Blessed Are the Binary Breakers
Religion & Spirituality
The spiritual landscape of nineteenth-century rural Russia blended native traditions and beliefs with Christianity; this is the world in which Black Book, an independent video game produced by Russian studio Morteshka, is set.
In this episode, Avery shares some of what Black Book taught them about this syncretism of belief (without spoiling the game, don't worry!). Then, they bring in Leslie Feinberg's 1996 text Transgender Warriors to discuss similar tensions between indigenous and Christian traditions in medieval Western Europe. What happened to other gods and spirits after the rise of Christianity? How did sorcerers like Black Book's young woman protagonist navigate this spiritual blend as they either helped or cursed the peasants who both revered and feared them for their knowledge? What's all this got to do with trans folk?
Read along with the episode transcript here.
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Talking Points:
(0:00 - 3:50) Introducing Black Book: playing as Vasilisa, a young sorceress in a world where people believe both in Christian and pagan teachings
(3:51 - 10:50) Gods become demons; old rituals take on Christian elements; icons & feast days blend Christian & pagan traditions
(10:51 - 13:16) Sorcerers and knowers — both revered and feared; tension between them and Christian priests
(13:17 - 21:01) Moving westward and back in time to Feudal Europe: similar tension between Christianity and native religions; transgender expression targeted
(21:02 - end) Wrapping up
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Blessed Are the Binary Breakers is part of the Rock Candy Podcast Network. Find more shows at www.rockcandyrecordings.com.
This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/binarybreakers/message"We’re in this for the liberation” — More from Rev. Krissy on transforming the Church
Marginalized Bodies as Spectacle & the Good News in Jesus's Disabling Wounds
Queering the Cross, Tomb, and Resurrection
Making Space for Gethsemane: two disabled & trans theologians discuss what people in pain actually need
What's in a Name Change? — How I became Avery Arden and made it through the legal process
O Beautiful Dust — Lenten Prayers & the Gospels’ genderqueer water bearer
Coming Back to Life — Rev. Krissy is a politically queer UCC pastor
Naming Faith — Eric Sharp is a Pluralist Agnostic & Systemic Therapist
Revisiting Nativity: Was Jesus born in a barn or a house, and why does it matter?
The Binary Breaking Transness of Jesus — Clip from an interview with Joseph Peterson
Numinous Names: Stories of name changes across genders, cultures, and faiths
"His Name Is John": magnAUtism & allyship in Luke 1
The Transcendent Tale of Brigid of Ireland: Celtic Goddess, Catholic Saint, and Voodoo Lwa
Sex Work and Satanism with Azura Rose
Manlike Babies, Cuckolded Joseph, & the Sex Worker Madonna — More from Neville on Morality in Renaissance Art
"I am God and not a man" - Exploring God's gender in the Book of Hosea with Liam Hooper & Peterson Toscano
God Gets Vulnerable: A trans & autistic look at Elijah and the "still small voice"
When a trans traveler and an autistic apostle cross paths: Reading Acts 8 in community
"God's love should not be tainted by the fear of earthly hatred" - April is a proud Catholic Latina trans woman
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