Six Million Crucifixions
Encyclopedia
Six Million Crucifixions: How Christian Teachings About Jews Paved the Road to the Holocaust (2010) is a history book by author Gabriel Wilensky
. The book examines the role Christian teachings about Jews played in enabling the racial eliminationist antisemitism that gave rise to the Holocaust. In Six Million Crucifixions Wilensky argues that from the earliest days of the Christian movement an attitude of contempt toward Jews and Judaism
emerged, which over time evolved into full-blown hatred. Wilensky argues that it was this foundation that made the various peoples of Europe
ultimately receptive to the genocidal message of the Nazis, and made large numbers of them willing collaborators in the extermination of two thirds of European Jewry in what is known as the Holocaust.
The book concludes by arguing that following the Allied victory in the Second World War, the Allies
should have tried any members of the Christian
clergy who may have been complicit in the crimes of the Third Reich
and its allies before, during and after the war.
, who wrote “By now, numerous books by Christians, Jews, and others have taken Christianity to task for its many failures before, during, and after the Holocaust. But few, if any, hit harder than Wilensky’s.” The book is divided into five parts. Part I provides a brief overview of some key events in the history of Christian-Jewish relations from the time of Jesus
until the end of the Second World War. Part II specifically describes and discusses the phenomenon of Christian antisemitism. Part III covers the role of the Protestant
and Catholic churches during the Nazi
period and beyond. Part IV offers a short introduction to some legal concepts and provides an overview of criminal acts that Catholic and Protestant clergy, and the churches as institutions, may have been guilty of, and provides material that might have been used for an indictment had the Allies
pursued another set of international prosecutions at the end of the Second World War. Lastly, the Epilogue covers post-WWII events including positive steps taken by the Catholic and Protestant churches after the Second Vatican Council
.
Two appendices provide a list of anti-Jewish statements by many pope
s throughout history, as well as a list of anti-Jewish papal bull
s.
Gabriel Wilensky
Gabriel Wilensky in an American author, software developer and entrepreneur. He was born in Uruguay, where his eastern-European grandparents had emigrated to before the Second World War...
. The book examines the role Christian teachings about Jews played in enabling the racial eliminationist antisemitism that gave rise to the Holocaust. In Six Million Crucifixions Wilensky argues that from the earliest days of the Christian movement an attitude of contempt toward Jews and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
emerged, which over time evolved into full-blown hatred. Wilensky argues that it was this foundation that made the various peoples of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ultimately receptive to the genocidal message of the Nazis, and made large numbers of them willing collaborators in the extermination of two thirds of European Jewry in what is known as the Holocaust.
The book concludes by arguing that following the Allied victory in the Second World War, the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
should have tried any members of the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
clergy who may have been complicit in the crimes of the Third Reich
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and its allies before, during and after the war.
Overview
Six Million Crucifixions has a foreword by Holocaust scholar John K. RothJohn K. Roth
John K. Roth is an American-based author, editor, and, for over 30 years, professor of philosophy of religion at Claremont McKenna College. In 1988 he was named CASE U.S. National Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching....
, who wrote “By now, numerous books by Christians, Jews, and others have taken Christianity to task for its many failures before, during, and after the Holocaust. But few, if any, hit harder than Wilensky’s.” The book is divided into five parts. Part I provides a brief overview of some key events in the history of Christian-Jewish relations from the time of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
until the end of the Second World War. Part II specifically describes and discusses the phenomenon of Christian antisemitism. Part III covers the role of the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and Catholic churches during the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
period and beyond. Part IV offers a short introduction to some legal concepts and provides an overview of criminal acts that Catholic and Protestant clergy, and the churches as institutions, may have been guilty of, and provides material that might have been used for an indictment had the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
pursued another set of international prosecutions at the end of the Second World War. Lastly, the Epilogue covers post-WWII events including positive steps taken by the Catholic and Protestant churches after the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
.
Two appendices provide a list of anti-Jewish statements by many pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
s throughout history, as well as a list of anti-Jewish papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
s.
Critical reception
Six Million Crucifixions has been praised by Christian and Jewish Holocaust scholars.- Father John T. PawlikowskiJohn T. PawlikowskiJohn T. Pawlikowski living in Chicago is a Servite priest and Professor of Social Ethics at the Catholic Theological Union.As member of the Catholic Theological Union since 1968, Pawlikowski was appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in 1980 by then-President Jimmy Carter. He was...
, Director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago wrote that “Six Million Crucifixions presents a powerful challenge to the Christian community to take seriously its legacy of antisemitism.” - Robert P. EricksenRobert EricksenRobert Ericksen is a renowned historian of the Holocaust. His book Theologians Under Hitler was widely acclaimed, and was made into a documentary in 2004. He maintains affiliations with the Humboldt Foundation and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and sits on the editorial board of Kirchliche...
, Professor of History at Pacific Lutheran University and author of “Theologians Under Hitler” wrote that “Christian complicity was substantial. By the early twentieth century, too many Christians viewed the persecution of Jews with equanimity, or even with enthusiasm. This is a sobering but important book.” - Dr. Carol Rittner, Distinguished Professor of Holocaust & Genocide Studies at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey praised Six Million Crucifixions “because all of us Christians [...] must think again, or think for the first time, about how to teach and preach the Christian Scriptures [...] in such a way that the words we utter, the attitudes we encourage, do not demean, disrespect, or disregard our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
- Michael BerenbaumMichael BerenbaumMichael Berenbaum is an American scholar, professor, rabbi, writer, and film-maker, who specializes in the study of the memorialization of the Holocaust...
, Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute wrote that “Gabriel Wilensky’s Six Million Crucifixions is a powerful and passionate indictment of the Vatican for acts of omission and acts of commission, made all the more important by his understanding that individual prelates and Roman Catholic officials did far better than Church leadership.” - Aaron Breitbart, Senior Researcher at the Simon Wiesenthal CenterSimon Wiesenthal CenterThe Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
wrote, “Gabriel Wilensky reminds us that Hitler did not invent satanic notions about Jews, but rather, built the furnaces of Auschwitz on a foundation of spiritual materials provided centuries earlier, in large part, by the Church.”
- Elizabeth Breau writes in a ForeWord MagazineForeWord (magazine)ForeWord is a trade journal published six times yearly with the tagline, “Reviews of Good Books Independently Published.” The magazine is distributed primarily to librarians and booksellers to familiarize them with upcoming books from small, independent, and university presses, as well as...
review, “Wilensky’s writing is a lucid, concise reminder of why it is important to remember how deadly religious bigotry can be.” - Fred Reiss at San Diego Jewish World writes, “Six Million Crucifixions brilliantly explains the anti-Semitic attitude of the Catholic Church and how, over the centuries, its repeated railings against the Jewish people created brutal waves of anger, which led to repeated mass murders of Jews in various locals throughout Europe.”