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Jen Hatmaker

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Jen Hatmaker
Hatmaker in 2011
Hatmaker in 2011
BornJennifer Lynn King
1974 (age 49–50)
United States
OccupationAuthor
Spouse
Brandon Hatmaker
​
​
(m. 1993; div. 2020)​
Children5
Website
jenhatmaker.com

Jennifer Lynn Hatmaker (née King; born 1974)[1] is an American author, speaker, blogger, and television presenter.[2]

In 2014, Hatmaker was featured in Christianity Today magazine.[3] She and her then-husband Brandon, joined by their five children,[4] hosted the HGTV series Your Big Family Renovation in Buda, Texas.[5] She had a New York Times bestselling book, For the Love, in 2015.[6]

Evolving ministry and theology

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Hatmaker and her then-husband, Brandon, founded Austin New Church in 2008[7][8] located in Austin, Texas.[9] She was thought to be a successor to Houston evangelist Beth Moore who has been a leader in the Women of Faith tours.[1] She headlined at women's events, parenting and adoption conferences, and participated in a variety of social service ministries such as the Legacy Collective which has been active in Texas hurricane recovery.[10]

In Jen Hatmaker's 2020 book Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire she wrote of exchanging evangelical theology for "the wild terrain of the wilderness."[11] Hatmaker discontinued attending church services towards the end of 2020, several months after her divorce announcement. She wrote of having no further interest in religious systems or structures and was supportive of others who felt the same.[11][12][13]

In 2022, Allie Beth Stuckey's review of a recent Hatmaker podcast noted she was espousing a form of liberation theology, exemplified by James Cone, combined with New Age ideologies.[14] In Hatmaker's interview with Dr. Christena Cleveland,[14][15] author of God Is a Black Woman,[16] Hatmaker referenced "the patriarchy and racism and all the 'isms'" declaring "it would truly be the liberation of the whole earth if everyone was valued as divine."[15] This is consistent with the current ideologies of progressive and affirming Austin New Church she had helped found, where portions of the 2022 Mother's Day service featured feminine pronouns and imagery for God.[8][7]

Hatmaker's current social media interviews include 'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond,[17] sexologist Dr. Celeste Holbrook on creating your own sexual ethic,[18][19][20] endorsement of Cannabidiol (CBD) products,[21][22] and promoting sexual wellness products.[23]

Views

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LGBTQ advocacy

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In 2016 both Jen and Brandon Hatmaker came out in support of gay marriage.[24] In April 2016 Jen Hatmaker called for the full inclusion of LGBT people into the Christian community.[25] Hatmaker's views came through reasoning about the "fruit" of LGBT+ prohibitions (Matthew 7:15-20; Galatians 5:19-26; James 3:17), which critics have described as consequentialism; she stated that "the fruit of the non-affirming Christian tree...is rotten," a point also made by other affirming evangelicals.[26][27] She reiterated her position in October 2016, and as a result, LifeWay Christian Resources decided to discontinue selling her publications.[28][29]

Amongst the multiple responses to her announcement was that of retired Syracuse University professor, pastor's wife and former lesbian Rosaria Butterfield in the Gospel Coalition article Love Your Neighbor Enough to Speak Truth - A Response to Jen Hatmaker.[30] Butterfield stated that Jen Hatmaker's well meaning "words would have put a millstone around my neck" and, "how I feel does not tell me who I am. Only God can tell me who I am, because he made me and [cares for] me."[30]

During 2020 June pride month, Hatmaker featured her 18-year-old lesbian daughter, who had been out for some time, in a celebratory podcast. The episode concluded with, "I'm so glad you're gay...I'm thrilled about your future." The podcast came on the heels of the release of Hatmaker's new book, Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You. In the book, she wrote that she traded evangelical theology for "the wild terrain of the wilderness."[31][32][33]

Transgender children

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Hatmaker is supportive of gender transition of minors. In 2022 Texas Governor Greg Abbott upheld his attorney general statement, "There is no doubt"[34] that gender transition of minor is 'child abuse' under Texas law." Hatmaker pushed back by promoting Tyler Merritt's response which asserted Governor Abbott's position was "heartless, outdated" and declared we "are coming after you."[35]

Abortion

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After the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, Hatmaker wrote about her pro-choice position. She declared a woman's body is "their's alone", so abortion should be a choice women make for their own reasons.[36]

Personal life

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In 1993, Hatmaker married Brandon Hatmaker.[37] They have five children, two of whom were adopted from Ethiopia.[38] In September 2020, Hatmaker announced their divorce. She released in her social media streams that after 26 years of marriage she and Brandon were getting divorced, and described it as "completely unexpected".[39]

Hatmaker is now in a long distance relationship with actor and activist Tyler Merritt (born 1976).[40] Her social media platforms include aspects of navigating the nuances of being a bi-racial couple, and an ongoing series on adult sex education.[41][40][42][18][19] Brandon Hatmaker went on to marry fellow Texan, Tina Green (born 1972) on December 3, 2022.[43][44] They are involved in developing a homestead community.[45][46]

In May 2021, Jen Hatmaker discontinued attending church services, but said she would "never get over Jesus."[11][12][13]

Works

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  • — (2008). Ms. Understood: Rebuilding the Feminine Equation. NavPress. ISBN 978-1600062162.
  • — (2010). Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load. Revell. ISBN 978-0800734480.
  • — (2012). 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. Yates and Yates. ISBN 978-1433672965.
  • — (2014). Make Over: Revitalizing the Many Roles You Fill. NavPress. ISBN 978-1576838945.
  • — (2014). Tune In: Hearing God's Voice Through the Static. A Modern Girl's Bible Study. Tyndale House Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61747-226-8.
  • — (2014). Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity. NavPress. ISBN 978-1631463532.
  • — (2015). For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-0718031824.
  • — (2017). Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-0-7180-3186-2.
  • — (2020). Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-0718088149.
  • — (2020). 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess Updated and Revised Edition. Convergent Books. ISBN 978-0593237441.

