Christian Roots of Nazism

Introduction
The content in this encyclopedia documents the Christian roots of Nazism. Some examples of Christian influence are in the personal history of the Nazis, and antisemitism during Christian Europe in medieval times, including the hatred of the Jewish people by the Church Fathers, the massacre in Rhineland in 1096, killings and mass forced conversions of the Jews to Christianity, and Martin Luther and his quotes from On the Jews and Their Lies in 1543.

Jewish deicide
Multiple biblical verses have influenced antisemitism, including the Jewish deicide charge that Jews as a people hold the responsibility for killing Jesus Christ. This claim led to the slur “Christ-killer” and to the persecution of Jewish people, which includes massacres and forced expulsions of Jews from many countries. The deicide charge was a commonly held position among the Church Fathers and was the official position of the Catholic Church.

Church Fathers
The Church Fathers including Ambrose of Milan, Aristides of Athens, Augustine of Hippo, Eusebius of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Hippolytus of Rome, John Chrysostom, Justin Martyr, Marcion of Sinope, Origen, Saint Ephraim, Saint Jerome, and Tertullian have made hateful remarks toward Jewish people, including blaming them for death of Jesus Christ.

The papacy and Christian church councils
The popes of the papacy and Christian church councils have made laws restricting Jewish people, which includes Jews being prohibited from holding public office, prohibited from the construction of synagogues, prohibited from testifying against Christians, forced to live in ghettos, forced to wear a Jewish badge and hat, and expelled from the Papal States.

Crusades and Inquisition
During the Crusades and Inquisition, Christians massacred and forced Jews to convert to Christianity.

Martin Luther
Martin Luther, a leading Christian of German Christian history, has made antisemitic statements, including advocating for the death of the Jewish people in On the Jews and Their Lies and Martin Luther's Table Talk.