Title:
The limits of humanity; George Bell, the Church of England, and German refugees 1933-1939.
Creator:
Blumenthal, Heather
Date Created:
1995
Degree Awarded:
Master of Arts
Subjects:
Bell, George Kennedy Allen, Bishop Of Chichester, 1883-1958 Church Of England Refugees, Jewish Great Britain Kristallnacht, 1938
Geographical Focus:
Britain
Supporting Materials:
n/a
Description:
The Church of England could have played a significant role in assisting refugees from Germany between 1933 and 1939. That it did not illustrates an essential conflict at the heart of the Church’s identity — between the religious Church, committed to morality, untrammelled by national borders. and the established Church. closely linked to England’s secular elites. The Church’s response to the refugee issue provides a prism through which to better understand the iimited English response. Fear of war and support for appeasement, concerns about unemployment, and anti-Semitism, were the constraints that prevented a more positive response. George Bell, Bishop of Chichester, rose above these constraints to assist the refugees. particularly the "non-Aryan" Christians. His attempts to awaken English Christians to the needs of refugees. parcicularly the "non-Aryan” Christians. failed in 1933 and 1936, but were successful in the aftermath of Kristalinacht, in November 1938.
Source
Preferred Citation:
Blumenthal, Heather. 1995. "The limits of humanity; George Bell, the Church of England, and German refugees 1933-1939.", Department of History, Carleton University
Link to this page:
https://cuhistory.github.io/grads/items/hist_222.html
Rights
Rights:
Copyright the author, all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.