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Holocaust theology - Christian view

Holocaust theology - Christian view: Encyclopedia II - Holocaust theology - Christian view

The Catholic Church has some of the Holocaust victims as declared saints and martyrs. An example is the priest Maximilian Kolbe. Open Theism holds that the holocaust was the result of too little faith in God, rather than too much; and that it is non-sequitur to blame God for humanity's steadfast refusal to obey God's command to "Love our neighbors as ourselves." Others, such as a small segment within evangelical Christianity, explain the Holocaust as part of the curse of Deuteronomy 28:15-68. That passage says that if th ...

Holocaust theology: Encyclopedia II - Holocaust theology - Christian view

Holocaust theology - Christian view

The Catholic Church has some of the Holocaust victims as declared saints and martyrs. An example is the priest Maximilian Kolbe.

Open Theism holds that the holocaust was the result of too little faith in God, rather than too much; and that it is non-sequitur to blame God for humanity's steadfast refusal to obey God's command to "Love our neighbors as ourselves."

Others, such as a small segment within evangelical Christianity, explain the Holocaust as part of the curse of Deuteronomy 28:15-68. That passage says that if the Jews were not faithful to God, He would abandon them to judgment. Within this evangelical camp, there are differences of opinion as to what would happen next. In keeping with regular Supersessionism many of them (especially the Reformed theology camp) believe that God is essentially done with Israel as a nation, and that the Church of true believers has taken Israel's place as the covenant people of God. Others believe that the curse of judgment on Israel would only be temporary. According to this view, the Holocaust brought to a conclusion God's wrath upon the nation of Israel. The Holocaust victims are not seen as personally deserving of such suffering, but as "sacrificial lambs" (so to speak) on whom the final measure of the curse was poured out. This view considers them as heroes, not as criminals. This view then holds that, at some time subsequent to the Holocaust, God ceased to "give them up" (Micah 5:3). While this evangelical view does not consider the people of Israel as being fully restored to the place of full blessing, it does assert that they are no longer in the place of cursing. The founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the continued return of dispersed Jews from throughout the world, Israel's victories in five wars since then against overwhelming odds, and the nation's significant economic growth are seen as proofs that the nation is no longer under judgment of Deuteronomy 28. Those who hold this view tend to overwhelmingly be pro-Israel and are often involved in Messianic Judaism or Messianic Discipleship in varying degrees, while those who hold that God is done with Israel may or may not be pro-Israel, and are opposed to Messianic Judaism, viewing it as an abandonment (at least, in part) of pure Christianity.