I believe what he meant was that his belief in god was dead and that god to him was dead. Just like how many Jews were dying so was their hopes and beliefs due to their circumstances they were facing at the time.
persuade
In a text that is written to persuade, the author's primary purpose is to compel readers to take action, convince them of an idea through argument, or to reaffirm their existing beliefs.
Explanation:
hope this helps
