Joshua Paddison: Unraveling America’s First Sex Cult Scandal (Part 2)

Think cult scandal is just a modern phenomenon? Think again. In Part 2, historian Joshua Paddison unpacks America’s original sex cult, Fountain Grove—complete with group bathing, soulmate mysticism, financial abuse, and a scandal that turned “cult” from a neutral word into a headline-grabbing accusation. Josh guides us through all the weirdness: the rise and fall of Thomas Lake Harris, survivor red flags, bitter public smear campaigns, historical cover-ups, and the jaw-dropping parallels between 1890s California communes and today’s cult headlines. Plus: why California became cult central, how cult terminology shapes survivor stories, and what historians wrestle with when labeling new religious movements. This one’s got epic takedowns, wild twists, and enough historical intrigue to keep you curious for days. Be sure to nerd out on Josh’s book, Unholy Sensations: A Story of Sex, Scandal, and California's First Cult Scare. Also…let it be known that: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad. **PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book here Check out our amazing sponsors Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Audio production: Will Retherford Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore Writer: Sandra Nomoto Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.