Branham is known for his role in the healing revivals that occurred in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s,[27] and most participants in the movement regarded him as its initiator.[28] Christian writer John Crowder described the period of revivals as "the most extensive public display of miraculous power in modern history".[29] Some, like Christian author and countercult activist Hank Hanegraaff, rejected the entire healing revival as a hoax and condemned the evangelical and Charismatic movements as cults.[30] Divine healing is a tradition and belief that was historically held by a majority of Christians but it became increasingly associated with Evangelical Protestantism.[31] The fascination of most of American Christianity with divine healing played a significant role in the popularity and inter-denominational nature of the revival movement.[32]