IT'S YOUR SOULS WE WANT

As rector of the American Church in Berlin from 1935-1941, and chaplain of the American Embassy staff since 1939, the author witnessed at first-hand the Nazi campaign to uproot Christianity. He tells of the resistance of churchmen and of individuals -- many of these latter not regular church members -- who held to Christian beliefs and to Christian marriage and funeral rituals. Here are interesting details about the new ""pagan"" and ""national"" pageants and ceremonies which were invented by the Nazis for what had formerly been considered religious occasions, and an explanation of how all history has been reinterpreted in order to redirect German faith into channels. Although the Nazis have used psychological understanding in giving Germans a new receptacle for their faith, the mounting casualties of war have interfered with the progress of weaning the people from a real religion, for death has to be met with a stronger religion than Hitler can offer. A book to recommend to the general public for it is an excellent picture of conditions inside Germany.