church on All Saints Sunday is to name and celebrate the lives of our loved ones who have finished their earthly journey during the past year. Our All Saints tradition is to read the name of each loved one, light candles to remember their lives, and hear the tolling of the church bells in their memory. This year, our All Saints worship services will be on Sunday, November 7th. Please send the name(s) of your loved one to Dona Collary at [email protected] or call 301-452-9222. Silence the Violence DC Strings Sunday, September 26 Tickets are free, with a suggested donation of $20 per person 100% of donations go to the TraRon Center. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/silence-the-violence-2021- tickets-168788556115 The TraRon Center vision is to provide a safe, supportive space for affected members of the community to express themselves- such that it fosters an environment of Honk Jr. Needs You! openness, honesty, and critical reflection of the factors contributing to gun violence in our communities. By openly Our youth and children’s music ministry is preparing to addressing gun violence, they empower community present Honk Jr and we need YOU! We still have many parts members to collectively engage in dialogue that will produce to cast, and youth and children in K - 12th grade are viable solutions for gun violence prevention.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Church of England Clergy Advocates (CECA) and the (Ncis) National Church Institutions
    Church of England Clergy Advocates (CECA) and the (NCIs) National Church Institutions CECA is a workplace grouping of all Church of England clergy who are members of Unite Faith Workers Branch of Unite. The Faith Workers Branch (FWB) includes ministers and workers of all denominations as well as other faiths, and covers all of the UK. How CECA work with the NCIs CECA and the NCIs engage constructively with senior organisational representatives (usually from Clergy HR and Ministry Division meeting with CECA representatives) three times a year to discuss issues of concern. CECA and the Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee share a number of common areas of interest and CECA representatives are invited to attend a meeting of RACSC annually in order to provide their input on relevant matters. How does CECA support office holders and church workers? • National helpline for members, staffed by experienced volunteers • A network of Accredited Representatives provides advice, support, and representation. • Regional Co-coordinators provide fellowship, encouragement, information and training. • Offer general advice, education and fellowship to member clergy through national and regional meetings, publications, or in other appropriate ways. • Represent the needs and concerns of members within the structures of the Church of England. Our shared priorities • Fairness and dignity • Best practice in policy and practise within the clergy context • Clear conditions of office Membership of CECA All clergy are entitled to be a member of a Trades Union or Professional Association and this is a matter for individual decision. Members of a Trades Union or Professional Association may be represented in matters affecting them as individuals by their Trades Union or Professional Association representative.
    [Show full text]
  • Top 5 Myths of the Separation of Church and State
    Top 5 myths of the separation of church and state Brent Walker BJC Executive Director, 1999-2016 Myth #1: We don’t have separation of church and state in America because those words are not in the Constitution. True, the words are not there, but the principle surely is. It is much too glib an argument to say that constitutional principles depend on the use of certain words. Who would deny that “federalism,” “separation of powers” and the “right to a fair trial” are constitutional principles? But those words do not appear in the Constitution either. The separation of church and state, or the “wall of separation,” is simply a metaphor, a shorthand way of expressing a deeper truth that religious liberty is best protected when church and state are institutionally separated and neither tries to perform or interfere with the essential mission and work of the other. We Baptists often hold up Roger Williams’ “hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world,” and point to Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 Letter to the Danbury Connecticut Baptist Association where he talked about his “sovereign reverence” for the “wall of separation.” But we sometimes overlook the writings of the father of our Constitution, James Madison, who observed that “the number, the industry and the morality of the priesthood and the devotion of the people have been manifestly increased by the total separation of church and state.”1 Even Alexis de Tocqueville, in his famed 19th-century “Democracy in America,” a work often cited by those who would disparage separation, writes favorably of it: “In France, I had seen the spirits of religion and freedom almost always marching in opposite directions.
    [Show full text]
  • Separation of Church and State: a Diffusion of Reason and Religion
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 8-2006 Separation of Church and State: A Diffusion of Reason and Religion. Patricia Annettee Greenlee East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Political History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Greenlee, Patricia Annettee, "Separation of Church and State: A Diffusion of Reason and Religion." (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2237. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2237 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Separation of Church and State: A Diffusion of Reason and Religion _________________ A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of History East Tennessee State University __________________ In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in History _________________ by Patricia A. Greenlee August, 2006 _________________ Dr. Dale Schmitt, Chair Dr. Elwood Watson Dr. William Burgess Jr. Keywords: Separation of Church and State, Religious Freedom, Enlightenment ABSTRACT Separation of Church and State: A Diffusion of Reason and Religion by Patricia A.Greenlee The evolution of America’s religious liberty was birthed by a separate church and state. As America strides into the twenty first century the origin of separation of church and state continues to be a heated topic of debate.
