The Uncomfortable Pew: Christianity and the New Left in Toronto

Abstract

several fascinating anecdotes, such as how both clergy who demonstrated resistance to the Nazis, such as the Catholic Cardinal August von Galen of Münster, and those who had supported them, such as the Protestant Bishop August Marahrens of Hanover, could cause problems for the British authorities in different ways. He also points out how much improvisation was involved by the British in the aftermath of the war, including the question of religion, as many records in Berlin they hoped to access after the surrender were destroyed in the fighting between the Wehrmarcht and the Red Army in the closing weeks of the war, as well as how crucially important British Army chaplains were in working with the German Churches in the early phases of the occupation. While Howson, given his background as a chaplain in the British Army, has a personal connection to the historical subject matter, he remains largely objective for the most part. There are some occasional mistakes, such as the claim on p. 111 that Berlin was not incorporated into West or East Germany in the duration of the Cold War (the eastern half was the capital of the German Democratic Republic), and at times the writing is a bit dry. Despite this, the work is highly recommended for all those interested in the occupation of Germany and religious life after Stunde Null (Zero Hour). Howson concludes his work by claiming the Religious Affairs Branch deserves to be better known. In the opinion of this reviewer, he has ably made his case.