References

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  1. ^ a b Stanley, Tiffany (December 17, 2017). "This Evangelical Leader Denounced Trump. Then the Death Threats Started". Politico. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  2. ^ Goodstein, Laurie (October 17, 2016). "Donald Trump Reveals Evangelical Rifts That Could Shape Politics for Years". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  3. ^ "Jen Hatmaker Brings Her 'Super-Christian' Family onto Reality TV". March 19, 2014.
  4. ^ "The high cost of popular evangelical Jen Hatmaker's gay marriage comments". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ Express-News, Rebecca Salinas, mySA com / San Antonio (August 4, 2014). "Buda family renovates old house in six months". mySA. Retrieved April 14, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Religion, Spirituality and Faith". The New York Times. September 13, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  7. ^ a b "About". Austin New Church. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Martin, Stephanie (May 12, 2022). "'Good, Good Mother'—On Mother's Day, Texas Church Worships God As Female". ChurchLeaders. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  9. ^ "New HGTV Reality Show: 'Tattooed, Harley-Riding Pastor' and Wife Remodel Century-Old Home". www.christianpost.com. September 19, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  10. ^ Legacy Collective website Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c "Jen Hatmaker quits "church" and invites you to join her". Joshua Rogers. June 16, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Jen Hatmaker on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Facebook - Jen Hatmaker 5-30-2021". Facebook. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Debunking Jen Hatmaker's Liberation Theology & New Age Ideas, retrieved April 20, 2023
  15. ^ a b Who Says God is a White Man? Finding Ourselves in the Divine with Dr. Christena Cleveland, retrieved April 20, 2023
  16. ^ "Breaking Point: A Short Review of Cleveland's God Is a Black Woman". Neil Shenvi - Apologetics. February 14, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  17. ^ Jen Hatmaker's All The Dish Tour with special guests Ree Drummond, Tyler Merritt, and more, retrieved April 16, 2023
  18. ^ a b "Sex Ed For the Rest of Us". ME COURSE. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  19. ^ a b "You are Worthy of Great Sex (And so Much More): Dr. Celeste Holbrook - Jen Hatmaker". Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  20. ^ "What single people ask me about sex". Dr. Celeste Holbrook. June 26, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  21. ^ "A wellness hack I want to tell you about". May 21, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  22. ^ "Jen Hatmaker on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  23. ^ Lea, Jessica (October 11, 2023). "Progressive Christian Jen Hatmaker Promotes 'Libido Gummies,' 'Arousal Oil' to Her Audience". ChurchLeaders. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  24. ^ "A Few Thoughts on the Hatmaker Position on LGBTQ". Sean McDowell. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  25. ^ Merritt, Jonathan (April 25, 2016). "Christian author Jen Hatmaker takes stand for LGBT inclusion".
  26. ^ Development, PodBean. "Episode 34: Jen Hatmaker - Changing Your Mind About the Bible: A Survivor's Guide | The Bible For Normal People". thebiblefornormalpeople.podbean.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  27. ^ "Hatmaker explains why she rejected the "bad fruit" of the Bible's teaching about sexuality". Denny Burk. February 5, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  28. ^ Beaty, Katelyn (October 30, 2016). "The high cost of popular evangelical Jen Hatmaker's gay marriage comments". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  29. ^ Shellnut, Kate (October 27, 2016). "LifeWay Stops Selling Jen Hatmaker Books over LGBT Beliefs". Christianity Today. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  30. ^ a b Butterfield, Rosaria (June 15, 2017). "Love Your Neighbor Enough to Speak Truth". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  31. ^ "A Moment of Pride: Jen and Sydney Hatmaker On Being Gay and Loved - Jen Hatmaker". Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  32. ^ Law, Jeannie Ortega; Reporter, Christian Post (July 3, 2020). "Jen Hatmaker celebrates daughter's lesbian identity: 'I'm so glad you're gay'". The Christian Post. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  33. ^ Wakefield, Lily (July 9, 2020). "Bestselling Christian author reveals her daughter is gay and she's a proud ally. Evangelicals aren't happy about it". PinkNews. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  34. ^ "Texas Attorney General | Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  35. ^ "Jen Hatmaker | Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  36. ^ "My thoughts on the Roe v. Wade reversal". May 4, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  37. ^ "Jen Hatmaker | 25th wedding anniversary | Dec 30, 2018". www.facebook.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  38. ^ "A Letter to My 2011 Adopting Self". TODAY.com. February 4, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  39. ^ Klett, Leah MarieAnn (September 8, 2020). "Jen Hatmaker says divorce was 'completely unexpected,' asks for prayers: 'I am shocked'". Christian Post. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  40. ^ a b Glennon. "We Can Do Hard Things Ep 87 | Momastery". Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  41. ^ "Surprised by Love: Jen & Tyler On Where They Started and How It's Going". Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  42. ^ Surprised by Love: Jen & Tyler On Where They Started and How It's Going, retrieved April 12, 2023
  43. ^ "Tina Hatmaker Facebook profile". Facebook. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  44. ^ "Tina Hatmaker 50th birthday post". Facebook. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  45. ^ "Brandon Hatmaker (@brandonhatmaker) | Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  46. ^ IB, Dev. "Natural Living in TX Hill Country". Round Mountain Reserve. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
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