Cate & Ty Break It Down

Episode: Deconstructing Christian Nationalism: Finding the Truth with Monte Mader
Date: November 12, 2025
Host: PodcastOne
Guests: Monte Mader (Social Commentator & Deconstruction Advocate)

Episode Overview

In this candid, sharply insightful episode, Tyler and Catelynn Baltierra sit down with Monte Mader to unpack the roots, evolution, and present-day influence of Christian nationalism in America. Monte, whose social media presence exploded thanks to her nuanced takes on deconstruction and fundamentalism, shares her harrowing yet illuminating personal story: from being raised in a far-right Christian nationalist household to her academic/theological awakening and eventual activism. The conversation traverses childhood trauma, the contradictions of the “trad wife” trend, the intersection of patriarchy and religious dogma, and the organized push of Christian nationalism within American culture and politics.

Meet the Guest: Monte Mader

[02:18–03:28]

• Monte introduces herself as a former fundamentalist Christian, raised in an ultra-conservative, politically-embedded family.
• Her unique expertise stems from her upbringing: “My platform really blew up talking a lot about Christian nationalism and deconstruction. I was raised very far alt-right, Christian nationalist. My entire family was Republican politicians...I grew up in this hybrid of religion meets politics.”
• Core mantra: curiosity and asking questions—building your own understanding, not following dogma.

Monte’s Childhood: Religion, Abuse, and Indoctrination

[03:28–10:06]

• Abusive Home Life: Monte’s mother left when she was 6. Her father, a Christian nationalist, enforced a rigid, punitive regime:

  • “He would make us memorize front and back pages of printer paper of verses about adultery … I was able to read books at four, and so even then, after church, my dad would have me write essays and little paragraphs talking about scripture...” ([04:17])
  • Severe physical and psychological abuse from both father and stepmother; periods imprisoned in a basement.

• Fundamentalism Defined:

  • “It’s a sect of Christianity based on Christian nationalism in America ... strict patriarchal family norms ... The Bible is 100% literal … also built on what's called the umbrella of authority … the father has absolute authority over the entire family. To question the father, the head of the household, or to question the pastor is to question God directly.” ([10:06])

The "Trad Wife" Phenomenon & Gender Roles

[11:13–16:53]

• Rise of "Trad Wife" Culture:

  • Monte explains the online “trad wife” movement as a distortion of history and a fundamentalist pipeline:
    • “The idea of the trad wife…wasn’t established until the 1920s. Before, women worked outside the home in their family’s businesses, or helped their husbands, or did outdoor labor…” ([11:58])
    • “It’s become a conservative, like, Christian fundamentalist pipeline because they’re like, oh, this is God’s will for your life…your highest calling.” ([12:46])

• Consequences for Women:

  • Highlight: “The number one predictor of elder poverty in women is to be a stay-at-home wife.” ([13:31])
  • On women’s lack of resources and vulnerability in abusive settings:
    • “A lot of times, especially in domestic violence situations, women stay so long because where are they going to go? How are they going to feed their kids?” ([15:55])
  • Monte underscores the hypocrisy of “trad wife” influencer culture, where creators profit while selling an ideology that limits actual women’s independence.

Patriarchy Hurts Men, Too

[17:10–18:10]

• Monte: “Men who want positions of power tend to benefit from these systems. But it hurts men, too...It tells men you’re a lust-driven out-of-control animal. Your only purpose…is a paycheck. The only emotion you’re allowed to feel is rage, which is so wrong.”
• Discussion on male loneliness and harmful gender scripts.
• Cate: “I’ve noticed that…it’s weird how men are indoctrinated in this masculine belief system that really actually is saying everything that they don’t like about women.”

Christian Nationalism: History & Political Power

[19:26–25:10]

• Origins and Evolution:

  • Monte unpacks how American Christian nationalism is rooted in efforts to control power, not to foster faith.
  • “The anger of young men is very easy to capitalize on...and they can scapegoat other people. As long as they direct your anger at someone else, you won’t notice while they’re picking your pockets. It’s very intentional.” ([19:33])
  • She traces the movement from Victorian Christianity to fundamentalism & evangelical rebranding, through dominion theology and the Seven Mountains mandate.

• Key Quote:

  • “Since the 1930s, they have been building networks and pushing back against…progress…with the intention of trying to control the nation.” ([21:27])

• Racial and Social Justice:

  • “All of the major evangelical movements, Jerry Falwell, all of those people were really pushing for segregation … when Brown vs. Board of Education was passed, huge pushback from White Christian evangelicals. They felt it was their ordained right to discriminate.” ([22:17])
  • On abortion: “They didn’t care at all about abortion...until they needed something to rally people around to get the vote out.” ([23:28])

The Selectivity and Hypocrisy of "Pro-Life"

[26:02–27:42]

• Monte: “It’s a smokescreen more than anything. …You’re telling me you care so much about life, but if that kid’s gay or brown or poor, you have no interest in caring for them. …If you really cared about the birth rate going up, then you’d focus on affordable housing…make sure everyone could get an affordable education.”
• Viral Moment: Discussion of a TikTok where a woman, pretending her baby was hungry, called dozens of churches for help:
  • “Only three churches out of 35 right now have said yes…the mosque said yes before she even finished the question.” ([27:53])

