From Nationalism To Jesus: Adalyn's Journey
⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of Christian Nationalism, church harm, and religious deconstruction.
This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with writer Adalyn Whitmore — a woman who grew up inside the Christian faith and has spent years doing the hard, honest work of sorting through what was harmful and what was holy.
Adalyn hasn't walked away from faith entirely. She's chasing something deeper — the unconditional love of Christ, stripped of the institutional scaffolding that so often distorts it. Her writing pulls no punches. She names the harm the church causes, exposes the reach of Christian Nationalism, and does it all with the kind of clarity that only comes from someone who loved the thing before she started questioning it.
This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt the tension between faith and honesty — and refused to let go of either.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
• Growing up in the Christian faith and the deconstruction journey
• What it means to evolve in faith rather than abandon it
• The harm embedded in church culture and how to name it
• Christian Nationalism — what it is, how it works, and why it matters
• Writing as a tool for healing and exposing harm
• Chasing unconditional love beyond institutional religion
Connect with Adalyn Whitmore:
✍️ Substack: https://substack.com/@adalynwhitmore
Connect with Your Hosts:
Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles
Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321
🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s
📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com
If this episode stirred something in you — that ache of loving something that also hurt you — give yourself permission to feel both things at once. You are allowed to grieve the church and still reach for what's true. You are allowed to question and still believe. You belong here.
If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network!
Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too!
Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts.
Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land.
Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler!
Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective.
The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs!
All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network!
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