What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to examine the theological resistance to authoritarianism in historical and contemporary contexts.

June 4, 2026

Theological Struggle Against Authoritarianism: Calls for Confessing Church

Key Points

The aim is to examine the theological resistance to authoritarianism in historical and contemporary contexts.
Comparison of the church struggle against Nazism in Germany with contemporary movements in the US.
Documentation of five theological movements advocating for a confessing church.
Analysis of challenges faced by modern theological resistance.
Identification of key theological influences such as Bonhoeffer and the Barmen Declaration.
Contextual comparison reveals different yet parallel struggles against authoritarian regimes.
Contemporary calls for confessing church reflect ongoing tensions and challenges in American Christianity.

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article juxtaposes the church struggle against Nazism in Germany with the theological struggle against Christian Nationalism in the US. The Christ‐centered theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and of the Barmen Declaration grounded theological resistance in Germany. In the US, there have been many calls for confessing church; five theological movements are documented. The author compares the two historical contexts and analyzes the challenges facing contemporary efforts at confessing church through theological resistance

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Theological Struggle Against Authoritarianism: Calls for Confessing Church

Key Points

Abstract

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