Sacred Causes: The Clash of Religion and Politics, from the Great War to the War on Terror

by Michael Burleigh and Michael Burleigh Dr

Book Overview

Beginning with the chaotic post-World War I landscape, in which religious belief was one way of reordering a world knocked off its axis, Sacred Causes is a penetrating critique of how religion has... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006058095X
• ISBN13: 9780060580957
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 557 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Fscinating Insights and Observations

In this sweeping and comprehensive work, Michael Burleigh examines the role played by religion in politics and politics in religion from the end of the First World War until the Islamic terrorist onslaught taking place today against the free world. It is written from a strongly Catholic perspective, and Burleigh puts forward a robust defense of the Roman Catholic church against charges that it did nothing to try to prevent the Holocaust. One of Burleigh's most important contributions in this book is his outline of the sterling role played by the Christian Democratic Parties in Western Europe, in both helping their countries to overcome the evil legacy of Nazism, and preventing the spread to their countries of the equally evil Communist tyranny. As a traditional Jew, I can say that my communitarian pro-traditionalist and pro-national self-determination outlook (and my belief in a socially responsible market economy as opposed to laissez faire libertarianism), is very similar to an equivalent of the Christian Democrat philosophy, and I believe to prevent a victory by the dark forces of Satanic Islamo-Nazism, a variant of this philosophy needs to be re-established. Beginning with the rise of Nazism and Fascism in Germany and Italy,the author explains how the knee jerk reaction of the Left to label everyone to the right of them as a "Fascist" blinded them to the genuine phenomenon, and how Leftist parties refused to co-operate with the moderate and Christian forces to stop Nazism and Fascism, thus bearing some responsibility for the the rise of these regimes. Already by the 1920s predictions abounded of apocalypse and the end of days. A move to the right took place as a reaction tot he horrors of Bolshevism and the 1919 orgy of violence by Bela Kun in post-war Soviet Budapest. Burleigh quotes the penetrating observation, by Russian religious philosopher Semyon Frank, about the Communist infatuation with the idea: "Sacrificing himself for the sake of this idea, he does not hesitate to sacrifice other people for it. Among his contemporaries he sees either the victim of the world's evil he dreams of eradicating or the perpetrators of that evil...This feeling of hatred for the enemies of the people from the concrete and active psychological foundation of his life. Thus the great love of mankind of the future gives birth to a great hatred for people; the passion for organizing an earthly paradise becomes the passion for destruction". Interestingly in outlining the bloody mass politicide and deliberate creation of famine as as a political weapon by the Bolshevik, the author notes that the Bolsheviks raided and destroyed churches and synagogues but not mosques. Was this because Islam is not part of the Judeo-Christian tradition and ethic. Perhaps this could go some way to explaining the hatred of the extreme left for Christianity and Judaism, but their mania to defend and side with Islamic extremists, and never to condemn, even in p

A brilliant piece of work

Moving on from the staid and historical 19th century (Earthly Powers: The Clash of Religion and Politics in Europe, from the French Revolution to the Great War) Mr. Burleigh now brings his pen to the 20th, ratcheting up the volume and daring to skewer those he does not agree with. One can tell that the books analysis is right on from the faces of those who have been put against it. Critics have argued that the book dares to speak of the threat of Islamism while not mentioning 'Fundamentalist Judaism' or the political role of Hinduism in India (the BJP) or 'radical' Sinhalese Buddhism in Sri Lanka. But how many people in the world have died at the hands of Hindu nationalist terrorists or Sinhalese Buddhists suicide bombers? None. Burleigh is controversial in truth because he dares in this volume to define Communism and Nazism as religions in their won right that replaced God with the state. The slavish devotion of people to these 'sacred causes' was akin to religion, but actually worse, for organized religion at its worst never produced the horrors of Nazism and Communism. This is what offends people. Burleigh dares to show that Communism was a scam, it was merely a new religion invented to place the state and man at the center. In its destruction of 50 million lives in the 20th century it has been far worse than any organized religion. But few will admit it. Nazism too was a renewal of pagan fundamentalism, tribalistic extremism, akin to the Hutu fascism in Rwanda but with more evil efficiency. Burleigh notes that these two threats to European civilization were beaten back but that organized religion, namely the Catholic church, has suffered in the process. He notes that Islamism has picked up where Nazism and Communism left off in terms of a threat to European civilization. He is right. But why is there still no resurgence in some form of religion among the secular masses of Europe? He cannot answer this question. In addition Burleigh has far to much praise for the Catholic church, perhaps hoping that it will play a greater role in the 21st century. A fascinating and brilliantly argued book. A wonderful read, brilliantly argued, something that many can learn from. Seth J. Frantzman

What was the 20th century all about?

