William Branham Historical Research Podcast

John and Jedediah reflect on growing up inside elite families within high-control charismatic movements, comparing their experiences in Branhamism, IHOP-KC, and related networks. They explore how "secret knowledge," proximity to powerful leaders, and inherited status create rigid hierarchies that reward conformity while masking abuse, hypocrisy, and manipulation. Drawing on personal stories, they explain how elitism functions like a mystery cult—offering prestige and access while quietly demanding silence and loyalty. The conversation traces how these systems evolve over time, absorbing new prophecies, myths, and authority figures while discarding dissenters the moment they become inconvenient. From unpaid labor programs and prophetic grooming to shunning and reputational erasure, John and Jedediah unpack the psychological cost of leaving such environments. The discussion closes with reflections on rebuilding identity after exit, finding meaning beyond spiritual elitism, and learning to value ordinary life after years of extraordinary claims.______________________ Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John, Kevin, and Barbara examine how post-Latter Rain and Voice of Healing networks helped lay the groundwork for today's blend of Word of Faith teaching, New Apostolic Reformation ideology, and aggressive Christian nationalism. They trace lines from Gordon Lindsay and early identity-influenced revival culture to Andrew Wommack's ministry in Woodland Park, Colorado, highlighting how a seemingly gentle Bible teacher fronts a sophisticated dominionist project aimed at reshaping local government, education, and civic life through Charis Bible College and the Truth and Liberty Coalition. ______________________Pelligrino Walk:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPviIYcBQYTk491wXZWBYzw ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Bob trace the long, tangled lineage of modern Pentecostal and charismatic movements, showing how cycles of cultural upheaval, crisis, and disillusionment have shaped revival narratives for more than a century. Their discussion follows the relational "family tree" behind movements like Latter Rain, Kansas City Fellowship, IHOPKC, and the New Apostolic Reformation, revealing how claims such as the "billion soul harvest" evolved through repeated patterns of failed predictions, fear-based messaging, and institutional control. Drawing on historical examples, personal experience, and deep research, they explore why revival expectations persist, how technology has reshaped spiritual culture, and why authentic renewal requires honesty about past distortions. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Brantley discuss how authoritarian religious systems blur the lines between fantasy and faith, examining the strange doctrines, magical thinking, and psychological mechanisms that kept them trapped for decades. Using humor, honesty, and personal experience, they reflect on the cognitive dissonance required to believe in things like Branham’s “magic sword,” IHOPKC’s angelic warfare cosmology, and the Harry-Potter-style incantations normalized in modern charismatic culture. They also explore how money, secrecy, elitism, and militarized theology feed high-control movements—from Branhamism to IHOPKC to YWAM—shaping everything from personal identity to political attitudes. The conversation connects historical roots, cult dynamics, and lived experience to show how ordinary people can get swept into extraordinary (and sometimes absurd) belief systems, and what it takes to walk away. John and Brantley discuss how authoritarian religious systems blur the lines between fantasy and faith, examining the strange doctrines, magical thinking, and psychological mechanisms that kept them trapped for decades. Using humor, honesty, and personal experience, they reflect on the cognitive dissonance required to believe in things like Branham’s “magic sword,” IHOPKC’s angelic warfare cosmology, and the Harry-Potter-style incantations normalized in modern charismatic culture. They also explore how money, secrecy, elitism, and militarized theology feed high-control movements—from Branhamism to IHOPKC to YWAM—shaping everything from personal identity to political attitudes. The conversation connects historical roots, cult dynamics, and lived experience to show how ordinary people can get swept into extraordinary (and sometimes absurd) belief systems, and what it takes to walk away. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham – Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Chino examine the life and teachings of Hobart Freeman, tracing how a strict faith-healing theology collided with human aging, illness, and reality. Drawing from firsthand experience, recorded sermons, and historical context, the discussion explores how promises of guaranteed healing create cognitive dissonance, enable spiritual abuse, and leave families devastated when those promises fail. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org