The Cult who Believed Hitler was Christ
Before we start we’re going to define some of our terms, just to explain some of the words we're going to be using in this episode, just so we're all on the same page. So, as a brief introduction, ‘theology’ is the study of the things of God and how He exists, who He is, and how He interacts with the world.
One of the next words that we come across is ‘eschatology’. This is the study of final things, or ‘The Last Days’. This would usually include most of Revelation in the Bible and this is all about the return of Christ, the end of the world and all that kind of stuff. So, ‘eschatology’ or ‘eschatological’ if we’re using it in a sentence, is the study of last things, the final days, the end of the world and, in the case of the League of Christian Reformers, this was their belief that Hitler was the second coming. They were living in ‘eschaton’, they were living in ‘The Last Days’.
Thirdly, and probably most importantly, are two terms, something that has been invented for this project, for the study of this league. Something we like to call ‘Hitlerite Christology’. Hitlerite: about Hitler. Christology: the study of Christ, the person and his work. Encapsulated in this is everything that the League believed about Christ and Hitler; the fact that the spirit of Christ lived in Hitler, that Hitler was Christ, and that the final judgment over the world was coming through Hitler. This was their Hitlerite Christology and you'll hear this time a couple more times in the rest of the episode.
So, now that we've defined our terms, grab a seat, settle in and let's dive in to the crazy, wacky, fascinating world of The League of Christian Reformers and their theology.
The League of Christian Reformers held some beliefs that were similar to Christian orthodoxy, yet, at the same time, diverged wildly with their introduction of Hitler.
For example, their doctrine of ‘original sin’ was practically the same as that of orthodox Christianity, in which man is inherently, naturally, sinful after the Fall described in Genesis 3. However, the League placed great emphasis on the idea of ‘Mammon’, wealth and the evil of Jewish global conspiracies, maintaining that it was these that continued to plague the world, and continued to hold the human race in sin.
Their ‘law’ was the Fascist ideology that they combined with their pseudo-Christian beliefs. The standard was no longer ‘Sola Scriptura', or Scripture alone, but was the Bible with the teachings of Baker, Hitler and the Fascist thinkers of the previous century added on.
Their ‘gospel’ was the ‘good news’ of Hitler being the Second Coming of Christ and the harbinger of the end of Mammon. They claimed that the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ as the ultimate propitiation for man’s sin was not enough. In order to truly be saved, one had to hold to the belief that Christ had already provided salvation, but also needed to be saved again through Hitler.
They were prepared to be outspoken and evangelistic for their cause, with Battersby willing to face MPs to share his faith, and with leaflets and pamphlets being distributed and public meetings being planned.
Their ‘priests’ were Baker, Battersby and Schneider, with ‘disciples' in Barlow, Schneider’s sisters, and their other members.
Their ‘means of atonement’ was similar to Christian orthodoxy, saying that ‘the way of salvation is still open to those who seek God in true repentance’. Except, in their case, this was not repentance inspired by the incarnate sacrifice of Christ, but by the wrath of Hitler’s divinely inspired war.
Their doctrine of ‘new birth’ consisted of coming to the ‘truth…[of] biblical prophecy’ and serving Hitler as the Second Christ and the divine instrument of Judgement. ‘Solo Christo’, or the doctrine of Christ as the sole saviour and mediator between God and man, no longer applied, with Hitler being the second incarnation of Christ; he was a second way to God, a second means by which someone could be saved.
Their ‘canon’ was the Peveril-written ‘Message to England and the World’; their canon later became heavily based on the words of Baker, and eventually also The Holy Book of Adolf Hitler written by Battersby in 1952. The Bible became only one part of a collection of teachings, writings and advice given by Baker, Battersby and Schneider.
The practices of the League were ‘daily prayers… in the little sanctuary’ of Kingdom House and ‘evening prayers’, which they finished with ‘In the name of Adolf Hitler. Amen’. They also stressed the necessity of taking a ‘vow of obedience’. Even the very act of communion with God came through the conduit of Hitler. In their Hitlerite Christology, Hitler assumed the role of Jesus, as mediator and as a second-saviour.
In fact, there was an element of their beliefs that suggested that they believed that the political ideology of Fascism and National Socialism was God’s destined route by which to bring about salvation. In 1943, Arthur Schneider wrote to the Home Secretary, Herbert Morrison, outlining this idea, stating:
I believe that the World was created by Almighty God, and man was created in the image of God.
Jesus Christ was sent by God to redeem the World by his sacrifice and crucifixion.
Adolf Hitler was sent by God to deliver the world from Mammon enforcing the rule of God whom mankind has denied.
National Socialism will fulfil the judgement of God, foretold in Biblical prophecy, and establish the Kingdom of God on Earth.
For Schneider at least, politics was a fundamental part of his eschatological beliefs and he held that National Socialism was the manner by which God would structure His Kingdom on earth.
However, in an attempt to publicise their beliefs, it was these divergent points that became areas of contention. For the Fascist, they were too religious, and for the religious, they were too Fascist and too divergent from orthodoxy. This opposition presented the League with an ultimatum, would they play to the political Fascists, or would they pander to the religious clergymen they set out to convert?
The first round of opposition the League faced was from the wider Christian base, into which they had tried to assimilate themselves. It was their attempt to present their beliefs with some semblance of genuine Christian orthodoxy that brought them to the attention of the Church of England, and caused Canon Reverend F.H. Campion, to remark:
‘I was given the leaflet by Captain T.G. Baker when I called at the house in the course of my pastoral visits. The character of the leaflet was such that I thought it should go to the police. Whether it is seditious or blasphemous is not for me to say, but in it Hitler is described as the second Messiah. The ideology expressed seemed to me to be ridiculous but at the same time dangerous. I have told my parishioners to treat the residents of Kingdom House as Christians, but to be very careful in their dealings with them.’
