"religion"

Give me that old time religion! Or that new time religion. Or any religion at all, really, as long as it’s interesting.

Holy Ghost Babies

ten times worse than Brigham Young (or so they say)

George Jacob Schweinfurth was a charlatan who mocked religion, stole money, and despoiled women with his hypnotic powers. Then he did something unexpected.

Categories: Eccentrics & Prophecies, People & Places, Series 11

Tags: "Doctor" John Alexander Dowie, "First Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ" Chicago, IL Christianity cult Dr. Cyrus Reed Teed "Koresh" Illinois Koreshan Unity Michigan Presented by #13 religion

Published: July 25, 2022

Liminal Space

the mysterious fortress of Nan Madol

On Pohnpei, upon a stone altar, within the spaces... the legendary and factual story of Nan Madol.

Categories: People & Places, Series 9, The Quest for the Past

Tags: Federated States of Micronesia folklore Germany Pohnpei Presented by #13 religion Smithsonian Institution Spain

Published: November 15, 2021

Suffer Little Children

John Ballou Newbrough, Oahspe, and the Faithists of SHalam

In 1880, God dictated a new Bible to J.B. Newbrough, and then told him to move to New Mexico and open up the weirdest orphanage the world has ever seen.

Categories: Eccentrics & Prophecies, Most Popular, People & Places, Series 7

Tags: Australia communism cult Dr. John Ballou Newbrough Elizabeth Rowell Thompson Faithism Freemasonry New York, NY Oahspe Presented by #13 religion Shalam Colony Spiritualism Theosophy

Published: May 24, 2021

The Prophet of the Pacific

from San Francisco to Honolulu to Bombay, first class all the way

Sometimes a journey of ten thousand miles starts with mailing yourself from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Categories: Daring & Epic Journeys, Eccentrics & Prophecies, Intriguing & Unsolved Mysteries, People & Places, Series 6

Tags: Christianity Hawaii Ira Colver Sparks Presented by #13 religion San Francisco, CA The Philippines

Published: January 11, 2021

Exceeding Great

that's Ezekiel 9:9 for those of you reading along at home

How many times will folks fall for the same old tricks? You might be surprised. The story of Prince Mike, King Ben, and the Houses of Israel and David.

Categories: Biography, Eccentrics & Prophecies, People & Places, Series 5

Tags: "Prince" Michael Keyfor Mills 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and Louisiana Purchase Centennial Exposition Ann O'Delia Diss Debar baseball Canada communism crime cult David Livingston Mackay Detroit, MI Messiah Michigan Presented by #13 Protestantism religion United Kingdom Windsor, ON

Published: November 23, 2020

a graphic illustration of the cellular cosmogony

We Live Inside

greetings from the inside of the Hollow Earth

Dr. Cyrus Reed Teed may have been a madman, or the Messiah, but only he was bold enough to tell the truth: that we live on the inside of a hollow Earth.

Categories: Biography, Eccentrics & Prophecies, Most Popular, Series 4

Tags: 1893 Chicago World's Fair and Columbian Exposition American Civil War Ann O'Delia Diss Debar Chicago, IL communism cult Dr. Cyrus Reed Teed "Koresh" eclectic medicine faith healing Florida Fort Myers, FL geodetics Harmony Society Koreshan Unity Messiah New York, NY Presented by #13 religion San Francisco, CA The Constant

Published: August 10, 2020

Spirit Princess

one woman, thirty aliases, forty years and too many crimes to count

The greatest and most notorious Spiritualist swindler of all time was a woman from Kentucky who looked a bit like Lola Montez (if you squinted).

Categories: Biography, Hoaxes, Frauds & Forgeries, Series 3

Tags: "General" Joseph Hubert Diss Debar "Prince" Michael Keyfor Mills Ann O'Delia Diss Debar Baltimore, MD Boston, MA Canada Chicago, IL crime David Livingston Mackay Detroit, MI dime museum Dr. Cyrus Reed Teed "Koresh" Florida Fort Myers, FL Freeman Bernstein Harmony Society Illinois Koreshan Unity London, England Massachusetts Michigan New York, NY Presented by #13 religion Spiritualism Theosophical Society Theosophy United Kingdom Windsor, ON

Published: March 23, 2020

That No Man Take Thy Crown

the rise and fall of the Harmony Society (1803-1905), the richest communists in the world [Part 2]

The Harmony Society managed to survive the death of its founder, but could it survive the twin ravages of time and greed?

Categories: Eccentrics & Prophecies, History, Series 2

Tags: Ambridge, PA Christianity civil law communism Dr. Cyrus Reed Teed "Koresh" Economy, PA Harmony Society John S. Duss Koreshan Unity Old Economy Village Pennsylvania Presented by #13 Protestantism religion

Published: January 27, 2020

Hold Fast What Thou Hast

the rise and fall of the Harmony Society (1803-1905), the richest communists in the world [Part 1]

An unusual cemetery leads us to the story of the Harmony Society (1803-1905), the richest communists in the world, and the saga of their rise and fall.