Burleigh argues, in this rich, meaty book, that the 20th century was all about the clash between religion and the state. The 20th century opened with a set of swaggering new philosophies that were going to create a heaven on earth. Nietzche, before he descended into gibbering madness, declared that "God was dead". He expected a New Man, freed of the old, niggling 10 commandments, to lead humanity to a bright new future. What the world got was Hitler and death camps. Then there was fascism, led by Mussolini, whose first book was, "God Does Not Exist". And then there was communism, most potent of all, which slaughtered some 100 million people while trying to create heaven on earth. The late Pope John Paul, who lived under both the Nazis and the communists, called the 20th century "a pile of bodies". In this sweeping, beautifully written book, Burleigh performs like a magician, always pulling out just the right, telling anecdote. In the early part of the century, violence against the clergy peaked. In Spain during the civil war, "nearly 7,000 clerics were murdered" (p 132"), while atrocity was piled on atrocity. In Mexico priests were hunted and shot and convents closed. Yet the most bloodthirsty of all would be communism. The communists used everything they could to fight against religion--threats, persecutions, show trials, mass starvation, and the near total destruction of all religious clergy. "By 1938 eighty bishops had lost their lives, while thousands of clerics were sent to the Solovetsky labour camp set up in a former monastery on an island in the White Sea" (p 47. What bitter irony, then, that many now believe that it was religion that pulled down the whole grotesque regime. "Although they were subjected to relentless assault from state-sponsored atheism, the Christian Churches remained the only licensed sanctuaries from the prevailing world of brutality and lies" (p 344). Solidarity, Pope John Paul, and Poland brought down communism. Yet we may well face an even more troubling era. Europe is beset with problems of a very different nature. As its native populations dwindle to nothing a flood of Muslim immigrants is taking over Amsterdam, Paris and London. What was once a vital continent filled with a vibrant Christianity is now dying. Authors such as Dawkins assault the very idea of religion while immigrants swarm into the country. Statistics show a vast numbers of these new Europeans want, not to do away with religion as Dawkins suggests, but to impose Sharia law.

A Very Good Read

A genuinely historical and very well-written account of the conflict between secularism and religion over the past hundred years or so. The former -- whether under the guise of humanism, liberalism, pseudo-conservatism, communism, or Nazism -- has, far more often than not, been the victor in these clashes of culture. But, of course, might doesn't make right (in addition, these victories have been transient, and far more illusory than substantive). No, it is religion that has tended to be on the right, albeit losing, side. There's no doubt, however, that this tradition is being challenged by present-day Islam, which appears to have the upper hand. While our Muslim brethren are correct in despising a plethora of cultural pathologies, their embrace of indiscriminate and extreme violence is problematic...to say the least! No one who claims to be truly civilized can countenance their vile actions. But it's equally impossible to lend one's support to the egregious and depraved creed that is secular humanism. The solution is rooted in the West's embracing once again, at long last, its foundational Christianity. I'm not holding my breath. Well, it will be interesting to see how it plays out -- interesting, but unpleasant.

An Astounding Assessment of the Clash of Religion and Politics in Modern Times.

_Sacred Causes: The Clash of Religion and Politics, From the Great War to the War on Terror_ is an astounding book full of historical insights into the conflict between the churches and the Twentieth Century totalitarian "political religions" by British historian Michael Burleigh. This book takes off from where Burleigh's previous book _Earthly Powers_ (which deals with the time period from the French Revolution to the "Great War") left off. As in his previous works which have largely focused on the Third Reich, Burleigh is indebted to certain conservative theorists of totalitarianism such as Eric Voegelin and Raymond Aron. Burleigh notes at the beginning of this work that he does not really have a name for the kind of history he is to present, but that he intends to operate in the ground where politics, ideas, culture, and religious faith meet. Throughout this book, Burleigh remains largely unafraid to challenge many of the trendy nostrums of the politically correct liberal elite, such as multiculturalism, secularism, post-modernist and "New Age" fantasies. This work also defends the Catholic church in particular from many of its would-be opponents (be they secularist, Protestant, or Jewish) and from those who would try to smear it with the "fascist" label (merely because they disagree with certain of its teachings). In particular, Burleigh defends Pope Pius XII from the idiotic charges of many trendy secularists that he was a supporter of Hitler. From his writing, it can be seen that Burleigh regards much of what the churches have done as positive accomplishments and that he sees the Christian faith as a useful remedy to totalitarianism (be that in the form of Communism, Nazism, or Islamist terrorism). As such, this book is certain to offend many of the smug politically correct elite who offer very little to society but criticize everything. Burleigh begins his book with a discussion of the "Great War". He notes the powerful emotions unleashed by that war and the subsequent search for meaning. Many lost their lives (or the lives of family) in the pointless fighting and as such there was a great anxiety brewing among Europeans of the time. Burleigh notes the effects of the war on such writers as Rudyard Kipling, Henri Barbusse, Karl Kraus, T. S. Eliot, and Ernst Junger. He also notes the role of religion in their writings and philosophies. Burleigh also notes how a sort of proto-New Age movement developed following the war, in which a religious syncretism sprang forth. Such proto-New Age beliefs were particularly common in Germany (though not just in Germany) where countless apocalyptic long-haired prophets railed against the system and advocated lifestyle reform. Such individuals included fanatics like Louis Haeusser and Friedrich Muck-Lamberty, who had all sorts of strange ideas, and as Burleigh effectively argues Adolf Hitler himself may have emerged from this quasi-Bohemian milieu. Burleigh also shows how many more mainstre