186. Question Answer XVII

When we read of the bad behavior of our leaders, we should take it first as a warning to ourselves because we're made of the same stuff, right? We're just as prone to the same evils.

Now, this is not to excuse bad behavior, but it's to say we need to see it in ourselves and adopt a more humble posture.

I am therefore concerned with a history of the forms of action and behavior of Christianity beyond all institutional and confessional barriers.

I'm writing the history of the undeviating intertwining of so-called temporal and spiritual politics, including the secularized consequences of this religion.

Criminality in foreign policy, in agricultural, trade and financial policy, in educational policy, in culture, in censorship, in the continued spread of ignorance and superstition, in the unscrupulous exploitation of sexual morality, of marriage law, of criminal law.

I am writing the history of clerical criminality in private enrichment, in the haggling for office, in pious fraud, in the cult of miracles and relics, in the most diverse types of forgery, etc., etc.

In short, I am writing a history of crime in the entire breadth of state, church, and social life in Christendom.

Well, that's a quote from Karl-Heinz Deschner, a German author whose life work was an enormous 10-volume account called The Criminal History of Christianity.

He wrote it over almost 20 years before his death in 2014.

It's really hard to find an English translation of it, actually.

It was published in its original German, and there are abridged English versions.

But Deschner was a harsh critic of Christianity, and he aimed to write a kind of church history read differently – as a history of crimes committed with the approval or applause of the church.

What we're to make of these types of accounts is one of our questions for this, our 17th Q&A episode.

I'm producer Kayleigh, and with the help of director Mark, we'll be taking you through today's episode while we save John's voice to actually answer your questions.

I'm not John Dixon, but this is Underceptions.

Each episode we explore some aspect of life, faith, history, science, culture or ethics

that's either much misunderstood or mostly forgotten.

With the help of people who know what they're talking about, and for this

episode, that's John, we're trying to undeceive ourselves and let the truth out.

Music One of our listeners, John from Switzerland, recently read a bit of Deschner in the original German and sent us this question.

Director Mark's going to read it for us.