The Rise of the Christian Blogger

In the early 2000s, a new genre appeared on the internet: the Christian mommy blog. Women, many of them stay-at-home mothers, began writing about the small dramas and daily joys of family life. Blogs became places to share recipes, stories of parenting, photos of birthday parties, and reflections on faith. They were informal and personal, but they built communities of readers hungry for connection.

It did not take long for these spaces to evolve into platforms for spiritual influence. Women who started out posting about cloth diapers and homeschool routines soon wrote devotionals that encouraged thousands. They were not preachers in pulpits, but in practice they became evangelists. Some signed book deals, others launched podcasts, and many began speaking at women’s conferences. Their words carried weight because they were rooted in personal story and authentic struggle. They brought Jesus into kitchens, minivans, and the chaos of family life.

By the middle of the 2010s, women like Jen Hatmaker, Sarah Bessey, Glennon Doyle, and others were household names in Christian circles. They represented a softer, more relatable form of faith leadership. At one time or another, I followed them all and drew great inspiration from them along with many others. They could write about both the holiness of Christ and the exhaustion of toddlers. Their blogs and books encouraged a generation of women to seek Jesus in the middle of ordinary life.

All Gen X

It is no coincidence that nearly all of these women are members of Generation X. Born between the Gen X birth years of 1961 to 1981, they came of age during the evangelical boom of the 1980s and 1990s. They grew up in youth groups shaped by purity culture, Christian contemporary music, and the promise that their generation would carry revival forward.

As adults, they became the first cohort of mothers to embrace the internet as a place for storytelling. When blogging platforms emerged in the early 2000s, they were perfectly positioned: educated, restless, deeply shaped by evangelical subculture, and eager to connect with other women navigating marriage, children, and faith.

The overlap is striking. Jen Hatmaker (born 1974), Sarah Bessey (1979), Glennon Doyle (1976), and Rachel Held Evans (1971–2019) all fall squarely within Generation X. Their journeys are not only individual faith stories but also generational markers. The first digital evangelists of Gen X have now become some of the most visible deconstruction guides of the Internet age.

Pressure Cooker of the Culture

Between 2015 and 2020, a series of cultural flashpoints forced Christian bloggers into the role of public theologians. Black Lives Matter, the #MeToo movement, the Obergefell decision on same-sex marriage, and the polarizing politics of the Trump era all collided with their online ministries.

Readers began to demand clarity. Where do you stand? Are you affirming or not affirming? Will you speak up on race, abuse, and justice, or will you remain silent?

For many of these women, the pressure was unbearable. Silence was interpreted as betrayal. Nuance was impossible in the brutal, beheading world of social media. The Internet demanded all-or-nothing answers, and the women who had once built communities on encouragement were now thrust into culture wars.

This pressure did not remain abstract. It came home in the most personal of ways. Some suffered pain at the hands of actually cruel, ungodly men (their husbands). It was excruciating to watch, even as a stranger from afar. Some had children who came out as LGBTQ and others had close friends and family membesr wounded by churches. Others watched scandals of abuse rock faith communities. They were no longer just responding to cultural issues, they were fighting for their families and their reputations.

The result was a turn and for some that involved a broad rejection of evangelical culture. These pivots were public, and their followers were invited along for the journey.

The flannelgraph of long ago.

A Personal Note on Catholic Faith

My own journey, as both a blogger and Christian, took a different path. First of all, I never wanted to brand myself exclusively as a  mommy blogger or a Christian blogger. I was both, but the Blogosphere was so saturated and what really spoke to me was and will always be the trials and tribulations of Generation X; a profound loneliness my generation cannot shake.

Second, I am the daughter of a Nazarene minister and I converted to Catholicism, a journey that began more than 15 years ago when my youngest was three. I did not leave Protestantism because I was angry or disillusioned. I was drawn into Catholicism by grace. As a young child, recovering alone in a hospital from an injury, I encountered a Catholic priest who prayed for me. That moment changed my life.

I still carry gratitude for the Church of the Nazarene where I once worshipped, but I know that God was drawing me toward the fullness of His Church. I say this because I want it to be clear: I did not come to Catholicism by reaction. I came by invitation, a desire placed in me by the everlasting God.

If you are someone who struggles with Faith because the Church hurt you, I am very sorry for your pain. I am no stranger to it. Frederick M. Lehman wrote in 1917, the love of God reaches to the lowest hell.

