To see the video of this podcast please click here after 8:00am on 10/29/26. 

What happens when a religious movement demands absolute obedience, suppresses critical thinking, and turns followers against their own families?

In this episode of Hank Unplugged, Hank Hanegraaff exposes the sociological dangers of Eastern Lightning, also known as The Church of Almighty God—a movement originating in China that claims a Chinese woman is the returned Christ.

Drawing on firsthand interviews with former members and victims in China, Hank recounts harrowing accounts of physical violence, psychological manipulation, threats of punishment, and the destruction of families. He also examines the methods of social control characteristic of destructive cults, including peer pressure, exploitation of expectations, and the power of suggestion.

As Eastern Lightning expands its influence worldwide, Christians must be equipped to recognize not only theological counterfeits but also the devastating consequences of cultic control.

For more information about this special issue of the Christian Research Journal (48:02–03) The Eastern Lightning Cult: Christ Returns to Earth as a Female, click here.

To receive this issue with your partnering gift, click here.

For information on receiving the special dual-language “flip” edition — English and Chinese — click here.

Dig Deeper with Hank Unplugged — Hank Unplugged is a podcast brought to you by the Christian Research Institute, where Hank Hanegraaff takes you beyond the sound bites and into thoughtful, in-depth explorations of the critical issues confronting Christians today. Drawing on Scripture, history, theology, and culture, Hank equips listeners to think Christianly about the questions that matter most and to contend for “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

  • Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.
  • Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.
  • You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.