Paul Tillich, 1886-1965, was a Lutheran theologian who taught at Union Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School and the University of Chicago and is known for his book The Courage to Be and his three volume Systematic Theology. He was born and educated in Germany and served as a chaplain during World War I when he was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery under fire. From 1929 he was Professor of Theology at the University of Frankfurt until 1933 when, due to his criticism of the Nazi movement and Hitler, he was dismissed. He moved to the United States, learned English, became an American citizen and taught philosophy of religion at Union and Columbia University.

When Hitler declared war on the USA Tillich began a series of radio addresses to the German people over the Voice of America. Delivered in German these broadcasts have now been translated into English – AGAINST THE THIRD REICH. They are a powerful example of a theologian pleading with his former nation to recognize the horror of Hitler and to reject his morally and bankrupt government. He saw the demonic, named it, and did what he could to denounce it. Unlike many of his fellow German theologians he did not avoid confronting National Socialism and their criminal cronies. Even as early as 1942 he spoke of the Nazi extermination of the Jews. He told the Germans of the trains of death, the machine-gun executions of Jewish children and women, and of German physicians who joined in the slaughter in the camps. He detailed the guilt of all responsible Germans who allowed themselves to be enslaved by Hitler.

The addresses are theology of a culture which is evil and the judgment which would come on the German nation. As a philosopher of history he defended the Jewish people. Christianity was prepared in the womb of Jewish history. Jesus Christ was of Jewish lineage. The Old Testament is part of the Christian Bible. The Reformation of Martin Luther took place in the name and spirit of the Jew, Paul. Christians cannot renounce their Jewish roots. Any attack on the Jews was an attack on Christian history.

The problem of German culture was that it extolled freedom but only internally not externally; freedom in spirit but bondage in life. The freedom of a Christian person was not understood as political freedom. The godly right to protest against ungodly political authorities was never recognized. The governing authorities were given too much power and enslaved the lives of the people. The churches, the poets, the philosophers believed that inward freedom did not depend on political freedom. Without political freedom, freedom from tyranny, in the long run, religious and intellectual freedom is impossible. True freedom is from want and fear. Tyranny seems to make the individual secure, but it is unable to do so, because tyranny is arbitrariness, and arbitrariness is insecurity. Human nature cannot breathe in the air of bondage. The Nazis will be called to account as murderers of freedom.

Hitler and his followers waged war on Christianity because of its reverence for human life and love for God. Too often church leaders escaped from concern for the present life into the life to come. The political became isolated from God. Inner spiritual freedom became a substitute for political action. Freedom of thought became a freedom to dream and avoid political freedom.

Reading these addresses in a time of war and unparalleled violence, with its critique of the National Socialism of Hitler and the blindness of his followers, is a challenge to examine our attitude to the culture in which we live. To what degree is the culture anti-Christian today? How outspoken should we be in our Christian witness when we see corruption, immorality, excessive use of force, political rhetoric and the cancelling of freedom of speech? All too often we avoid getting involved in politics, in public affairs, in controversy and take refuge in spiritual language, and the life to come. We don’t want to be unpopular, to rock the boat, to disagree, to be critical. But there comes a time when we need to stand up for what we think is right and godly. We do not want our nation to default to paganism, to secularism, to agnosticism, to atheism in our media, schools, universities, and corporations as it did in Germany in 1933. The example of Tillich is a sober reminder of the need to step forward when the chips are down.