    [Show full text]
  • Church-State Relationships in Europe
    RESEARCH REPORT ON CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIPS IN SELECTED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Nick Haynes, MA (Hons), IHBC Historic Buildings Consultant June 2008 Commissioned by the Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (HEACS) Research Report on Church-State Relationships in Selected European Countries Prepared by Nick Haynes, Historic Buildings Consultant. Commissioned by the Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (HEACS) June 2008 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................3 2. LIMITATIONS ......................................................................................................................................3 3. SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................4 4. EUROPEAN CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIPS ...................................................................................4 5. EUROPEAN POLICY CONTEXT .........................................................................................................4 6. SCOTLAND .......................................................................................................................................6 7. ENGLAND .........................................................................................................................................9 8. FRANCE ..........................................................................................................................................14
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to the 2018 Convocation for Restoration
    Introduction to the 2018 Convocation for Restoration and Renewal of the Undivided Church: Through a renewed Catholicity – Dublin, Ireland – March 2018 The Polish National Catholic Church and the Declaration and Union of Scranton by the Very Rev. Robert M. Nemkovich Jr. The Polish National Catholic Church promulgated the Declaration of Scranton in 2008 to preserve true and genuine Old Catholicism and allow for a Union of Churches that would be a beacon for and home to people of all nations who aspire to union with the pristine faith of the undivided Church. The Declaration of Scranton “is modeled heavily on the 1889 Declaration of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches. This is true not only in its content, but also in the reason for its coming to fruition.”1 The Polish National Catholic Church to this day holds the Declaration of Utrecht as a normative document of faith. To understand the origins of the Declaration of Utrecht we must look back not only to the origin of the Old Catholic Movement as a response to the First Vatican Council but to the very see of Utrecht itself. “The bishopric of Utrecht, which until the sixteenth century had been the only bishopric in what is now Dutch territory, was founded by St. Willibrord, an English missionary bishop from Yorkshire.”2 Willibrord was consecrated in Rome by Pope Sergius I in 696, given the pallium of an archbishop and given the see of Utrecht by Pepin, the Mayor of the Palace of the Merovingian dynasty. Utrecht became under Willibrord the ecclesiastical capital of the Northern Netherlands.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reformation in England
    The Reformation The Left to right in England Edward VI and the Pope By an unknown artist, c.1575 In the early sixteenth century the people NPG 4165 Detail of the inset scene Reformation of England and Wales, like nearly all other showing the destruction European nations, practiced the Roman of religious sculpture Catholic faith. The birth of an independent Church of England was brought about partly The Early Reformation in England However, it was not until the accession of the as the result of the movement of religious boy king Edward VI that the English Protestant In England, the creation of an independent reform in continental Europe that we have Reformation touched the lives of the people national church was directly powered by political come to call the ‘Reformation’. Theologians of the realm more widely. Under a protectorate events. In 1527 Henry VIII attempted to obtain such as Martin Luther in Germany, and of Protestant nobles, significant religious reforms a divorce from Katherine of Aragon. When the Ulrich Zwingli and later John Calvin in were executed in the king’s name. A Book of Pope would not comply, Henry adopted a solution Switzerland, protested against what they Common Prayer was issued in English and over suggested by his advisor Thomas Cromwell that saw as abuses in the Roman Church the period 1547–1553 the structure of church he take the title of ‘Supreme Head of the English (hence the term ‘Protestant’). ceremonies was simplified. The appearance Church’. Monasteries were forcibly disbanded and of parish churches continued to be drastically images and shrines were destroyed (in attacks transformed; communion tables replaced altars, known as iconoclasm).