Because of my confidence in this Great Love and Communion I look at the trend of deconstruction without fear. I feel sorrow for those who wander through illusions, sorcery, pitfalls and unbelief.

From Evangelists to Deconstruction Guides

The women who once evangelized Christ now evangelize doubt. They narrate their shifts with the same authenticity and passion that once drew readers to their devotional posts. The skills of storytelling, honesty, and vulnerability remain, but the content has changed.

Over time, the pressures of cultural flashpoints became too great to avoid. Church abuse scandals disillusioned many. The unraveling of purity culture brought anger and grief. Political polarization divided congregations. Movements for justice exposed painful failures within the church. For many bloggers, these events struck close to home, sometimes through their own families and friendships.

Instead of pointing readers back to Christ in the midst of disillusionment, they began to point them elsewhere: to evolving faith, to spirituality untethered from tradition, to the belief that deconstruction itself was the path to freedom.

High-profile names shifted their platforms in public ways. Mid-tier voices and many smaller bloggers followed similar paths, guiding their loyal communities into rethinking the faith of their childhoods. They may not stand behind pulpits, but in practice they became preachers of a new gospel, one centered not on Christ crucified, but on authenticity, personal freedom, and self-definition.

These shifts matter because they are not just personal stories. They are sermons. They are shaping theology for thousands of women who once looked to these voices for Christian encouragement.

From Culture War to Private Crisis

The story of female Christian bloggers cannot be told apart from the cultural storms of the last decade. What began as spaces of encouragement and homemaking advice soon collided with some of the most divisive social upheavals of our time.

For Generation X women in particular, this was disorienting. They had grown up in an era where church youth groups promised certainty and authority, where purity culture framed their teenage years, and where Christian publishing offered step-by-step answers for raising families. By their forties, however, the world around them no longer matched the formulas they were given.

The Cultural Flashpoints

Between 2015 and 2020, a cascade of public reckonings swept through the church and the broader culture:

• Race and justice. The Ferguson protests and the rise of Black Lives Matter exposed the silence or complicity of many churches on racial issues.
• Abuse scandals. High-profile cases of spiritual and sexual abuse within evangelical institutions shook confidence in church leadership.
• Purity culture backlash. The promises of chastity rings and “True Love Waits” had not delivered. Many women carried wounds from teaching that reduced their worth to sexual performance.
• Political polarization. The 2016 election magnified deep divisions, with evangelical leaders embracing political power in ways that unsettled many believers.
• Mental health and trauma awareness. Gen X women, in midlife, confronted their own exhaustion and began naming the anxiety and depression that evangelical subculture often dismissed.

These flashpoints did not remain distant headlines. They landed in homes, marriages, and friendships. For women who had built platforms on encouragement, they now faced an online world demanding moral clarity. Their readers and followers expected them to speak boldly, to take sides, and to declare their loyalties. Silence was betrayal.

The Family Catalyst

For some, the cultural pressures were compounded by deeply personal experiences. A child who rejected the faith of their childhood. A friend who suffered abuse at the hands of a pastor. A family member wounded by exclusion.

These moments became turning points. For many bloggers, affirming their loved ones or protesting against hypocrisy felt like survival. Remaining aligned with traditional evangelical structures threatened relationships too precious to lose.

What was once a blog about recipes and Bible studies became a platform for rethinking everything. Readers who had once been invited to join a devotional journey were now invited into a process of dismantling the faith they had shared.

Caught Between Competing Pressures

Here again, the generational dimension comes to bear. Generation X was raised in analog childhoods but lived their adulthood online. They absorbed the certainties of late 20th century evangelicalism but entered midlife in an era of unraveling institutions.

When the Internet turned hostile, many of these Gen X women found themselves caught between two competing pressures: the desire to be faithful to the faith of their youth, and the demand to stay relevant in a digital world that punishes dissent.

Deconstruction became, for many, the way out. It was easier to shed the old certainties than to endure what felt like an endless public beheading on social media. Honestly, I had to look away. They would not walk away from their platforms. They would pivot their message instead.

The Public Turn

And so the shift took place. One by one, the women who had evangelized Christ began to evangelize doubt. Their posts no longer centered on Scripture, but on authenticity. Their authority no longer came from the Bible, but from personal experience.

