Gregg Quiggle | False Religion, the Barmen Declaration, and the Fight for the Church’s Soul

In this episode of Thinking Christian, I’m joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle for a deep dive into one of the most important yet often overlooked documents of the 20th century—the Barmen Declaration. Against the backdrop of Germany’s post-World War I collapse, the rise of Hitler, and the church’s alarming compromise with Nazi ideology, we explore how a handful of theologians like Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer fought to preserve the true identity of the church.

Together, we unpack how civil religion, political loyalty, and theological drift threatened the witness of German Christians—and what Barmen still has to teach us today as Christians navigating nationalism, politics, and cultural pressure.

We don’t shy away from controversy. Drawing connections between the German church’s failures and modern American challenges, we wrestle with uncomfortable questions about allegiance, national identity, and the dangers of putting our faith in human institutions.

If you’ve ever wondered how the church can stand faithfully in turbulent times—or how subtle compromises can erode Christian witness—this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

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