Franz Jägerstätter and the Way of the Cross: Conscientious Objection in the Greater German Reich

Abstract

While Jägerstätter’s life and courageous stand against Hitler and National Socialism are well known and documented, the connections between his reading of scripture, his understanding of the way of the cross, and his conscientious objection have not been sufficiently explored by scholars. In his letters and writings, Jägerstätter repeatedly appealed to scripture’s call for the Christian to bear his or her cross and endure suffering, which he then used to support his stand as a conscientious objector to the Nazi regime. In one form or another, he refers to bearing the cross dozens of times in his letters and writings to emphasize the Christian’s call to obedience and discipleship to the glory of God. This article will examine his understanding of the cruciform life in the Greater German Reich, as one who conscientiously traveled the way of the cross. Jägerstätter used scripture as authoritative above other sources of knowledge or guidance—such as church hierarchy or tradition, experience, and feeling—to see the evil of National Socialism with clarity of vision; to prioritize his responsibilities to God, family, community, and the state; and to refine his conscience as a subject of the Greater German Reich. In these ways, Jägerstätter stood as a steadfast and committed man of faith and a model for the virtues of conscientious objection in the Christian tradition.