The language shifted. Instead of calling women to holiness, they called them to “wholeness.” Instead of pointing to Christ as the center of their lives, they pointed to freedom, empowerment, and self-definition.

The followers remained. In fact, the audiences often grew larger. For readers weary of church scandals and wounded by purity culture, this new gospel felt like relief. But it was not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Weight of Platforms

It would be tempting to dismiss these women as just another internet trend. But their influence is far from trivial. They became, in practice, pastors to thousands of women who no longer trusted their churches. Through blogs, books, podcasts, and social media groups, they offered community, guidance, and a kind of catechesis.

Today, it is the catechesis of deconstruction.

The Counterfeit Gospel

This is what grieves me most about the trend among Gen X female bloggers. They are not only working out their private struggles. They are preaching a counterfeit gospel to thousands of readers who trust them.

Instead of saying, “Bring your wounds to Christ,” they say, “Free yourself by dismantling the faith.” Instead of pointing women to the cross, they point them to self-discovery. Instead of holding to the commandments, they reinterpret them as suggestions.

This is not love. It is sentimentality masquerading as compassion. And it leaves souls unmoored.

Popularity Does Not Equal Authority

The now-deconstructing Christian mommy bloggers of the 2010s still shape souls. And that is why I am risking a public flogging to say: their influence is scary. As humans navigationg a very dangerous world, we can’t afford to confuse authenticity with truth. We can’t afford to mistake popularity for authority. Those who once carried the message of our beautiful Savior now carry something else. That something else did not die for you. Make no mistake about it. I see all of us as rain-soaked lambs in the vicious storm of life. Christ is in the storm looking for us, reaching down over the cliffs to pull us all up if we will have Him. I can’t say it better than Jimmy Owens did in this song:

There once stood a wall, deep and wide,
Strong and tall, there it stood,
Built of all our unholiness.
But this man, by his blood, broke the wall,
Loosed the flood of the mercies of God to mankind.
And now God offers to each one,
Priceless pardon for what we’ve done,
Because of Jesus, His own Son,
Who died for us. He died for us.

Ledger of Influencers

It is important for history to remember this movement rightly, and so I offer the following record. The women who once built their platforms as evangelists of evangelical culture did not simply fade into obscurity. They pivoted, rebranded, and carried their audiences with them. What follows is a generational ledger of Gen X Christian women whose blogging, books, and podcasts shaped thousands. Some remained faithful. Some drifted. Some now lead others down the path of deconstruction.

The Deconstructionists

The following are some of the main female bloggers who questioned the subcultures of evangelicalism and publicly shifted their theology in ways that placed them outside historic Christian teaching. 

Jen Hatmaker (b. 1974). Once one of the most beloved Christian authors and speakers, Hatmaker is now a symbol of deconstruction. She moved from Bible studies and women’s conferences and eventually stepped away from church altogether. Her reach remains vast, and her words still disciple thousands, only now into evolving faith rather than orthodoxy.

Rachel Held Evans (1971–2019). The late Tennessee writer was one of the first to narrate her departure from evangelicalism in real time online. Her legacy continues through her books and the Evolving Faith community she helped found. Her words shaped a generation of doubters and seekers.

Glennon Doyle (b. 1976) What began as Momastery grew into a cultural juggernaut. Doyle left her evangelical identity behind, embraced progressive spirituality, and now reaches millions through her bestselling books and her podcast We Can Do Hard Things. Her message centers on self-discovery, authenticity, and personal freedom, offering a spirituality untethered from historic Christian orthodoxy.

Emily P. Freeman (b. 1977). Author of Simply Tuesday and The Next Right Thing, Freeman frames her writing around gentleness and discernment. She has not rejected Christianity, but her emphasis is on reflection, therapy, and wholeness rather than doctrine. She now writes and speaks about deconstruction explicitly, not as something to resist but as something necessary. She has framed deconstruction as part of a healthy spiritual life. She carries enormous potential to normalize deconstruction as a spiritual virtue rather than a crisis. 

The Reflective and Distanced

The following two women have not declared full deconstruction, but they have softened, broadened, or quietly stepped back from evangelical identity.

Shauna Niequist (b. 1976). Daughter of megachurch pastor Bill Hybels, Niequist was once a staple of evangelical women’s events. After the Willow Creek scandals and her own faith transitions, her books now focus on personal renewal and creativity rather than institutional faith.

