Criticism of the Theology of War

When war broke out, Johannes Koch was on vacation in Switzerland. Since he was a Wehrmacht reservist, he returned home on September 1, 1939.

Nevertheless, the teacher in Griedelbach accused him to the Gestapo of having deserted and committed treason, as a result of which the Gestapo arrested Koch. Koch was called up for the Wehrmacht on September 6, 1939 and was therefore released. He was rehabilitated in a court-martial trial. The Wehrmacht used Koch as an interpreter in various Hessian prisoner of war camps with English and French officers.

The pastor was appalled by General Superintendent Ernst Stoltenhoff’s theology of war, which interpreted German victories as God’s support of German troops. In a letter to the general superintendent, Koch reproached him for religious nationalism.