Traces of the Mount Carmel Community: Documentation and Access

This article highlights some of the Waco Branch Davidian material holdings acquired by the Texas Collection at Baylor University and provides general information about the kinds of materials that have been acquired about this community and the siege and fire that occurred in 1993. I cite related materials in other collections to provide an overview of the kinds of records that are accessible, restricted, or inaccessible to the public regarding the David Koresh community and previous generations of religious communities who resided on the Mount Carmel property. To date, the collections at Baylor University and Texas State University––San Marcos are two of the most comprehensive efforts to preserve and provide access to a range of documentation about this community's history.

Women Leaders in the Davidian and Branch Davidian Traditions

Two women, Florence Houteff and Lois Roden, attained positions of leadership in the Davidian and Branch Davidian traditions. This article examines how they achieved, maintained, and eventually lost power. Several factors, including money, visions, and legal strategies contributed to their successes, but marriage to the founders of the two movements and the precedent of the influential female Adventist leader, Ellen White, helped to legitimate Florence Houteff and Lois Roden as leaders of their religious communities. Once they had assumed leadership roles, they proved themselves by innovative, radical, and convincing teachings based on scripture. Florence Houteff's leadership foundered on failed prophecy. Lois Roden lost leadership in a succession struggle between her son, George Roden, and Vernon Howell/David Koresh. Both prevailed briefly as leaders because of the persuasiveness of their religious authority.