28. The Deconstruction of Christianity

The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It's Destructive, And How to Respond. Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett. Foreword by Carl R. Trueman. 2024. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: I (Alisa) was standing in the foyer of a church where I had just spoken at a Christian worldview conference when I was approached by an elderly couple with downcast faces. Without wasting time on pleasantries, the man said, “Our son . . .” Surprised by his own tears, he stopped short. The gray-haired woman next to him laid her hand on his shoulder and continued. “Our son deconstructed. He isn’t a Christian anymore. We don’t know what to do.”

Chances are high that you've heard either the term deconstructing, deconstruction, or exvangelical. But do those words have precise meanings--uniform meanings in that everyone uses the words in the same way, assigns the same meanings to those words? That's just one of the things these two discuss in their new book. This book is essentially a deep-dive into a movement. They--general, vague, ambiguous "they"--may want you to think deconstructing is NEW. But no, you can find deconstruction right there in the first few chapters of the Bible. 

The two authors walk you through--often quoting those who have deconstructed or almost deconstructed--the new trendy [ideological] movement of deconstruction. It is almost an anything goes movement rejecting even the slightest hint of absolute truth. The only absolute truth they accept is that there is no absolute truth. Other than that, you do you. 

Here is how Barnett and Childers (alphabetical arrangement) describe their book:

In part 1, we identify deconstruction as it manifests in our homes, in our churches, and on social media. We define the word and give a thirty-thousand-foot view of how it has grown from a hashtag into a phenomenon, complete with conferences, coaches, and countless social media accounts. Then in part 2, we dig down into the details. We pull it all apart and analyze the many reasons why people are deconstructing, how they are deconstructing, and what they are deconstructing. We also consider who is going through it—the very real people undergoing deconstruction. We offer what we think is a better solution to the nagging doubts, difficult questions, and false ideas that haunt many Christians. Finally, in part 3, we focus on how we can best love and help those in our lives who might be in deconstruction.

I found the book an interesting, informative, compassionate read. The authors have a heart for those who are deconstructing. They are not rejoicing or mocking. The points they make are solid and well-organized. This is a book about a tough topic--emotionally--that is clear and concise. It is a PRACTICAL book first and foremost. Yet it isn't shy on theology.

Quotes:

When it comes to faith, some questions seek answers, and some questions seek exits. There are questions that seek after truth, but other questions seek to avoid truth.

Deconstruction is nothing new. People have been abandoning the standard of God’s Word and engaging in a process of rethinking—and often abandoning—their faith since the beginning. That’s why the biblical record contains so many warnings about leaving or redefining the faith.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible