Many today claim they are in a “phase of deconstruction.” I have not been able to determine just exactly what they mean by deconstruction but the general point is clear.
Scott, I would be really interested to hear how you might respond to the theme of trauma with deconstruction. I found your article to have some interesting insights but I also found it to be missing what I think is an integral link to deconstruction themes that I've seen over the years and that is a response to trauma in different forms including trauma from high control in religion, spiritual trauma, emotional trauma, trauma from abuse in all different forms. Where would you see this fitting into the picture of deconstruction that you see?
I was also curious about how you began your article. You say" I have not been able to determine just exactly what they mean by deconstruction but the general point is clear. They find the Christian faith as they have experienced it to be inadequate." My initial response was actually a bit taken a back, and I had to sit with that feeling. Why do I feel hurt as someone who has deconstructed? As I sat with it I thought your comment actually made a good point and that was that deconstruction is hard to nail down as a term because its so dependent on people's experiences. It by nature means something different to different people because their deconstruction looks different. I think for a lot of people deconstruction means leaving the church and healing from the parts of themselves that were broken and traumatized by their spiritual and religious experiences. When I processed that I realized this is why comments like that may be met with feelings of hurt. People who have deconstructed are used to having people make assumptions about why they left the church, they are used to not being listened to. But if you do listen to them, you'll find a lot of concrete meanings to the word deconstruction...there will just be multiple ones from different voices. It is not necessarily a homogenous movement. It is diverse and I think the lack of a consistent definition actually speaks to the suspicion of creating a homogenous movement related to people's experiences of high control in religion and the trauma they faced from that.
As I process this I hope that it maybe can add another perspective to the conversation on de-construction and contribute to empathy and de-stigmatization around the topic.
AB, many thanks for this. You are right: there is some trauma behind some of the deconstruction. Here's my issue with the term. (1) It's cool today to us it. Why? (2) Because it comes from sophisticated thinkers. (3) The term is from French philosophers and what they mean by it is not easy to define but it's a long way from the cool usages today. (4) For many it means "a struggle with faith, erasing some bad things, disconnecting from church, critical thinking about the church and faith... etc." All of which I have touched on this series. But I still think the term deconstruction is in ways not in sync with what I have read about the term and movement in more academic circles.
How much of the activity of the Holy Spirit should be a part of the “deconstruct”? Surely we won’t fall into the trap of reconstructing in a human reaction.
as a reconstructor over a 18-year period, I think you have summarized well. I appreciate this, it helps me explain to those who have not walked the road of 'decon' and question my faith, and... pray for me to return :-).
I would add that, for me, the justice/liberation side of Jesus-following is a key part of this. Discovering the actual use of the original words like... "salvation"... make FAR less about my as an individual soul in relation to a God I can't be connected to because of original sin --- and the very redemptive meaning of liberation.... both now and yes, somehow into the future. But now was the basis. Now was where the meaning was formed, I think. A second- was the meaning of "repent and believe"... which changed so much for me (Thanks to NT Wright)
Thank you for that very insightful essay. It’s fun to discover myself on the journey you describe but also helpful for those I work with to help them know where they are.
Scott, I would be really interested to hear how you might respond to the theme of trauma with deconstruction. I found your article to have some interesting insights but I also found it to be missing what I think is an integral link to deconstruction themes that I've seen over the years and that is a response to trauma in different forms including trauma from high control in religion, spiritual trauma, emotional trauma, trauma from abuse in all different forms. Where would you see this fitting into the picture of deconstruction that you see?
I was also curious about how you began your article. You say" I have not been able to determine just exactly what they mean by deconstruction but the general point is clear. They find the Christian faith as they have experienced it to be inadequate." My initial response was actually a bit taken a back, and I had to sit with that feeling. Why do I feel hurt as someone who has deconstructed? As I sat with it I thought your comment actually made a good point and that was that deconstruction is hard to nail down as a term because its so dependent on people's experiences. It by nature means something different to different people because their deconstruction looks different. I think for a lot of people deconstruction means leaving the church and healing from the parts of themselves that were broken and traumatized by their spiritual and religious experiences. When I processed that I realized this is why comments like that may be met with feelings of hurt. People who have deconstructed are used to having people make assumptions about why they left the church, they are used to not being listened to. But if you do listen to them, you'll find a lot of concrete meanings to the word deconstruction...there will just be multiple ones from different voices. It is not necessarily a homogenous movement. It is diverse and I think the lack of a consistent definition actually speaks to the suspicion of creating a homogenous movement related to people's experiences of high control in religion and the trauma they faced from that.
As I process this I hope that it maybe can add another perspective to the conversation on de-construction and contribute to empathy and de-stigmatization around the topic.
And I value the stories that I am hearing. I empathize with such persons.
AB, many thanks for this. You are right: there is some trauma behind some of the deconstruction. Here's my issue with the term. (1) It's cool today to us it. Why? (2) Because it comes from sophisticated thinkers. (3) The term is from French philosophers and what they mean by it is not easy to define but it's a long way from the cool usages today. (4) For many it means "a struggle with faith, erasing some bad things, disconnecting from church, critical thinking about the church and faith... etc." All of which I have touched on this series. But I still think the term deconstruction is in ways not in sync with what I have read about the term and movement in more academic circles.
How much of the activity of the Holy Spirit should be a part of the “deconstruct”? Surely we won’t fall into the trap of reconstructing in a human reaction.
as a reconstructor over a 18-year period, I think you have summarized well. I appreciate this, it helps me explain to those who have not walked the road of 'decon' and question my faith, and... pray for me to return :-).
I would add that, for me, the justice/liberation side of Jesus-following is a key part of this. Discovering the actual use of the original words like... "salvation"... make FAR less about my as an individual soul in relation to a God I can't be connected to because of original sin --- and the very redemptive meaning of liberation.... both now and yes, somehow into the future. But now was the basis. Now was where the meaning was formed, I think. A second- was the meaning of "repent and believe"... which changed so much for me (Thanks to NT Wright)
Thank you for that very insightful essay. It’s fun to discover myself on the journey you describe but also helpful for those I work with to help them know where they are.