Offered through the Institute for Christian Studies
Keeping Faith Under Dictators: Lessons from 20th Century Europe
Bruce Berglund · September 16 to October 21, 2026
It’s nothing new — church members giving their support to authoritarian leaders, nationalist movements, and attacks against minority groups. The same pattern we see today runs through the history of 20th-century Europe. Why were so many Christians drawn to nationalism, racism, and tyranny, and how did other Christians express their opposition? This course explores the dynamics of resistance and complicity in these historical episodes, looking at the responses of ministers, artists, and intellectuals. By investigating their search for certainty, solace, and wisdom, we will learn how Christians living in oppressive states can gain new understandings of the church, morality, and faith.
Examine collaboration under fascist, Nazi, and communist regimes
Read the texts of well-known opposition figures in 20th-century Europe, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Václav Havel
Ask what faith under oppressive states teaches us about faith, the church, and morality
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Bruce Berglund is a historian of modern Central and Eastern Europe and the author of Castle and Cathedral in Modern Prague: Longing for the Sacred in a Skeptical Age. He lives and teaches in Prague. He returns to Free to be Faithful after teaching Twentieth Century Authoritarianism and joining the Big Read as a guest.