Harrison Hill - The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps

Harrison Hill - The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps

Author: Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts April 8, 2026 Duration: 58:19

Author Harrison Hill joins the girls to discuss his new book The Oracle’s Daughter, which follows the rise and fall of a small cult called the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps. He explains what the religious landscape in America looked like at the time, with the spiritual awakening and unrest of the 60s transitioning into a new Christianity movement, and how this group’s leader Lila Carter (who later became Deborah Greene) began her spiritual journey on a commune called the Bear Tribe.

They discuss the beginnings of Lila’s own visions, moaning and grunting and giving birth to what she called “spiritual soldiers,” how her following grew, and the parallels between her and Shaker leader Ann Lee. Naturally, the group became more controlling and cruel over time, changing people’s names to words like “Despised,” using physical punishment on its members, and even kidnapping a baby. And finally, they touch on how Lila’s daughter Sarah, the subject of the book, found her own way through all of this, eventually leaving and sharing her story of survival.

SOURCES

The Oracle’s Daugher: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult

The Cut - How Sarah Greene Escaped Her Mother's Cult

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


There's a particular chill that runs down your spine when you realize how easily a persuasive idea can cross into dangerous territory. Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation explores that unsettling frontier, not from a distant, academic view, but from the inside out. Each week, hosts Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth guide conversations with a unique and critical perspective-they've both navigated the complex journey out of cults themselves. This shared experience fosters a rare depth of understanding in their interviews. You'll hear directly from survivors of groups ranging from the infamous Manson Family and Heaven's Gate to more contemporary organizations like NXIVM and OneTaste. These aren't just historical accounts; they are intimate, personal narratives detailing the specific moments of attraction, the gradual process of indoctrination, and the often tumultuous path to reclaiming one's own mind. The podcast, produced by Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts, sits at a compelling intersection of society, culture, and true crime, occasionally finding moments of unexpected comedy in the absurdities of extreme belief systems. It’s a weekly examination of the human need for belonging, the mechanisms of control, and the resilient stories of those who found their way back. Listening feels like being part of a crucial, compassionate conversation about the lines we all navigate between faith and fanaticism, community and coercion.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation
Podcast Episodes
Lyndsey Burr - Producing America’s Next Top Model [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:00
Lyndsey Burr, longtime reality television producer who worked on America’s Next Top Model for years, joins the girls to talk about her experiences working on the now-controversial hit show. She talks about what the team…
Celeste Gross - Growing Up in the Children of God [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:01
Celeste Gross joins the girls to talk about her experiences growing up in the Children of God - aka the Family - along with her many siblings. She explains how her parents joined when it still just seemed like a beautifu…
Dan Olson, Part 2 - Charismatic Leaders and the Cult of Crypto [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:16
This week, Dan Olson, creator and host of YouTube channel Folding Ideas, returns to continue the conversation on cryptocurrency and NFTs. They discuss how these bubbles are driven primarily by charismatic leaders, why su…
Dan Olson, Part 1 - Crypto, NFTs, and Tech’s War on Doubt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:31
This week, Dan Olson of the YouTube channel Folding Ideas joins the show for a deep dive into crypto, NFTs, and why so many of these spaces start to feel less like finance and more like belief systems. He breaks down the…