Awake

After her marriage breakup, Hatmaker sought privacy for her family and stopped posting on social media. However, a journalist discovered that she had filed for divorce and broke the story, casting doubt on the credibility of her Christian leadership. Christian fundamentalists responded by condemning and discrediting Hatmaker.

Hatmaker analyzes her journey from a celebrated Christian advocate to an individual who felt alienated from her church. She admits that she always liked having a clear set of rules to follow, and organized religion provided this. However, doubts crept in due to the Church’s stance on social injustice. Whenever she publicly addressed issues such as the ingrained racism in US society, she experienced backlash from the predominantly white evangelical community.

Hatmaker reveals that she increasingly questioned other tenets of her religion, such as the patriarchal structures that encouraged the subordination of women and intolerance toward the LGBTQIA+ community.