The Odyssey

Before your listen, take your SAT...Spoiler Alert: If you plan to see The Odyssey this podcast has spoilers.Alert: This episode mentions how control manifests in faith communitiesThink: Hopefully, this episode will make you think! This week, we have a thoughtful, sometimes funny, but always honest conversation about why we believe what we believe — and who gets to tell us what’s true. We discuss social proof, and how it may be a low-key form of group think because millions of followers don't equal expertise.Then we move on to spiritual control, and how childhood faith patterns can follow us into adulthood. Anxiety, perfectionism, spiritual OCD and other symptoms can remind us of how spirituality can be used to control rather than to liberate.Finally, we talk about the overwhelming outrage that bubbles up when fictional characters are cast in ways that interrupt homogenous and exclusionary thinking. Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, Elliot Page as Achilles, and Quinta Brunson as Betty Boop are some of the most recent examples of how creative license can tick people off.Loved the conversation or want to keep the work going? Subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell a friend who needs to hear this. If this episode landed for you, share one insight on social and tag us — we’ll repost the best reflections.Mentioned in the showThe Hidden Wound: Intersecting Spiritual Abuse and Racial Trauma in African American Faith Communities – Black Crescent Wellness FoundationThe right’s outrage over Elliot Page’s casting in ‘The Odyssey’ obscures Achilles’ own queernessQuinta Brunson to Develop and Star in ‘Betty Boop’ Feature Film From Fleischer Studios and Fifth Chance Productions - VarietyThe Absurd Misunderstanding Fueling the Debate Over The Odyssey - The AtlanticWhy Can’t Elon Musk Shut Up about Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey - Vanity FairChristopher Nolan Has Been Dreaming of The Odyssey for More Than 20 Years - TimeThe Odyssey Trailer