12: Julius Christ: The Messiah from Connecticut Who Preached Power, Sex, and Control

🎧 Episode 12 – Julius Christ: The Messiah from Connecticut Who Preached Power, Sex, and Control

Podcast: Heinous Beliefs
Host: Ria
Email: [e-mail]
Instagram: @heinousbeliefs
Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions of spiritual abuse, sexual coercion, and cult violence. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Episode Description:
In this jaw-dropping episode of Heinous Beliefs, we uncover the disturbing rise and fall of Julius Schacknow, aka “Julius Christ” a self-proclaimed messiah who ran a religious cult out of Connecticut during the 1970s and 80s. Claiming to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Julius built a secretive, high-control religious group known as The Work, manipulating followers with fear of damnation, promises of salvation, and twisted “purification rituals.”

We explore how Julius exploited apocalyptic fear to isolate, control, and abuse his followers, many of whom were vulnerable women and children. You’ll hear about the cult’s inner workings, the crimes that went unpunished, survivor testimonies, and the psychological profile of a man who weaponised belief for total domination.

This isn’t a story of faith, it’s a warning of what happens when someone wraps harm in holiness.

In This Episode:

• Who was Julius Schacknow, and how did he become “Julius Christ”?
  
  
• The belief system behind The Work and how it twisted scripture to justify abuse
  
  
• Survivor accounts of spiritual manipulation and sexual coercion
  
  
• How the cult avoided law enforcement for decades
  
  
• What the FBI knew and why it took so long for anyone to speak up
  
  
• The ripple effects of cult trauma on families and entire communities
  
  
• Why this case still flies under the radar, despite its impact
  
  

Sources & Documents:

• Hartford Courant Archives: “He Called Himself Christ” (1985)
  
  
• FBI FOIA documents on Julius Schacknow (1986–1992)
  
  
• New Haven Independent: Cult survivor interviews (2006)
  
  
• Milford Mirror Archives (1979–1989)
  
  
• “The Cult Next Door”  Investigative podcast, 2021 episode
  
  
• Journal of Cultic Studies: “The Psychology of Religious Delusion”
  
  
• Court documents from Paul Sweetman’s child abuse conviction, Florida (linked to Julius's teachings)
  
  

Mental Health, Abuse, and Cult Recovery Resources:

• RAINN (Sexual Assault Hotline): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | www.rainn.org
  
  
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (U.S.): 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
  
  
• Recovering from Religion: www.recoveringfromreligion.org
  
  
• The Hotline (Domestic Abuse Support): 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
  
  
• International Mental Health Helplines: www.checkpointorg.com/global
  
  

Connect with Me:
Got a story? Thoughts on the episode? Or just wanna support? Hit me up:
📧 [e-mail]
📲 Instagram: @heinousbeliefs

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