    [Show full text]
  • The Spanish System of Church and State, 1995 BYU L
    BYU Law Review Volume 1995 | Issue 2 Article 7 5-1-1995 The pS anish System of Church and State Gloria M. Moran Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/lawreview Part of the Constitutional Law Commons, and the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation Gloria M. Moran, The Spanish System of Church and State, 1995 BYU L. Rev. 535 (1995). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/lawreview/vol1995/iss2/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Brigham Young University Law Review at BYU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Law Review by an authorized editor of BYU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Spanish System of Church and State Gloria M. Morhn* An understanding of contemporary church-state relations in Spain requires, at least, a brief historical review. The special relation between the Catholic Church and the Spanish state formally began in A.D. 589 when the visigothic King Recaredus proclaimed the religious (Catholic) and political unity of his kingdom at the Council of Toledo. During the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella in the fifteenth century, the Catholic Church assumed an essential role in Spanish society, culture and law. The deep bond between Catholicism and political power persisted into the Constitutionalist Era of the nineteenth century; all nineteenth century Spanish constitutions (1812, 1837, 1869 and 1876), including that of the Spanish First Republic, declare the Catholic Church to be the established religion, a surprising result considering French liberal influence on those constitutions.' As a result of the Catholic Church's established status, freedom of worship did not exist during the nineteenth century (except under the constitution of 1869) nor during the twentieth century until 1968 (except under the constitution of 1931).
    [Show full text]
  • Polish Catholic Church -Ecumenical Contexts
    E-Theologos, Vol. 1, No. 2 DOI 10.2478/v10154-010-0014-6 Polish Catholic Church -Ecumenical Contexts Dr Elżbieta Sawa-Czajka Toruńska Szkoła Wyższa Ks. dr hab. Mirosław Michalski Chrześcijańska Akademia Teologiczna Polish Catholic Church - ecumenical contexts The ecumenical activity of the churches plays a significant role in inter- religious relations of the modern world. Valuable contribution to the theory of ecumenism brought prof. Mikulas Russnak, whose works are of great importance both for dialogue between the Polish and Slovak theologians, but also for the modern understanding of ecumenism in the complex reality of the international twenty-first century.1 For our discussion we assume the following definition of ecumenism2: "Ecumenism is the most common term used to describe the movement for Christian unity or the unity of the Church. In fact, however, it has a much broader meaning. The word ecumenism is derived from classical Greek lan- guage - oikumene - where it expressed the idea of "the whole inhabited world." In this sense, the term was first used in Holy Scripture (cf. Mt 24, 14, Coll. Ap. 17, 6, Hebrews 2, 5). However, Its importance has been qualified in a traditional Catholic approach, in which it was used to determine the gen- eral council, as opposed to the particular synods of the Catholic Church. In the language of modern theology, ecumenism went through the true evolu- tion associated with the recognition of the problem of the divided Christian Church and the need to restore the lost unity. The movement of Christian unity that brought out the word to give it a new quality as a whole is inhab- ited by the followers of Christ Church.
    [Show full text]
  • Denominations Since the Reformation the Five Protestant Reformations
    June 10, 2018 Denominations Since the Reformation As Christians in 2018, have you ever wondered where all these different denominations came from? The Five Protestant Reformations #1. German Reformation Martin Luther (1483-1546) • Famous 95 Thesis was against sale of indulgences. • Rejected sacramentalism. Affirmed forensic justification (salvation is an act of faith). • Rejected auricular confession (confession to a priest), saying that biblically people are supposed to confess to their fellow brothers. • Rejected authority of the pope. He went so far as to say that the primary problem with the RCC is the pope’s desire for opulence and luxury • Rejected all sacraments except two: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. • Rejected ordination of priests (idea of priestly class). • Followers known as Lutherans #2. Swiss Reformation John Calvin (1509-1564) • Was 8 years old when Luther nailed Ninety-Five Thesis to door. • Followers developed “Reformed theology” and “Calvinism” (Theodore Beza, John Knox). • People used to say they were of the “Reformed faith.” Around 20th c. started saying “Calvinists.” • Helped transform Geneva into “Protestant Rome.” Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) • Had academic background. • Brought reformation to hometown of Zurich, Switzerland. 1 • Calvary Chapels hold his view of Lord’s supper (memorialism—it’s purely symbolic tool for remembering Jesus’ work on cross). • Held to infant baptism (brings into Covenant Community like circumcision). #3. Radical Reformation Anabaptists (1527-) • Anabaptist = “baptized again” (adults should get baptized again even if done as infant). • “Radical” because wanted to take reformation even further. • Rejected infant baptism, link between church and state, Christian participant in war, distrusted external authority; held common ownership of property; emphasized pacifism and non-resistance.
