The twentieth century marks one of the most radical breaks in the history of the Abrahamic world.
In this eleventh episode of The Mosaic Chat, we examine the rise of totalitarian ideologies that seek not only to govern societies, but to redefine truth, morality, and human identity without reference to God. As traditional empires collapse, communism, Nazism, and fascism emerge as systems offering total explanations of the world, grounded in class, race, or nation.
For Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this represents a new and unprecedented challenge. Religion is no longer confronted by competing beliefs, but by ideologies that deny the very idea of transcendence.
In these systems, the State or the Party claims ultimate authority, and human life itself becomes subject to political logic.
Across different contexts, religious institutions are suppressed, controlled, or instrumentalised. Places of worship are closed or monitored, religious leaders persecuted, and belief itself is often pushed into the private sphere.
Yet, even under these conditions, faith does not disappear.
It persists in hidden practices, in silent rituals, and in acts of resistance that affirm the existence of a higher moral order.
The tragedies of this period, from repression to genocide, reveal the consequences of systems that remove all limits on power.
Without a principle beyond the State, there is no final boundary to violence or domination.
Understanding this moment is essential for reflecting on the place of religion in the modern world. It reminds us that the relationship between faith and power must remain carefully balanced, and that any future built on the Abrahamic traditions must preserve both human dignity and freedom of conscience.
🎙 A conversation with Pauline Berthaud and Galith Abbou Benichou .
📖 Inspired by Abramundi: Manifesto for the Creation of an Abrahamic Alliance in the Middle East and North Africa
