Today I begin a new series I will develop. 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. They find the Christian faith as they have experienced it to be inadequate. Whether it is some intellectual problem (science vs. Genesis 1-2 and the creationism they were taught) or the hypocrite problem (well-known pastors collapsing) or social problem (why can’t the church get on board with universal health care?), they are finding the church falling short. The credibility of the church’s claims is withering for them.
Here are a few points from my own experience after what I feel was (is?) an emergence from the other side of some type of deconstruction (probably the best word, yet it feels a bit strong)
- I am more certain about a few key doctrines and less certain about a lot of others
- I have discovered a larger, more robust circle of teachers, authors, thinkers who I am learning from - many of which draw from a much deeper and older theology
- I have recognized a previously undetected arrogance and have become more humble (what can I REALLY know to be true)
- I have become more suspicious of mainstream thought and quicker to listen to those on the fringe, or who have been cast out of the mainstream
- I still have Jesus and the Gospel, but a more beautiful and more loving version
What do I want? I guess, to know what really is true and right - and to know that all along it has been Jesus and His Kingdom coming - coming for all of us.
Lest I ramble on too TOO much (and I know I would), I'll just respond to the questions:
1. What do they see as the problems? What is it that makes the faith no longer credible?
In my experience, and in those closest to me, it seems to be the exclusivist claims (on whatever aspect of life/faith) made with adamant certainty (while requiring equivalent certainty by others) even when clear evidence exists that should cause us to question or outright reject what we were previously told was the "absolute truth." Things that make the faith no longer credible for some: rejecting evolution; ignoring or denying the dynamic process that led to Christian Scripture; "flat" readings of the Bible; wildly inconsistent applications of "Biblical" ethics; a lived faith that seems to look nothing at all like what we see of Jesus in the Gospels; the heresy of Christian nationalism...
2, What do the deconstructors want instead of what they’ve got now?
I think they/we want(ed): a lived faith that looks more the Jesus of the Gospels, and less like Jesus draped in an American flag, and/or a Jesus who baptizes elements of white American conservative evangelical culture as THE way to live out the Christian faith; a Christianity that makes room for questions, and is comfortable enough in its own skin to acknowledge uncertainty where it exists; an approach to the Bible that allows it to function and exist as it is, rather than forcing it into roles it was never designed to play; a faith willing to accept responsibility for past failures and work for structural changes in the present/future; a spiritual practice that leads to the loving God and loving neighbor in tangible, practical, recognizable ways, not just in word only...
3. Are you seeing anyone who has gone beyond the deconstruction to viable reconstruction? What does that look like?
Here I will only speak for myself. For me it looks like: rooting myself in the historic creeds of the Christian faith, holding those things as lovingly as possible, and allowing for loving/respectful dialogue on everything else; rooting myself in the other-oriented, self-giving love of the Trinity, and allowing that to form/shape my ethical imagination and practice as much as possible; embracing a cruciform/Christoform hermeneutic and accepting responsibility for that decision; working with others to foster a culture that reflects these things, one that gives others the space to ask their questions, wrestle with their doubts, and take the time necessary to reconstruct something they're willing to give their lives to.
Disclaimer: I’ve lived in the south my whole life within a southern bubble of American Christianity (30+ yrs in a Pentecostal denomination and 10 yrs in a non-denominational community church). What I write below is based on my lived experience. I still very much consider myself a Christian but have not attended church in 18 months.
Deconstruction is such a broad term and can mean so many things that I am becoming turned off by the word, but I haven’t found a better one yet.
The short of it for me personally - where I live “going to church” is often what identifies a person as a Christ follower, and it’s become a sort of club without a lot of depth. The focus is on serving the congregation and attending to what happens within the four walls of the church, not outside of it. Over time, I became extremely uncomfortable with how the idea of personal responsibility (a ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mentality) was not only intertwined with the gospel and Jesus, it overshadowed it.
My husband and I had close, personal relationships in our previous church, but once we asked a few questions, pushed back mildly in areas we had concerns, and our oldest teen stepped just outside the church’s boundaries of being a “good kid,” those friends began distancing themselves from us and it all started unraveling. Decades of church hurts and abuses of power was just too much. Simply, our church experience did not look like Jesus.
