Was Hitler a Creationist? A Christian? Decoding a Famous Quotation from Mein Kampf

In the many years I have studied Hitler's ideology, I have seen the following from Mein Kampf more often than any other: "Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." Because of its theological language, very often this quotation is offered as proof that Hitler was a Christian. Since he used the term Creator here, some even maintain that Hitler was a creationist.

In my...