This is the second part of my account of how the Christian population of Germany was softened up for a false gospel and eventually seduced by the Nazi party.

In 19th-century Germany, Ludwig Feuerbach was what one might call the first modern atheist theologian. This visionary once wrote, "Consciousness of God is human self-consciousness; knowledge of God is human self-knowledge." In other words, he claims that it is God who is made in our image, not the other way around. Of his own German culture, this was surprisingly close to the truth.

German universities headlined the ongoing reinvention of Jesus. Their biblical scholars and historians hastily threw out the miracles of Jesus and downplayed the significance of His death and Resurrection. They opted for a shell of "male heroism" (a decidedly German ideal) in place of the biblical Jesus, especially those aspects of His message that were "too Jewish." With hindsight, later scholars found that, in their search for a "Historical Jesus," they found only a dim reflection of themselves.

The "German Christians" movement which supported the Nazi party was a clear example. The punchline of their formal statement in 1932 was, "We want an Evangelical Church with roots in the national character." The entire statement is quite telling if you have the chance to read it. You will notice that it has hardly any theological content at all. It is empty, patriotic fluff cloaked in pious language. And it reveals exactly how susceptible we become to a false gospel once we have lost sight of the true gospel.

May we, as Christians of all nations and races today and in all times, be true image-bearers of the one true God.

May we never fall to the temptation to make new gods after our own vain image.