read and reviewed by Joanna Works
Title: "Hitler's Cross"
Author: Erwin W. Lutzer
Publisher: Moody Press, 1995
Genre: Non-fiction, History, & Politics.
Subject: Christian resistance, Nazism, Warning to America, & Christian responsibilities.
Page count: 207
Title: "Hitler's Cross"
Author: Erwin W. Lutzer
Publisher: Moody Press, 1995
Genre: Non-fiction, History, & Politics.
Subject: Christian resistance, Nazism, Warning to America, & Christian responsibilities.
Page count: 207
Over view: In "Hitler's Cross" Erwin W. Lutzer examines the lessons that may be learned from studying the deception of the church:
o The danger of confusing church and state
o how the church lost focus
o the role of God in human tragedy
o the parameters of Satan's freedom
o the truth behind Hitler's hatred of Jews
o the faithfulness of God to His people who suffer for Him
o comparisons between Hitler's rise and the coming reign of the Antichrist
o America's hidden cross- her dangerous trends
[From the book inside sleeve.]
Positives: I find it exciting that some one has taken on this subject from this historical point of view, what it means for Christians, and the lessons we can learn from the Christians of WWII Germany.
For a heavy subject the book flows in a methodical and easy to take in that reading doesn't become laborious or over whelming.
Erwin W. Lutzer has articulated very clearly and correctly spiritual warnings that are important for any generation and nation to take head of.
I also really appreciate how he doesn't make Germany into the scurge of western culture but points out some of England's racist bents as well, for example that Houston Chamberlain (Neville Chamberlain's nephew & Richard Wagner's son-in-law) wrote the racist book "The Foundations Of The Nineteenth Century" prior to WWII.
Negatives:
A. The whole book is based on the analogy of there being two crosses preached in this world; the cross of Jesus Christ and the cross of the Antichrist. This makes for an interesting visual and comparative tool as Lutzer describes the schwastica as a broken cross, however I find this to be a flawed analogy because Satan uses crosses as idols through out history as part of his counterfeits in cultures all over the world before and after Christ has come, Catholicism (Satan's first of many counterfeit churches) especially pays homage to the cross, where as Jesus and His work is what Christians are to focus on, not the tool for implementing the death penalty. If Lutzer talked more of Jesus work at calvary rather then pining one pagan symbol pretending to be a christian symbol against another pagan symbol it wouldn't be so annoying.
B. Furthermore he makes a big deal out of how the Nazi's secularized Christmas taking Christ out of Christmas, even though it doesn't take much research to discover that Christ was never in Christmas to start with. Yes most people, even professing Christians, celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday, however if you're going to research Christmas tradition & history in Germany you might want to dig deep enough to discover that the "changes" the Nazi's made where actually long held German traditions.
C. I'm not an expert however from my understanding and previous reading it seems that Mr. Lutzer didn't research the resistance in Germany as well as he could have. I've marked my copy of "Hitler's Cross" with corrections on page 48 and a few other pages. It's the details from the plots to assassinate Hitler that Lutzer hasn't recorded accurately.
Other books by the Author; "When A Nation Forgets God: 7 lessons We Must Learn from Nazi Germany," and many many more, I haven't read any of his theological based books but would read them with causation. The author seems to be an ecumenical sort.
Final verdict: Lest any one only focus on the lengthiness of my criticism for this book let me just say here I really enjoyed "Hitler's Cross" and would recommend it to any one interested in the subject, however it would be best for a reader to start out with "An Honorable Defeat: Fight Against National Socialism in Germany, 1933-45" by Anton Gill & "Countdown to Valkyrie: The July plot to assassinate Hitler" by Nigel Jones first to get grounded in the politics, people and resistance groups & plots first and then read "Hitler's Cross" as a warning and comparative study of Nazi Germany with America today. The strength of the book lays in Erwin W. Lutzer's accurate connections between the humanist/occult philosophies of Nazism and America today, there are sentences that as I began reading them I thought I'd quote part of it on facebook, but then the thought grew bigger into a paragraph and then a whole page, there are many such pages that if I where to quote as much of the book as I'd like to I'd likely get into trouble for copy right infringement, so read the book for yourself!
Recommended books on this subject?
As noted above I highly recommend "An Honorable Defeat: Fight Against National Socialism in Germany, 1933-45" by Anton Gill & "Countdown to Valkyrie: The July plot to assassinate Hitler" by Nigel Jones
some other good books are "Valkyrie: The story of the plot to kill Hitler by its last member" by Philip Freiherr Von Boeselager and last but not least "The Oster Conpiracy of 1938: The Uknown Story of the Military plot to kill Hitler and avert World War II" by Terry Parssinen. A preacher I know has recommended "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" by Eric Metaxas which I plan to read soon.
