Book Review: Erwin W. Lutzer, Hitler's Cross
(Moody Press, Chicago, 1995) 207pp. Vol. X, No. 7, August 1997
Erwin Lutzer is senior pastor of Moody Memorial Church, Chicago, and author of numerous books. In Hitler's Cross Lutzer sketches how Germany and the Christian church within it were prepared for Hitler, first by unifying church and state and, second, between 1871 and 1918 teaching that there must be a split between public and private morality. With commendable brevity Lutzer reviews in only eight pages the theological, political, economic, and constitutional roots of Naziism.
Lutzer's third chapter is especially fascinating, for in it he traces the background of Hitler's occult beliefs, demonic connections, and the religion of Naziism. Throughout the chapter, and indeed throughout the book, Lutzer points out parallels with what is happening in the United States today.
Over a quarter of the book (56pp) is devoted to three chapters titled "The Church Is Deceived," "The Church Is Divided," "The Church Is Dismembered." These chapters recount the sad downfall of the great majority of those Germans who considered themselves Christians, both pastors and laymen. Through cowardice, wishful thinking, naivete, and a failure to submit to Jesus, to place priority upon His eternal commands, most German "Christians" turned enthusiastically away from the cross of Christ to worship (yes, worship) the hakenkreuz (broken cross, swastika) and the god-man, Hitler.
Lutzer acknowledges those heroes who stood against the Nazis, saved what Jews they could, and in many cases remained faithful to Christ throughout their own imprisonment, torture, and execution. His primary example is Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed 9 April 1945 -- only four weeks before the final collapse of the Third Reich, three weeks before Hitler's suicide.
In the last chapter, "America's Own Hidden Cross," Lutzer gives every American Christian much food for deep thought. With numerous factual illustrations and cogent commentary he shows how far our country has travelled along a disastrous path different from but parallel to the course followed by pre-World War II Germany. As one illustration, he writes
"And just as Hitler had the textbooks of Germany rewritten to bring them into line with national socialism, so today our textbooks are being revised to delete our Christian heritage and to promote humanistic values. Thus secularism, once in motion, relentlessly moves across the landscape, seeking to crush religion at any cost."
Hitler's Cross is much more than just interesting history. Rather, I characterize it as applied history. Pastor Lutzer challenges Christians to grow beyond the cocoon of easy believism, to emerge from our comfortably isolated pews into the real world where Satan powerfully, personally, persistently works to pervert the church, Christ's bride. God may send a nationwide revival as He did in decadent Eighteenth Century England, but if He does not, every sign suggests that American Christians will face spiritual and physical persecution no less dire than those experienced by German Christians and Jews in the 1930's and early 40's.
God permits persecution in order to purify His church. His bride is never more pure, more true, more devoted to Jesus than when undergoing severe attack by worldly powers both private and governmental. There is no certainty we will undergo such testing, but surely those opposed to Christ -- the militant homosexuals, feminists, New Agers, secularists, "humanists," and those who believe the Bible records man's search for God rather than God's revelation to man -- all these are ripe, if they believe that success would be theirs, to attack and destroy true cross-committed Christians.
If that day comes, when that day comes, are you prepared to suffer with Jesus, or will you betray Him? Many are called, but few chosen. Will you be among the few temporally suffering but eternally rejoicing?
Hitler's Cross reads easily but weighs heavily on the heart. I highly recommend it to every serious Christian.