The question of which religion in Germany is very significant for the history of the German state, as well as the prospects for its social development in the future. Religious processes have a significant direct and indirect impact on the life of European society, therefore, due attention should be paid to this area.
Pre-Christian Germany
Let's start with the origins. The religion of ancient Germany, like all national cults of European nationalities, in ancient times was represented by paganism. In this case, we are talking about the Nordic type of religiosity, in mythology and practice similar to the Scandinavian authentic traditions.
The head of the ancient German pantheon is Wotan, the father of the gods. He and his retinue, whose members are called Ases, live in the highest of the nine worlds - Asgard. And the mysterious place of their stay on earth is the Sacred Groves.
The pagan tribes of the German lands depended heavily on the power of the priestly estate. Although their rights and privileges changed from community to community, on the whole, the priests concentrated in their hands the judiciary, were in charge of public sacrifices and were engaged in divination.
By the 10th century, pagan traditions in Germanic tribes had come to a final decline in connection with the spread of Christianity.
Christianization of Germany
The religion of Germany began to change from the 4th century along with the active preaching activity of church missionaries - the Irish and the Anglo-Saxons. Initially, the lands of German tribes adopted the Arian version of Christianity, but over time, under the pressure of secular authorities, political processes in the international arena and the activities of Catholic preachers, the German population is increasingly imbued with the spirit of orthodoxy. The turning point in this regard is the mission of St. Boniface, who in the 8th century managed to reorganize the religious life of many German tribes and rally them under the jurisdiction of a single metropolis located in Cologne. Personal commitment Boniface of the Roman Church and devotion to the papal throne determined the religious orientation of Germany for many centuries ahead, making it a Catholic country.
The reformation of religion and the emergence of a national church
In the XVI century, the religion of Germany, namely Roman Catholicism, largely lost its authority and lost its leading position. This is due to the speech of the Augustinian monk Martin Luther, who rebelled with his theological arguments against a number of abuses of the Catholic Church. The Lutheran movement, originally conceived as a reformation of the church, turned into a separate denomination with a characteristic set of ritual, doctrinal and ethical canons, called "Protestantism". Almost immediately, it broke into a series of independent currents, laying the foundation for the process of confessional fragmentation, which continues to this day. The three main branches of Protestantism that represent the religious face of Germany are the Lutheran, Reformed and Evangelical churches.
Religion of Fascist Germany
The period of the Nazi dictatorship deserves special mention in connection with the historical development of religion on German soil. Firstly, it is connected with the processes of persecution of religious organizations - Christian, pagan and, of course, Jewish. Hitler's program provided for the complete destruction of the Christian principle in the culture, education and pedagogy of Germany. Secondly, the NSDAP was noted by a number of proposals for alternative religiosity. All such initiatives are divided into two camps, which can conditionally be called Ariochristianism and Neopaganism.
The first of these theories involves reassessing Christian values, history, and dogma in the light of Nazi racial theory . In the field of dogma, Christianity was completely dissociated from Jewish roots, and Christ, according to this teaching, was an Aryan fighter against Jewry. Adolf Hitler, however, proclaimed himself the new messiah, called upon to continue the work of the true, Nordic Jesus.
After the failure of the Ariochristian program, the Reich leaders developed the concept of the revival of ancient paganism on the basis of semi-legendary irminism. At the same time, categorically rejecting historical German Wotanism, the Nazis repressed the nazi pagan institutions, completely destroying them by 1941. However, this attempt to reorganize the spiritual foundations of the country was not successful, and the dominant religion of Germany was still inextricably linked with Christian churches.
Religious processes in Germany today
Today, the religion of Germany is not represented by a single or main church. Catholics and Lutherans share leadership positions. Each of these denominations unites a little more than 30% of the population. About 30% of the inhabitants of this country consider themselves atheists and agnostics. The remaining minority is divided among themselves by Muslims, Christians of other faiths and representatives of other religious movements.
It should also be noted that in modern Germany there is a significant outflow of parishioners from Christian churches. Both Protestantism, and Catholicism, and even more and more popular Orthodoxy in Europe over the past few years, have significantly lost weight. However, in German society there is an increase in Muslim propaganda. Paganism and Buddhism do not occupy prominent positions, although they are gaining popularity among young people. Thus, the main religious trends of modern Germany can be considered a dynamic Islamization and atheization of the population.