“Anyone who doesn’t write world history as criminal history is its accomplice”: Karlheinz Deschner and the Criminal History of Christianity

Few historians have scrutinized religious history with the relentless critical rigor of Karlheinz Deschner, making his work a significant milestone in the field of religious critique. His life’s work, encapsulated in his monumental Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums (“Criminal History of Christianity”), systematically dismantles the idealized narrative of the Church’s role in world history. With the motto, “Anyone who doesn’t write world history as criminal history is its accomplice” (“Wer Weltgeschichte nicht als Kriminalgeschichte schreibt, ist ihr Komplize””), Deschner positioned himself as an intellectual provocateur, unflinching in his indictment of Christianity’s role in oppression, violence, and deceit. In this post, we take a closer look at Deschner’s historical perspective and the significance of his work in contemporary historical research.

Karlheinz Deschner in conversation with Hans Albert 2007. Albert (1921-2023) was a German philosopher and a professor of social sciences at the University of Mannheim. Source: Wikimedia Commonsꜛ (license: CC BY-SA 4.0)

Biography of Karlheinz Deschner

Born in 1924 in Bamberg, Germany, Karlheinz Deschner completed his Reifeprüfung in March 1942 and, like his entire class, volunteered for military service. He served as a soldier until the capitulation, ultimately as a paratrooper, and was wounded multiple times. After the war, he studied at the Philosophical-Theological College Bamberg in 1946/47 before continuing his education at the University of Würzburg from 1947 to 1951, where he earned his doctorate in 1951. That same year, he married Elfi Tuch, a divorced woman, which led to their public excommunication by the Catholic Church under Bishop Julius Döpfner of Würzburg. At that time, Deschner had not yet published any critiques of Christianity or religion. Eventually, he dedicated his life to historical and religious critique, becoming one of the fiercest critics of institutional Christianity.

His early academic interests encompassed a wide range of disciplines, including German philology, theology, and psychology, which provided him with the analytical tools to dismantle religious narratives with scholarly precision. In 1962, he published Abermals krähte der Hahn (“Again the Cock Crowed”), a work that set the foundation for his future critiques by challenging Christian morality and historical claims. Over the following decades, he authored more than 40 books, including Der Moloch and Das Kreuz mit der Kirche, systematically deconstructing the role of Christianity in politics, culture, and war.

In 1970, Deschner signed a contract with Rowohlt for his ambitious Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums (“Criminal History of Christianity”) project. However, it was not until 1986 that the first volume was published. Thanks to private support from Herbert Steffen, Alfred Schwarz, and others, Deschner was able to dedicate himself to his magnum opus without significant financial concerns. Due to health reasons, the series had to conclude in 2013 with the tenth volume, which covers Christian history up to the 18th century. The series was published in a total circulation of 350,000 copies. Since 1988, Deschner received increasing public recognition, reflected in various awards and honors. Since 2013, new editions of his works have been published by Alibri Verlag in a dedicated edition.

Deschner’s scholarship was characterized by meticulous research and a fearless tone, often blending historical analysis with sharp polemics. His works were met with both acclaim and hostility — revered by secular intellectuals and harshly criticized by religious institutions. Despite legal threats, censorship attempts, and public controversies, he remained committed to exposing what he saw as the Church’s long-standing complicity in violence, corruption, and oppression. His most ambitious undertaking, the Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums , became a lifelong project, cementing his reputation as one of the most uncompromising critics of organized religion.

Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: A monumental critique

Deschner’s Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums is his magnum opus — a ten-volume exposé documenting the Church’s history from its earliest days to the modern era. Beginning with its origins in antiquity, the series meticulously details persecution, inquisitions, crusades, colonialism, and systemic corruption. Unlike traditional church history, which often glosses over or justifies violent episodes, Deschner applies a forensic approach, dissecting the role of Christianity in warfare, forced conversions, suppression of dissent, and the perpetuation of political power structures.

Each volume of the Kriminalgeschichte covers a different period in Christian history, presenting a chronological indictment of its impact on societies worldwide. His work meticulously compiles primary sources, historical records, and theological writings, exposing contradictions between the Church’s professed morality and its historical actions. The first volume, published in 1986, begins with Christianity’s emergence within the Roman Empire and details its early alignment with imperial power. Subsequent volumes explore medieval theocracy, papal corruption, Christian complicity in colonial atrocities, and the Church’s role in legitimizing fascist regimes in the 20th century.