Fundamentalism = Power, Not Faith

[30:03–31:08]

• Monte’s punchy summary:
  • “Fundamentalism is really just a political movement for power…dressed in Bible drag…They’re interested in the branding, the power. If they can put the veneer of religion on it, then they can say ‘God’s on my side, not yours’.”
  • “There’s a reason they’re always about the Ten Commandments and never the Beatitudes. There's a reason they're calling Jesus woke now.” ([30:18])

Fundamentalists vs. Christ Followers

[31:41–33:37]

• Monte distinguishes Christian nationalists from “actual Christ followers,” noting how real followers are quieted or overshadowed by fundamentalist hate.
• On indoctrination:
  • “If you question the system…you lose your family, your community, your church…This is all driven at its core by a desire for belonging.”
  • “There’s also the fear of hell that’s obviously used. If you don’t align with these values, you’re going to throw your eternity away.”

Monte’s Journey of Deconstruction

[33:37–43:22]

• Defining Moment:

  • Visiting Israel and witnessing genuine faith in other traditions led Monte to rethink her foundations:
    • “I’m watching them worship...shouldn’t faith make us better?” ([35:01])
  • Deconstructing the “math” of theology vs. scholarship; the realization that much of church doctrine is about power, money, and violence.

• Personal Crisis:

  • “My then fiancé’s half-sister turned up pregnant. She was 12…She had been being molested by her mother’s boyfriend since she was 9…At that time, I was a no exceptions pro-lifer. Even in cases of rape and incest. That’s what I believed at the time.” ([36:36])
  • Monte’s worldview collapses—she starts independent research, discovers the actual abortion statistics, and confronts the avalanche of misinformation from her upbringing.

• Quote:

  • “With most people, when one issue falls, the house of cards just collapses...and you realize, wow, this is a lie. This has nothing to do with the teaching of Christ.” ([41:11])

Betrayal & Identity Crisis

[42:50–44:03]

• Cate: “Did it ever feel…heavy and really overwhelming? Betrayal—that you’re betrayed by everybody?”
• Monte: “I was enraged all the time…there was a period of time I stopped reading the Bible, was not interested, didn’t go to church…I really wrestled with, ‘am I an atheist now?’”

Abuse in Fundamentalist Upbringing & Christian Counseling

[45:40–51:47]

• Cate and Ty relate their own experiences with religious dogma and pushback.
• Monte exposes the origins of Christian marriage counseling as rooted in white supremacist eugenics and the policing of women’s bodies/decisions.
  • “James Dobson mentored under [Paul] Popenoe, who was a white supremacist atheist eugenicist…The only people that would buy in [to his radical ‘counseling’] were conservative fundamentalist preachers.”

Christian Nationalism as a Political Strategy

[52:04–55:09]

• Ty: “Do you think this was their plan all along? Religion is getting very much sucked into a lot of our laws…”
• Monte: “It’s been their plan for a very long time. Because, again, it’s not about the faith, it’s about power…subjugation…Christian nationalism is very closely tied to white supremacy. They are highly intelligent and highly organized, and have absolutely no restraint.”

Cult Tactics and the Momentum of Change

[55:09–58:46]

• On cult behavior:
  • “Ladies, your job is to have as many kids as possible so we can outbreed them.” ([55:09])
  • “When you’re not allowed to question leadership, when there’s control over information…that’s literally the definition of a cult.”
• Monte and Cate discuss hope: this backlash may be an "extinction burst," a desperate last stand by a dying movement.
  • Monte: “I understand that it feels so heavy…But I think it’s an extinction burst.”
  • Cate: “When you back an animal into a wall, they get wilder...attack more aggressively.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Deconstruction:
  “When one issue falls, the house of cards just collapses.” – Monte ([41:11])
• On Trad Wife Movement:
  “There’s a reason that you don’t see a lot of trad wife creators in their 40s.” – Monte ([12:58])
• On Christian Nationalism:
  “Fundamentalism is really just a political movement for power…dressed in Bible drag.” – Monte ([30:03])
• On Cult-Like Behavior:
  “When you’re not allowed to question leadership, when there’s control over information ... that's literally the definition of a cult.” – Monte ([56:47])
• Viral Example:
  “Only three churches out of 35 right now have said yes…the mosque said yes before she even finished the question.” ([27:53])
• On Power and Organization:
  “Don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re stupid. They are highly intelligent and highly organized, and have absolutely no restraint.” ([54:33])

Closing Thoughts

The episode ends with Cate, Ty, and Monte reflecting on the hard truths uncovered and the need for continued dialogue and questioning. Monte encourages listeners to “stay curious, ask questions, and don’t outsource your beliefs.”

For more from Monte, check out her podcast: Flipping Tables, where she tackles the intersection of faith, power, and politics.

Next Week: Cate and Ty promise a Part 2, going deeper into the conversation with Monte on these crucial topics.