Perhaps the divine right of kings was invented by the kings and not a gift from the gods. In human cultures based on hierarchical power-over structures, is it any wonder that the church became the same? Truth wielded like a hammer where every doubt looks like a nail and power used to keep people in line. It seems designed this way, potential born of the Creeds themselves. Listen in as we contemplate the origin of the creeds, the desert monastics, and church design.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Hot Kool Aid - Julian Smith
• The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks translated by Benedicta Ward
• Luke 6 - The Sermon on the Plain
• 99% Invisible

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

Is humility the opposite of shame? And could shame serve any good purpose? This is what we ponder as we name stories from the bible involved shame and discuss the efficacy of anonymous donations.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Humble Thyself Hymn

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

Open your bibles to the Hebrew Bible, class, today we're talking about mythology. Stephen wonders if there is a sliver of truth to the old stories and wants to know what to do with that. Emily informs us on the types of myths that are told and how they help scaffold our understandings of the world and humanity. Josh says the only thing that keeps him remotely Christian is the mythical nature of it.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Miracles by C.S. Lewis
• The Enuma Elish
• The Better Angels of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

We cannot completely negate the harm we can cause. But what we can do is mitigate with intention. For instance, it is a widely accepted position in the scientific community that we are beyond avoiding the effects of human-caused climate change, but we ought to keep working to mitigate the harm done. Josh says we should be thinking of church in the same way.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• safegatherings.com

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

Perfection. How do we even begin raveling out conceptions of perfection from Greek and Roman philosophy, through Hebrew theology and Christian expectation? We seem to be called to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. But how does that change when we understand the Hebrew "Tov" and the Greek "Tellios"? Do we live, striving to be Good? Are we already Good?

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Matthew 5:48 - Be Perfect
• James 2:14-22 - Faith Without Works
• Matthew 14:30-33 - Peter Walks and Sinks on Water
• Matthew 5-7 - The Sermon on the Mount
• Luke 15 - The Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

What do Samwise Gamgee and Superman have in common? What about Gandalf and Aslan? Emily brings a discussion about the "Christ figures" found in works of fiction, why they resonate with us, and whether we can name Christ figures in our own lives. We discuss the difference between a narrative Christ figure and an IRL person acting Christ-like, while also pondering the unique meta-narrative of the crucified God.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Resurrection of Superman
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien
• The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
• The Rings of Power on Prime Video
• Les Miserables on Prime Video
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• The Heroine's Journey Robcast Episode
• The Brick Bible
• The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Critical Role on Twitch

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

Is Stephen really trying to say going to a metal show is the same as going to church? Yes, yes he is. And while he might still think that by the end of this, he's ready to take the risky leap of faith into trying out a new church soon. Josh struggles to come up with an answer as to why he doesn't want to go back to church, while Emily asks us to consider, "what the heck did you expect?"

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

Would you care to join us for a discussion on the Bible and what it may or may not endorse? Josh is curious to know where we land and finds out that Stephen is having a hard time even showing up, making it a perfect role play in how to have conversations in which both sides clearly disagree and don't approach the topic within the same paradigm.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Miracles by CS Lewis

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

Welcome to Ravel! If you're new around here, we understand that looking at a backlog of over 100 episodes can be daunting, so we recommend starting here.

Get to know your hosts and where we're coming from as embark in conversation around theology and life as we pull on the thread of our own pressing questions in real time. Whether you are deconstructing, reconstructing, de-converting, converting, switching churches, or in the uncomfortable in-between spaces along the way, this podcast is created for you to feel safe and open to ask your own questions with the gentle metaphor of raveling.

If you want further suggestions on where to start, check out the following Starter Packs by searching these titles in your podcast app on our feed!

• We Clearly Disagree
• Press F To Doubt
• The Apologists Can't Hurt You Here
• Classic Theology Gone Wild
• I Need Something Life-Giving
• Meet Me At The Hot Topic

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Peter Rollins On Unraveling and Resistance (6 minute Youtube video)
• Faith Unraveled by Rachel Held Evans

Support us:

• Join our Patreon community and buy us a drink at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo!
• Order coffee and other merch at highline.network/shop!
• Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @ravelpod!

Follow the hosts on social: 

• Josh Twitter: @joshlieuallen
• Stephen Twitter: @stephenghenning
• Emily Instagram: @RevRettinghouse

Credits:

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

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at highline.network.

It honestly feels surreal to us that we're crossing the 100 Episode milestone. It feels like we're just getting started! On this first-of-its-kind mailbag episode, we asked the community to share what's one belief or idea they've been raveling in the last year and we received great responses! Here's to one hundred questions and hundreds more to come!

Mentioned in the Episode:

• The Problems We Have With Suffering Episode
• Prayers of the Cosmos by Neil Douglas-Klotz
• After Jesus Before Christianity by Erin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott, and Hal Taussig
• Ephesians 1 with Stephen Henning on Trans Regret Snoopy Presents The Bible
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/ravelpod for as little as $3/mo! You can also connect with Ravel on Twitter and Instagram at @ravelpod.

We would greatly appreciate the one minute it would take you to leave us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 

Follow the hosts on Twitter: 

• Josh: @joshlieuallen
• Emily: @RevRettinghouse
• Stephen: @stephenghenning

Thank you to Louie Zong for use of his song In Full Color, off his album, Here. Find his work on Spotify and Bandcamp!

Ravel is a proud founding member of the Highline Media Network, a collective of artist owned podcasts by normal people in normal places. Learn more at www.highline.network.