The German Christians wanted to align Protestantism more closely with Nazi ideology by removing Jewish elements from the Bible and adopting Nazi rituals and symbols. The Confessional Church broke away in 1934 to oppose Nazi interference in theology. Some groups, like the German Faith Movement, sought to replace Christianity entirely with a new Nazi pagan religion. Initially many Protestants supported the Nazis due to shared social conservatism, but tensions grew as the Nazis attempted to coordinate the churches under the Reich Bishop. The Confessional Church resisted this Gleichschaltung and grew in opposition to Nazi policies on Jews and euthanasia. However, most churches avoided open confrontation with Hitler for fear of starting a Kulturkampf.

1. The Nazis and the Church Protestants