Perversion of Faith

Book excerpt: With political disinformation rampant and antisemitism on the rise across the world, it is vital for a healthy society to better understand both racism and the propaganda that promotes it. This study highlights the role of the feature film in promoting an ideology that supports the identification of a racial enemy that can lead to political persecution and social violence. The author presents a psychological model as an explanatory framework for understanding the emotional appeal of racist propaganda. Illustrative evidence for the psychological model will be provided primarily through three feature films made by the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in Germany (1933-1945). These films provide evidence of different ways in which film was utilized to aid in the regime’s intent to wage war against its perceived enemies. The book addresses address five major questions related to the role of propaganda in the promotion of racist ideology and social violence: 1) how can we understand the emotional basis of the ideology of racism? 2) How are these ideas translated into mass media like films, television, and the internet? 3) What is the emotional appeal of this propaganda to the committed follower and to the average citizen? 4) What is the role of propaganda in moving people from an ideology to social action including violence? 5) What might be antidotes to racist propaganda? The book will be of interest to students and researchers in film studies, history, sociology, and cultural studies, as well as specialist Jewish Studies and Holocaust Studies centers.