This is a subject I find both fascinating and very important from historical, political and spiritual perspectives.
If you've read this book please leave your own review, or if you haven't read it and have questions please post in the comments Thank you.
NOTE: I had this typed up and ready to post for almost a week but have been having trouble getting a computer that has internet and can support the website builder application. Very sorry.
o The danger of confusing church and state
o how the church lost focus
o the role of God in human tragedy
o the parameters of Satan's freedom
o the truth behind Hitler's hatred of Jews
o the faithfulness of God to His people who suffer for Him
o comparisons between Hitler's rise and the coming reign of the Antichrist
o America's hidden cross- her dangerous trends
[From the book inside sleeve.]
Positives: I find it exciting that some one has taken on this subject from this historical point of view, what it means for Christians, and the lessons we can learn from the Christians of WWII Germany.
For a heavy subject the book flows in a methodical and easy to take in that reading doesn't become laborious or over whelming.
Erwin W. Lutzer has articulated very clearly and correctly spiritual warnings that are important for any generation and nation to take head of.
I also really appreciate how he doesn't make Germany into the scurge of western culture but points out some of England's racist bents as well, for example that Houston Chamberlain (Neville Chamberlain's nephew & Richard Wagner's son-in-law) wrote the racist book "The Foundations Of The Nineteenth Century" prior to WWII.
Negatives:
A. The whole book is based on the analogy of there being two crosses preached in this world; the cross of Jesus Christ and the cross of the Antichrist. This makes for an interesting visual and comparative tool as Lutzer describes the schwastica as a broken cross, however I find this to be a flawed analogy because Satan uses crosses as idols through out history as part of his counterfeits in cultures all over the world before and after Christ has come, Catholicism (Satan's first of many counterfeit churches) especially pays homage to the cross, where as Jesus and His work is what Christians are to focus on, not the tool for implementing the death penalty. If Lutzer talked more of Jesus work at calvary rather then pining one pagan symbol pretending to be a christian symbol against another pagan symbol it wouldn't be so annoying.
B. Furthermore he makes a big deal out of how the Nazi's secularized Christmas taking Christ out of Christmas, even though it doesn't take much research to discover that Christ was never in Christmas to start with. Yes most people, even professing Christians, celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday, however if you're going to research Christmas tradition & history in Germany you might want to dig deep enough to discover that the "changes" the Nazi's made where actually long held German traditions.
C. I'm not an expert however from my understanding and previous reading it seems that Mr. Lutzer didn't research the resistance in Germany as well as he could have. I've marked my copy of "Hitler's Cross" with corrections on page 48 and a few other pages. It's the details from the plots to assassinate Hitler that Lutzer hasn't recorded accurately.
Other books by the Author; "When A Nation Forgets God: 7 lessons We Must Learn from Nazi Germany," and many many more, I haven't read any of his theological based books but would read them with causation. The author seems to be an ecumenical sort.
Final verdict: Lest any one only focus on the lengthiness of my criticism for this book let me just say here I really enjoyed "Hitler's Cross" and would recommend it to any one interested in the subject, however it would be best for a reader to start out with "An Honorable Defeat: Fight Against National Socialism in Germany, 1933-45" by Anton Gill & "Countdown to Valkyrie: The July plot to assassinate Hitler" by Nigel Jones first to get grounded in the politics, people and resistance groups & plots first and then read "Hitler's Cross" as a warning and comparative study of Nazi Germany with America today. The strength of the book lays in Erwin W. Lutzer's accurate connections between the humanist/occult philosophies of Nazism and America today, there are sentences that as I began reading them I thought I'd quote part of it on facebook, but then the thought grew bigger into a paragraph and then a whole page, there are many such pages that if I where to quote as much of the book as I'd like to I'd likely get into trouble for copy right infringement, so read the book for yourself!
Recommended books on this subject?
As noted above I highly recommend "An Honorable Defeat: Fight Against National Socialism in Germany, 1933-45" by Anton Gill & "Countdown to Valkyrie: The July plot to assassinate Hitler" by Nigel Jones
some other good books are "Valkyrie: The story of the plot to kill Hitler by its last member" by Philip Freiherr Von Boeselager and last but not least "The Oster Conpiracy of 1938: The Uknown Story of the Military plot to kill Hitler and avert World War II" by Terry Parssinen. A preacher I know has recommended "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" by Eric Metaxas which I plan to read soon.
This is a subject I find both fascinating and very important from historical, political and spiritual perspectives.
If you've read this book please leave your own review, or if you haven't read it and have questions please post in the comments Thank you.
NOTE: I had this typed up and ready to post for almost a week but have been having trouble getting a computer that has internet and can support the website builder application. Very sorry.