Patriotismus und Protestantismus

In Germany the national and political demands for unity and freedom are derived to a large extent from Christian traditions. Whereas the customary conception of history is based on a secularization of the religious or a sacralisation of the nation, in his study Christian Senkel reveals a wild mixture of self-assurances which hope for a Protestant taming of nationalism or strive for a nationalization of Christianity. It is mainly the imaginations of literary figures which prove to be significant for this complex image: First Luther precedes a free German republic as a cult(ural) figure, then the Protestant war rhetoric against France and Napoleon puts pressure on the essential national and political terms - thus begins the nationalistic abuse of religious life and expression.