The Holy Arcana , Prophet Giles, and the Branch of Christ United Church: The Lost Writings of a Nineteenth-Century Protestant Movement (Research Note)

ABSTRACT: A new religious movement emerged within the context of the pluralistic, nineteenth-century, post-Second Great Awakening landscape. While there is not much information on the Branch of Christ United Church, this study identifies two main sources that communicate its teachings and doctrines. The teachings include a millenarian return of Jesus in the year 2000, a cosmological construction of the universe, and a pre-Adamite history extending millions of years and overlapping various incarnations. Additionally, scriptures known as the Holy Arcana , a prophet named Giles, and certain key themes fit into a larger pattern of similar religious movements of the era, hinting at the possibility of other “lost” scriptures and groups.