Some of the key themes of Deschner’s Kriminalgeschichte include:

• Theological justifications for violence – How Christian doctrine has been used to justify persecution, from the Crusades to colonial genocides and slavery.
• The Inquisition and religious persecution – The mechanisms through which the Church silenced heretics (real or perceived, e.g., Arians, Cathars, Waldensians), intellectuals (e.g., Galileo Galilei and other criticizing the Church’s dogmas), non-Christians (Jews, Muslims and pagans in general) and other minorities (women, LGBTQ+ people, etc.).
• Collaboration with political power – The Church’s role in legitimizing imperialism, fascism, and authoritarian rule throughout history.
• Oppression of women and minorities – The institutionalized subjugation of marginalized groups (women, LGBTQ+ individuals, non-Christians) under the guise of religious morality.
• Fraud and forgery in Church history – Deschner examines forged documents, such as the Donation of Constantine, and other historical fabrications used to consolidate ecclesiastical power.

His research challenges not only historical narratives but also contemporary apologetics that attempt to separate Christian theology from the crimes committed in its name. Deschner argues that institutional Christianity was never merely a passive bystander to historical atrocities but an active instigator and beneficiary of systemic oppression and violence.

Reception and controversy surrounding Deschner’s work

Deschner’s unrelenting critique of Christianity inevitably drew strong reactions. Religious institutions largely dismissed his work as biased polemics, while some scholars accused him of lacking nuance in his assessments. However, his meticulous research and extensive use of historical sources made his findings difficult to refute. His work systematically unveiled the political entanglements, corruption, and acts of oppression within Christianity that many preferred to ignore or whitewash.

Beyond academia, Deschner’s influence extended to broader secular and humanist movements. His writings inspired atheists, historians, and reformers, who saw in his work a necessary counterbalance to the often-idealized narratives of Christian history. By shedding light on the atrocities committed in the name of religion, he reinforced calls for secularism, historical accountability, and the rejection of religiously sanctioned power structures.

Despite being ignored or outright condemned by mainstream theological circles, Deschner received numerous accolades from secular and humanist organizations. His Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums remains one of the most exhaustive and critical works on Christianity’s institutional history. While his detractors accused him of one-sidedness, his defenders argue that the Church’s own historical accounts have been far more one-sided in the opposite direction. His work stands as a necessary corrective, revealing the extent to which religion has been a driving force in repression, war, and moral hypocrisy.

Deschner’s legacy

Karlheinz Deschner’s work remains profoundly relevant. In an era where religious institutions continue to exert influence on politics, education, and morality, his Kriminalgeschichte serves as a reminder of the dangers of unchallenged religious authority. His writing exemplifies the necessity of viewing history through a critical, rather than reverential, lens.

Deschner’s motto,

Wer Weltgeschichte nicht als Kriminalgeschichte schreibt, ist ihr Komplize

(Anyone who doesn’t write world history as criminal history is its accomplice)

– Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 1 Die Frühzeit, 1996

is not just an academic stance but an ethical imperative. I fully align with this perspective. History, particularly the history of religious institutions that have wielded immense power, must be interrogated with an unflinching critical eye. To ignore or minimize the crimes committed in the name of faith is to become an accomplice to the structures that perpetuate oppression. As Deschner himself asserted:

Für mich ist ein Unrecht, ein Verbrechen, vor 500, 1000, 1500 Jahren genauso lebendig und empörend wie ein Unrecht, ein Verbrechen, das heute geschieht oder erst in 1000, in 5000 Jahren.

(For me, an injustice, a crime, from 500, 1000, 1500 years ago is just as alive and outrageous as an injustice, a crime, that happens today or will happen in 1000 or 5000 years.)

– Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 1 Die Frühzeit, 1996

I think Deschner’s approach should be a model for how we critically assess historical narratives, especially those shaped by institutions with moral authority. His fearless commitment to exposing historical realities that many would rather forget serves as a model for intellectual honesty. His research is not merely a collection of past wrongs; it is an indictment of the mechanisms that continue to shield institutions from accountability. His writing has reinforced my conviction that history is not a neutral retelling of facts but a battleground for truth and justice.

Conclusion

Karlheinz Deschner’s fearless scholarship provides an indispensable counterpoint to traditional religious histories. His meticulous research and unwavering criticism expose a long history of hypocrisy, violence, and power consolidation within Christianity. His ability to combine exhaustive historical documentation with piercing moral critique has left an indelible mark on the study of religious history.

Regardless of one’s stance on his conclusions, Deschner’s work provides an essential perspective on historical discourse, ensuring that the crimes of the past are acknowledged and critically examined. His relentless inquiry into the institutional and individual abuses of Christianity serves as a powerful reminder that history, when written honestly, must confront the crimes of those in power rather than seek to justify them.

