Mission at Nuremberg Review!

Who should read this book: Individuals curious about the clergy's real-life impact on history — also, people who need to be inspired by a beautiful individual.

What the Book says: Captain Henry Gerecke, a U.S. Army chaplain, attempts to confront radical evil through his ministry. He attempts to save those eternally that have been deemed worthy of death at the Nuremberg trials. Humans usually are judged on their actions, but their actions are not the entirety of their being. The author attempts to explain that there was redemption in some of the worst Nazi criminals.

Where are the favorite quotes: 

"This was the real reason Gerecke took the Nuremberg assignment. These were men who had spit on the notion of traditional Christianity while promoting an idea that a cleansed Germany would mean a better world and a more pure future. They had broken a contract with God, set down in the Ten Commandments, and Gerecke believed his duty as a Christian minister was to bring redemption to these souls, to save as many Nazis as he could before their executions." (Pg. 11)

" At the beginning of our way, we did not suspect that our turning away from God could have such disastrous deadly consequences and that we would necessarily become more and more deeply involved in guilt... Hitler's road was the way without God, the way of turning from Christ, and, in the last analysis, the way of political foolishness, the way of disaster, and the way of death." (Pg. 229)

"Inmates at Menard State Prison marched through the prison chapel yesterday, " the Associated Press reported, "for a last look at the man many considered their only friend." (Pg. 308)

When is this book applicable in life: Understanding the implications of moral atrocities in the real world. This book does a great job of explaining the horrors of the holocaust, and the worldwide repercussions of such an atrocity. Also, from a faith-based perspective, the importance of relationships and the hope that anyone (no matter how evil) can be redeemed.

Why would someone bring this book up in discussion: 

There is an excellent discussion on the facts surrounding the ideology of the Nazi regime. The desire for a purely secular state leads to the atrocities committed by the Nazi leadership.

Gerecke's experiences as a Chaplain to the Nazi leadership reveals a real-life example of a Hero who faces adversity in his mission. 

The author compiles a great discussion on the problem of moral evil. The book does an excellent job of quantifying the horrors of genocide, leading up to World War II.