    [Show full text]
  • The Orthodox Church Today
    Alexei D. Krindatch The Orthodox Church Today Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute 2311 Hearst Avenue Berkeley, CA 94709 tel. - 510 649 3450 fax. - 510 841 6605 www.orthodoxinstitute.org [email protected] By Alexei D. Krindatch Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, Berkeley, CA. The Orthodox Church Today A National Study of Parishioners and the Realities of Orthodox Parish Life in the USA Contents Part 1. Introduction: What Is this Study About? 2 Part 2. How this Study Was Conducted? 5 Part. 3 Who Are Parishioners in GOA and OCA Parishes: the Profile of the Regular Church Attendees 6 Part 4. What Parishioners Think About Their Parishes 17 Part 5. What Parishioners Think About Their Clergy: Laity’s Vision for Orthodox Priesthood in the US 41 Part 6. Laity’s Vision for the Orthodox Church in the US 69 Part 7. Changes and Innovations in the Church 96 Part 8. Democracy and Pluralism in the Church 111 Part 9. Religious “Particularism,” Ecumenical Attitudes and Relation to the Outside Non-Orthodox Community 123 Part 10. Social Attitudes of American Orthodox Laity 138 Part 11. Personal Religious Beliefs and Practices 144 Part 12. Major Conclusions 173 Sponsored by the Louisville Institute (Louisville, KY) I. Introduction: What Is this Study About? Very little has been done so far to study systematically contemporary patterns and trends in American Orthodox Christianity. The study “Orthodox Church Today” was designed to address this subject and provide 1,5 million strong American Orthodox community with reliable and unbiased information on the various aspects of Orthodox Church life in the 21 st century America.
    [Show full text]
  • Evangelicalism and Mental Slavery: a Miltonic Critique Tyler C
    Cedarville University DigitalCommons@Cedarville The Research and Scholarship Symposium The 2015 yS mposium Apr 1st, 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM Evangelicalism and Mental Slavery: A Miltonic Critique Tyler C. Detrick Cedarville University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/ research_scholarship_symposium Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, and the Religion Commons Detrick, Tyler C., "Evangelicalism and Mental Slavery: A Miltonic Critique" (2015). The Research and Scholarship Symposium. 4. http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/research_scholarship_symposium/2015/podium_presentations/4 This Podium Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Cedarville, a service of the Centennial Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Research and Scholarship Symposium by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Cedarville. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Detrick 1 Evangelicalism and Mental Slavery: A Miltonic Critique by Tyler Detrick In the 1960s, Billy Graham and Carl Henry heralded evangelical identity as the crusade that would bolster Christian witness in the modern age. Recent scholarship, however, has labeled the movement a dramatic disappointment. Historian D.G. Hart contends that mainstream Christianity has become so inclusive that the label “evangelical” has ceased to mean anything intelligible, and Mark Noll echoes this critique by labeling evangelicalism a “scandal of the mind.” Christianity’s greatest hope for global gospel witness has proved a disappointment. One window into this evangelical failure may be found in the prose works of sixteenth century poet John Milton. Far from derived from modern concerns, the ecclesiastical and political turmoil of Milton’s day closely resembles the issue of evangelical identity in the twenty-first century, and the poet’s response applies well to Christianity’s contemporary situation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Orthodox Betrayal: How German Christians Embraced and Taught Nazism and Sparked a Christian Battle. William D
    Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern University Honors Program Theses 2016 The Orthodox Betrayal: How German Christians Embraced and Taught Nazism and Sparked a Christian Battle. William D. Wilson Georgia Southern University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses Part of the European History Commons, and the History of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Wilson, William D., "The Orthodox Betrayal: How German Christians Embraced and Taught Nazism and Sparked a Christian Battle." (2016). University Honors Program Theses. 160. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/160 This thesis (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Honors Program Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Orthodox Betrayal: How German Christians Embraced and Taught Nazism and Sparked a Christian Battle. An Honors Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in History. By: William D. Wilson Under the mentorship of Brian K. Feltman Abstract During the years of the Nazi regime in Germany, the government introduced a doctrine known as Gleichschaltung (coordination). Gleichschaltung attempted to force the German people to conform to Nazi ideology. As a result of Gleichschaltung the Deutsche Christens (German Christians) diminished the importance of the Old Testament, rejected the biblical Jesus, and propagated proper Nazi gender roles. This thesis will argue that Deutsche Christen movement became the driving force of Nazi ideology within the Protestant Church and quickly dissented from orthodox Christian theology becoming heretical.
    [Show full text]