Escaping Christian Fundamentalism and questioning everything with Holly Tidwell

What do you do when everything you were raised to believe starts to crack?

Holly, known as Hope with Holly on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, has built a following of over 500,000 by saying the things most people are too scared to admit. She talks about religious trauma, surviving loss, parenting a transgender child, dating in midlife, and what it means to find your voice when it feels like everything’s falling apart.

In this episode, Holly shares her raw, funny, heartbreaking story of leaving Christian fundamentalism. We talk about:

Growing up Pentecostal and what “church” really looked like

Marrying under prophetic pressure (yes, really)

Losing her daughter Monroe and the unraveling that followed

Being labeled a heretic for asking basic questions

Rebuilding identity after religious and social death

Parenting a transgender son in the Deep South

Becoming a truth-teller with a platform—and a whole lot of haters

Redefining spirituality, purpose, and freedom on her own terms

This conversation is for anyone who’s ever felt betrayed by their belief system or pressured to stay quiet to “belong.” Holly proves you’re allowed to change—and you’re still worthy of connection even if you no longer check the boxes.

📍 Notable Timestamps
00:02 – Holly’s background growing up in Pentecostal chaos
06:45 – The moment she was told to marry a man by a prophet
14:00 – Losing Monroe and the wake-up call that followed
21:38 – Questioning God, the Bible, and everything she was taught
34:19 – Parenting through deconstruction and showing up for her trans son
41:10 – How she found her voice and created “Hope with Holly”
49:35 – Why she started her platform with just 4 followers in mind
53:58 – What spiritual liberation looks like today
59:00 – Her workbook for dating and self-discovery
1:01:20 – Building her Soul Sisters community of over 1,000 women

📚 Resources Mentioned

Hope with Holly on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook

Holly’s Dating & Self-Discovery Workbook

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