Very religious and irreligious rescuers: an exploration of cultural styles

Why did some very religious Christians become rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust while others did not? The differing characteristics of religious and irreligious Christian rescuers and the manner in which these characteristics determined their actions are here examined. The most striking differences between the two groups lay in their relationships with their families of origin. Irreligious rescuers grew up with more positive images of Jews than religious. "Extensive" personalities were found more likely to engage in ingroup and outgroup altruism.