Der Marxismus-Leninismus in der DDR - eine politische Religion?

Despite its atheistic principles, Marxism-Leninism in the GDR bore obvious characteristics of a religion. Did the sacralisation of this political ideology transform it into a political religion? In her qualitative, hermeneutic study, Klötzing-Madest answers this question using Eric Voegelin, Raymond Aron und Emilio Gentile’s conceptions of political religions. She comes to the conclusion that although various elements of Marxism-Leninism, as implemented in the GDR, were religiously charged, it cannot be interpreted as a political religion. The author highlights two arguments which substantiate her interpretation: the meaninglessness of the religious dimension over time and the gap between intent and effect.