IN THE NAME OF FAITH: The True Story of a Cult Leader, Religious Control, and Murder

In the summer of 1985, investigators entered a small Nebraska farm and uncovered a story that would expose far more than a terrible crime. At its center was Michael W. Ryan, a self-styled religious leader whose influence over a small group of followers had grown into something far more dangerous than ordinary religious devotion.

Ryan claimed a special connection with God. Around him, followers searched for certainty, belonging, protection, and answers. But as his authority grew, so did the fear of challenging him. Faith became obedience. Obedience became dependence. And dependence created an environment in which terrible choices could be made.

Then two lives were lost.

In the Name of Faith takes readers inside the rise of Ryan's influence, the people who followed him, the warning signs that emerged, and the investigation that finally brought the hidden world of the group into public view.

Drawing on court records, documented testimony, and historical accounts, this book examines not only what happened, but the deeper question behind it:

How can ordinary people become trapped inside another person's version of truth?

This is a story about murder, but it is also a story about manipulation, fear, authority, belonging, and the human need to believe.

Because sometimes the most dangerous question is not What did they believe?

It is who taught them that they could no longer question it?