Sarah Bessey (b. 1979) Author of Jesus Feminist and Out of Sorts, and co-founder of the Evolving Faith conference with Rachel Held Evans, Bessey quickly became one of the most recognizable voices in what is often called the “deconstruction movement.” Her writing has always carried a pastoral tone, marked by tenderness and attention to the wounded, and she consistently points to Jesus Christ in her work. In 2021, after a season away, she and her family returned to a local church. Even so, her language of “evolving faith” often blurs the line between spiritual growth and the erosion of orthodoxy, making her a complex figure. She’s part guide back to Christ, part stepping stone away from tradition. For this reason I have put her in the Reflective and Distanced Category but some will argue she belongs with the Deconstructionists. 

Remaining in Christian Orthodoxy

This tier represents women who built careers in the same waters but have largely remained within Christian orthodoxy. Their tone may be lighter, their focus more lifestyle-driven, but they have not made the public pivots toward deconstruction.

Ann Voskamp (b. 1973). Author of One Thousand Gifts, Voskamp remains one of the most beloved devotional voices. Her poetic, sacramental style has only deepened her Christian witness. 

Lysa TerKeurst (b. 1969). Founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries, TerKeurst continues to publish bestsellers and lead women in Bible study. Her recent personal struggles have only made her voice more empathetic, but she has remained steadfast in the faith.

Melanie Shankle (b. 1970s). Blogger turned author (Here Be Dragons), Shankle writes with humor and warmth. She continues in evangelical orthodoxy, focusing on emotional healing through Christ. 

Sophie Hudson (b. 1970s). Co-host of The Big Boo Cast with Shankle, Hudson has stayed in traditional evangelical lanes with her humorous books and podcasts.

Angie Smith (b. 1970s). Wife of Selah singer Todd Smith, Angie built a platform on Bible studies like Seamless. Her work remains aligned with evangelical teaching.

Holley Gerth (b. 1970s). Known for You’re Already Amazing, Gerth continues to write devotional encouragement with Lifeway/DaySpring.

Lisa-Jo Baker (b. 1970s). Author of Surprised by Motherhood, once a key part of (in)courage.me, Baker has stepped back some but her writing remains devotional, not deconstructive.

Jamie Ivey (b. 1970s). Host of The Happy Hour podcast, Ivey has stayed evangelical though she often collaborates with voices across the spectrum.

Jess Connolly (b. 1980). Blogger turned author (You Are the Girl for the Job), still firmly in evangelical motivational space.

Trends Come and Go. Christ Does Not Change

Generational trends come and go, but Christ does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What troubles me is not that these women wrestled with doubt. Every Christian wrestles with doubt. What grieves me is that they turned their doubts into doctrine and their private struggles into public sermons. They once pointed readers to Jesus Christ. Now too many point them to deconstruction as if dismantling the faith were the same as freedom. To stand before thousands online is not harmless. When you evangelize doubt, you disciple people into unbelief. Sadly, many mid-tier and micro-influencers are in their orbits and deconstructing now. They followed them in and now I guess they feel they must follow them out.

For Generation X women, the temptation has been especially sharp. We were the first to blog, the first to build online communities, the first to translate ordinary lives into spiritual influence. The intimacy of blogging bred trust. And when theology shifted, the trust carried thousands along.

But the Word of God is not evolving. It is eternal. We don’t have to deconstruct to love as Christ did. He was clear when He said, “As the Father hath sent me, so send I you.” (John 20:21) I leave you with the following meditation:

So send I you to labor unrewarded,
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown,
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing-
So send I you to toil for Me alone.

So send I you to bind the bruised and broken,
O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake,
To bear the burdens of a world aweary-
So send I you to suffer for My sake.

So send I you to loneliness and longing,
With heart ahung’ring for the loved and known,
Forsaking home and kindred, friend and dear one-
So send I you to know My love alone.

So send I you to leave your life’s ambition,
To die to dear desire, self-will resign,
To labor long, and love where men revile you-
So send I you to lose your life in Mine.

So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,
To eyes made blind because they will not see,
To spend, tho’ it be blood, to spend and spare not-
So send I you to taste of Calvary.

–Margaret Clarkson (1915-2008)