Nomad Podcast Rachel Mann — Identity, Darkness & Divine Mystery [Revisited] (N361)
Jan 23, 2026
Rachel Mann, a Church of England priest and poet, shares her journey of transitioning and self-discovery. She explores gender as a complex, lived experience rather than a fixed identity, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability in faith. Rachel discusses the challenges of navigating family dynamics and the transformation that comes with embracing both masculinity and femininity. She invites the church to appreciate the richness of diverse identities, highlighting that God can be found in darkness, mystery, and the process of becoming.
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Early Childhood Tension
- Rachel Mann describes an idyllic rural childhood that coexisted with a profound sense of feeling "hemmed in" by gender expectations.
- She secretly dressed in her mother's clothes and felt policed by her community before puberty clarified differences.
Gender As Mystery And Variation
- Rachel treats gender complexity as a "holy mystery" rather than a single causal explanation.
- She argues transness sits within natural human variation, not as pathology or a childhood trigger.
Crisis That Began Transition
- Rachel recounts a crisis point where she told her spouse she needed to be a woman or she would kill herself.
- That honesty led to painful unravelling but also the start of an authentic life path.
