Arthur Drews - Radikalkritik

- 12 -Hartmann, giving them world-wide prominence with the international success of hisChrist Myth books.4.2.4 Lenin Gains Power in Russia and Accepts Drews's Christ Myth ThesisMeanwhile, back on the social front, the Russian revolutionary Lenin (1870–1924) hadbecome the successor of Marx and Engels' socialism/communism, formulating his ownRussian version of Marxism-Leninism of communism and atheism. Once theBolsheviks gained power in the Soviet Union, Marxist–Leninist atheism became defacto the official doctrine of the state, under the leadership of Lenin, the Soviet leaderfrom 1917 until his death.Lenin was particularly receptive to the ideas of Bruno Bauer, a former friend andally of Karl Marx when both were Young Hegelians, as updated by Arthur Drews.He accepted Drews's theory that Jesus had never existed, and argued that it wasimperative in the struggle against religious obscurantists to adopt revolutionary ideaslike those of Drews, and demolish the icons of bourgeois society.[55][56] Severaleditions of Drews's The Christ Myth were published in the Soviet Union from the early1920s onwards, and his arguments were included in school and universitytextbooks.[57] Public meetings debating Did Christ live? were organized, during whichparty operatives debated with clergymen.[58]However, this acceptance of his ideas in Moscow and the Soviet Union had no impacton Drews's modest life as a teacher in Karlsruhe and were of no use in improving hissocial lot.4.3 Inspiration for Paul-Louis Couchoud (France) and G.A. Wells (Britain)In a different development to the West, Arthur Drews became influential on theformation of the "Jesus existence denial" theories of Paul-Louis Couchoud and G. A.Wells, who both were able to read all of Drews's work in the original German, andadapted his main ideas. Drews had finally found some followers abroad, both in Franceand England. Wells, for instance, saw Jesus as a personification of Wisdom, whichhad appeared on earth in some indefinite time past. William B. Smith in the US,who also could read German fluently, remained a very close ally and a kindred soul.In the same manner that Schweitzer is a seminal reference for historicists, Drews is akey reference for the denial of Jesus historicity. Arthur Drews left his mark onpractically the whole development of the Christ Myth theory (mythicism) which followedhim.5 On Wagner and NietzscheDuring Drews's life, Germany was going through turbulent times, politically andculturally. Friedrich Nietzsche had become a prominent cultural icon while RichardWagner was a highly controversial personality.Nietzsche had started as a friend and admirer of Wagner, but soon became adisgruntled critic, turning against his previous friend. He reproached Wagner for hisconversion to anti-semitic Christianity, his glorification of medieval sagas and spiritualchastity, as the sign of a decadent, dying culture. Wagner's "unending melody" onlydramatizes theatrical posing, and is hostile to the affirmation of vital Dionysian lifeforces. Wagner's art is not Germanic, but close to Italy's Roman Catholicism.Nietzsche became passionately involved in his critique of Wagner's ideas, exposed inNietzche contra Wagner.Drews, a man of his time, didn't hesitate to enter the fray. He was a staunch supporterof Wagner, and wrote many books and articles on Wagner's religious and nationalisticideas, which are still items of modern scholarship on the subject. But Drews also was acritic of Nietzsche as an apostle of unbridled individualism — which put Drews in an