While it strikes as rather odd for Campion to recommend that his parishioners continue to treat the League’s members as Christians, it shows just how close they seemed to be to Christian orthodoxy. They strived to maintain a semblance of true Christianity, so that they could be attractive to both Christians and Fascists with their views and beliefs.
Rev. Campion was not the only member of the clergy to come into contact with and raise potential concerns about the League of Christian Reformers. While Rev. Campion took a pragmatic view of the League, wishing not to stir up any animosity or conflict, there were others that decided the only course of action was to confront the League head on. This was the mission of Pastor Victor J. Walker of Elim Four-Square Gospel Church. He did go away empty-handed, the League were unfazed, they didn’t slip or turn from their beliefs in the slightest. Instead, they went on the offensive.
In a letter written to the editor of the Nelson Leader in 1945, Battersby rages against the Church, calling them out for what he perceived as some of their biggest flaws. He wrote: ‘The organised Churches, given a message of Salvation nearly 2,000 years ago in the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, have denied God by their historical rejection of that Message and by their alliance with Mammon […] nowhere was Mammon more entrenched than in the Church’. Not only did the League believe in something entirely contrary to traditional Christian orthodoxy, but they also sought to convert and ‘redeem’ those in the Church of England and other such denominations.
In the letters Battersby wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1942, he had his heart set on ‘witnessing’ to the Archbishop and convincing him of Hitler’s divinity and the urgent need to serve the cause of destroying Mammon and overcoming the Jewish conspiracy. Battersby received no reply from the Archbishop.
Partnering this with a subsequent letter sent to the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Hertz on February 5th 1943, in which Battersby and Baker admitted their intention to ‘influence all political prisoners [..] and to give a helping hand needed for the conversion of all Jews […]’, we can see the true scope of their evangelistic mission. Not only were they going to target Christian denominations, but they were going to attempt to convert all Jews to their ideology; a rather shocking notion given the fact that Hitler was to be responsible for murdering over six million Jews.
It is even within the pages of their original manifesto of 1942 that this mission can be found. In ‘A Message to England and the World’, Battersby and Baker wrote:
‘We Englishmen, true to God and to England, declared the Judgement, the final struggle between God and Mammon, and the God-appointed mission of Adolf Hitler as God’s judge from our prison camp to the leaders of our country. This was what God has revealed to us, and it was ordained that we should witness to the Truth.’
They believed that they were appointed to hold the truth of the present Judgement, and were ordained to convert everyone, from their fellow prisoners, to the leaders of the country and all in between. The scope of their evangelistic intentions knew no bounds.
However, it was the persistent religiosity and commitment to what they believed Christianity to be, that ultimately led to the League diverging from their political backgrounds. Battersby firmly believed that the League was an entirely ‘nonpolitical movement proclaiming that these days are the final judgment of God for centuries foretold in Biblical prophecy’. Baker said ‘We are not pro-German or pro-Hitler, or pro-anything except pro-Christian, we are practising Christianity. We have nothing to do with politics.’
Even in that statement alone, we can see just how contentious these issues were becoming for the members of the League. Yes, they still believed that Hitler was the Messiah. Yes, they still believed that Hitler was being used by God as the divine instrument of judgment against Mammon, and yes, they did also say that they weren’t pro-German or pro-Hitler when it came to politics. So ingrained was this belief that Hitler was Christ that they could see nothing but Christianity when they looked at their beliefs. They didn't see that this was a political statement to support Hitler. They just thought they were worshipping Christ.
Despite this shift in their view, away from their Fascist politics, trying to clean up the image as a truly Christian organisation, their continual outspoken beliefs and prominence in the local community eventually sparked a violent response from their Petworth neighbours. And that story is for next week.
References
J.L Battersby to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Letter No. 92141, 1942, from the British Newspaper Archive.
Battersby, J.L., The Holy Book of Adolf Hitler, (Stockport: 1952).
J.L. Battersby, ‘The End of the Mammon World’ to the Nelson Leader, 28 December 1945, from the British Newspaper Archive.
‘Herald’ Reporter, "Battersby Says ‘I’d Face M.P.s’”, Daily Herald, 01 December 1945.
J.L. Battersby, ‘The End of the Mammon World’ to the Nelson Leader, 28 December 1945, from the British Newspaper Archive.
William J. Gage, ‘The Swastika Over Britain’, John Bull, 29 December 1945, from the British Newspaper Archive.
Bishop, Stanley, ‘Yard Told Of Cult Leaflet’, Daily Herald, 30 November 1945.
A.J. Schneider to the Bishop of Worcester, Letter No. 90391, 05 August 1943.
Bishop, Stanley, ‘Police Call at Hitler Cult HQ’, Daily Herald, 01 December 1945
‘Daily Mirror’ Reporter, ‘Mr Jones has joined the Reformers’, Daily Mirror, 01 December 1945.
Bishop, Stanley, ‘2 Flags But No Hitler Bust’, Daily Herald, 29 November 1945.
‘Daily Mirror’ Reporter, ’31 graves a Hitler memorial at “bust” village’, Daily Mirror, 29 November 1945.
Letter from Arthur Schneider to Herbert Morrison, 8th July 1943, The British Guardian.
‘Letters sent by the League of Christian Reformers to the Clergy, identifying Adolf Hitler with Christ the Saviour’, The British Guardian.
Staff Reporter, ‘Moscow Radio on Mr. Battersby’, Manchester Evening News, 03 December 1945.
‘Masked Men’s Raid, “I Have Forgiven Them” - Kingdom House Leader’, Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, 14 December 1945.
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