Supernatural or Staged? Catholic Aesthetics, Emotion, and Control with Jessica Gerhardt

In this episode of Whiplash, we sit down with our friend Jessica—a musician, theologian, and educator who grew up in a relaxed, West Coast version of Catholicism that stood in sharp contrast to the rigid forms Emma and I were raised with. From youth ministry to music, Jessica shares how her understanding of faith, aesthetics, and queerness evolved over time, eventually leading her to teach theology with a deep awareness of power, vulnerability, and liberation.Together, we unpack the sometime-codependent culture of Catholic ministry, the aesthetics of faith as performance, and the reality of queer exclusion in the church. It’s a tender, thoughtful conversation about healing, holding complexity, and finding God beyond the roles we were handed.