Pastor Tracy Reads | The Traitors Circle by Jonathan Freedland

June 22, 2026 | Pastor Tracy Troxel

During the 1930s, a group of civic, religious and government leaders began to see that Hitler’s Germany had become a toxic entity. They began to meet to formulate ways to combat the grotesque injustices being perpetrated by the country they dearly loved.

In this gripping narrative you are introduced to each of the individuals who made up the ‘Traitors Circle’. It is fascinating to read the account of this group and to follow their profound wrestling with the issues they were presented with in the 1930’s. Several of the Traitors Circle operated within a Christian worldview. They attempted to orient their activity within the context of a Christian’s responsibility to God and the state.

As the title suggests, a visitor arrives at their gathering. While he appears to be with them, they discover later that he was an informant. And now, one by one, they are arrested and undergo court proceedings that do not reflect even basic commitments to justice. The narrative shows each member of the group and their attempts to endure their cruel fate. Again, the Christian worldview of some of the victims is fascinating and deeply moving.

As I read the book, I wondered if I could or would live out my commitment to Christ even under these harsh circumstances. Would I be more concerned with others than with my own personal predicament. Good questions to ask when you see heroism before your very eyes.

Pastor Tracy Troxel