In this episode of Ravel, we unpack the idea of “religious big dick energy” as a way of describing the swagger, certainty, and supremacy often embedded in modern evangelical and political culture. We explore how manifest destiny, Christian nationalism, masculinity, power, and influencer culture all intertwine to create environments where people feel justified forcing their beliefs onto others. Along the way, we wrestle with our own experiences of certainty, deconstruction, disgust, grief, and the difficulty of extending grace to people whose ideologies feel harmful. By the end, we arrive at a conversation about supremacy versus intimacy, and whether forgiveness, humility, and genuine listening might be the only way out of the cycle. 

Host Recommendations

• Emily: Practice feng shui by rearranging your physical space, priorities, and energy to create a healthier environment
• Stephen: Find ways to gamify your life and work to reduce overwhelm and stay centered
• Josh: Watch The Testament of Ann Lee

Host DE-Recommendations

• Emily: Giving every podcast five stars… except Ravel 😄
• Stephen: Giving every book five stars on Goodreads because ratings lose meaning when everything is rated the same
• Josh: Giving every movie five stars on Letterboxd because five stars should actually mean something 

Join us:

• Join our free Discord community by emailing us at theravelpod@gmail.com for an invite link!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Credits:

• Theme Song: In Full Color by Louie Zong on Spotify and Bandcamp
• Artwork: Yarn and Ravel by Dixie Lee Henning @dixieleedraws
• Produced by Stephen Henning, Josh Lieuallen, and Emily Rettinghouse
• Editing/Audio Engineering by Stephen Henning
• Certified Organic benediction by Reverend Emily Rettinghouse, MDiv