To write history as anything other than criminal history, Deschner reminds us, is to be complicit in its injustices. This perspective is not just an intellectual position but an ethical obligation. I indeed stand by this conviction, as history — especially that of religious institutions — demands an unflinching examination. Any attempt to whitewash these atrocities is not merely an oversight but an active betrayal of the victims who suffered under these systems. In this light, Deschner’s work is more than historical critique; it is a moral imperative for anyone who seeks to understand the true nature of both religious and intitutional power.

References and further reading

• Karlheinz Deschner, series: Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums, 10 volumes, Rowohlt, Reinbek 1986ff:
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 1 Die Frühzeit, 1996, Rowohlt, ISBN: 9783498012632
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 2 Die Spätantike, 1996, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, ISBN: 9783499601422
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 3 Die Alte Kirche, 1986, Rowohlt, ISBN: 9783498012854
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 4 Frühmittelalter - Von König Chlodwig I. (um 500) bis zum Tode Karls ‘des Großen’ (814), 1997, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, ISBN: 9783499603440
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 5 von Ludwig dem Frommen (814) bis zum Tode Ottos III. (1002). 9. und 10. Jahrhundert, 1998, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, ISBN: 9783499605567
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 6 11. und 12. Jahrhundert: Von Kaiser Heinrich II., dem “Heiligen” (1002), bis zum Ende des Dritten Kreuzzugs (1192) (1986)s, 1986, Rowohlt, ISBN: 9783498013097
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 7 12. und 14. Jahrhundert: Von Kaiser Heinrich VI. (1190) zu Kaiser Ludwig IV. dem Bayern (1347), 1986, Rowohlt, ISBN: 9783498013202
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 8 Das 15. und 16. Jahrhundert. Vom Exil der Päpste in Avignon bis zum Augsburger Religionsfrieden, 2006, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, ISBN: 9783499616709
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 9 -Mitte des 16. bis Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts. Vom Völkermord in der Neuen Welt bis zum Beginn der Aufklärung, 2010, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, ISBN: 9783499624438
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums: Bd. 10 18. Jahrhundert und Ausblick auf die Folgezeit. Könige von Gottes Gnaden und Niedergang des Papsttums, 2014, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, ISBN: 9783499630200
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Hubert Mania, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums 1-10: Sachregister und Personenregister, 2014, Rowohlt, Reinbek , ISBN 978-3-499-63055-2
  • Karlheinz Deschner, Hubert Mania, Kriminalgeschichte des Christentums 1-10: Sachregister und Personenregister, 2014, Rowohlt, Reinbek , ISBN 978-3-499-63055-2
• Karlheinz Deschner, Abermals krähte der Hahn - Eine kritische Kirchengeschichte von den Evangelisten bis zu den Faschisten, 2015, Alibri Verlag, ISBN: 9783865691880
• Karlheinz Deschner, Horst Herrmann, Der Anti-Katechismus - 200 Gründe gegen die Kirchen und für die Welt, 1993, Goldmann, ISBN: 9783442123438
• Karlheinz Deschner, Der gefälschte Glaube - eine kritische Betrachtung kirchlicher Lehren und ihrer historischen Hintergründe, 2004, Knesebeck, ISBN: 9783896602282
• Karlheinz Deschner, Mit Gott und den Faschisten. Der Vatikan im Bunde mit Mussolini, Franco, Hitler und Pavelić, 2012, Günther, Stuttgart, 1965, Neuauflage: Ahriman, Freiburg im Breisgau 2012, ISBN 978-3-89484-610-7
• Karlheinz Deschner, Das Kreuz mit der Kirche. Eine Sexualgeschichte des Christentums, 1974, Econ, Düsseldorf 1974; überarbeitete Neuausgabe 1992; Sonderausgabe 2009, ISBN 978-3-9811483-9-8
• Karlheinz Deschner, Ein Jahrhundert Heilsgeschichte. Die Politik der Päpste im Zeitalter der Weltkriege, 182/83, 2 Bände, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Köln, ISBN 978-3-86569-116-3
• Karlheinz Deschner, Die Vertreter Gottes. Eine Geschichte der Päpste im 20. Jahrhundert, 1994, Heyne, München, ISBN 3-453-07048-8
• Karlheinz Deschner, Mit Gott und den Faschisten. Der Vatikan im Bunde mit Mussolini, Franco, Hitler und Pavelić, 2012, Günther, Stuttgart, 1965, Neuauflage: Ahriman, Freiburg im Breisgau 2012, ISBN 978-3-89484-610-7
• Karlheinz Deschner, Auf hohlen Köpfen ist gut trommeln. Alte und neue Aphorismen – eine Auswahl letzter Hand, 2016, Lenos, Basel 2016, ISBN 978-3-85787-474-1
• Karlheinz Deschner’s old websiteꜛ
• Karlheinz Deschner’s new websiteꜛ