I’ve been a Christian most of my life, and I love Jesus, but I’ve learned more about theology and scripture in the past year and a half than in the 40+ years prior. I’ve discovered my level of Biblical literacy was/is significantly lacking. I had unknowingly built a faith from generally accepting what I had been taught by pastors, wrapped in a lot of cherry picked verses. I think what is deemed ‘Christian’ frequently in the U.S. has its deepest roots in culture, politics and what is most comfortable. I am looking for something more, much more. Authenticity would be a nice start. The Church leading from a posture of ‘Love God and love your neighbor’ would be even better.
I went through what I considered a deconstruction in the mid 2000s that allowed me to rebuild my faith. It was a recognition that what I believed didn’t hold up to the world as it was.
That being said - what’s going on now is not Emergent Church era deconstruction. Hauerwas is right I suspect, despite the bluntness. There’s something narcissistic about this whole project. And for whatever reason, it seems to mostly lead people to leaving Christian community entirely and making politics their God.
I think the pendulum has swung too far. And it has been pushing me more and more towards ancient/traditional faith (my kids going to Dominican Catholic school probably with the assist). There’s something to submitting to that which you may not understand, or to the wisdom and tradition that was built long before you arrived. That seems to be a needed anchor in a world of hyper individualism in which we find ourselves, where there is no telos besides greed/money/market on the right or identity markers on the left.
The breakdown is this: there are multiple angles going on - young people are pulling apart doctrinal issues that seem too "conservative," they are charging the church with years of pain, abuse, manipulation. Our generation is tired of hollow church messages and methodology. Many minority Christians are "decolonizing" or rescuing the Gospel from Western cultural captivity, as Soong- Chan Rah puts it. Consumerism in the church is also one element, but perhaps one of the most surfaced motivators has been the Western church's attachment to politics. Just looking at that list, you can see there are legitimate issues to tackle, so the movement shouldn't be written off so quickly.
There are likely more elements, but that is what I am dealing with at ground level. The irony is the way of Christ seems to get lost in the process. It seems okay to burn what's old to the ground when you are battling a perceived institutional monster. But your take is correct - there is a massive unbalance of problem recognition to solutions being offered.
Frankly, I think most of them just want to be heard. As Jesus recognized, the chaotic crowds weren't in need of better systems, nor better doctrine. He showed compassion because they were like harassed sheep without a shepherd. That's the calling here in my opinion.
May we be willing to walk into dark valleys with the hurt/confused/frustrated just as the Good Shepherd does.
I think much of the deconstruction we see nowadays are not questions about the faith itself, but more so the actions of those who profess faith. The intellectual problem was more an issue 15 years ago, whereas the hypocritical and social problems are more prevalent today.
I consider what I went through as deconstruction, as I was really questioning what it means to be the Church and to follow Jesus. Hypocritical and social problems I saw in the church were the catalyst.
The difference between those who claim to have deconstructed, or self proclaims ex-evangelicals, I dove deeper into scripture, prayer, and joined a more traditional church body. I deconstructed how I was taught about the faith socially and reconstructed a framework that fit what I was see scripture. I also learned much from various teachers I had found (including you Scot) who broadened my outlook and challenged many of my own beliefs and misconceptions about our faith.
You asked, “What do the deconstructors want instead of what they’ve got now?” I think they want a consistent, genuine faith with people of like-minded beliefs. They want a place to belong that embraces Jesus as Jesus, and not the white middle class Jesus of American Christianity. But because of the push-back they get from the American Church, many are leaving the faith all together.
You asked, “So, what does REconstruction look like on the other side of this DEconstruction?” I think the answer is reformation.
I believe we can learn from those who have gone through deconstruction, see the holes in our beliefs and practices, and look to our Lord to change us into better images of him.
"There’s something here, so I believe, but there’s also a tone deafness that surprised me." Yes! Thank you for this. It can be frustrating to see church leaders downplay what people are expressing, as if the people are always wrong in criticizing the church. Even in the HaurAnd please, no more "I am getting criticized from all sides, so I must be doing something right" church leadership mindset.
There are probably varying reasons, depending on personalities, etc...but many are clearly saying "something is wrong" and that they need to re-evaluate their faith. I think back to Willow Creek's Reveal study as one example of a blinking warning sign of where things were headed.
Like others who have commented here, I (over decades) have found myself more drawn to focus on the core aspects of the faith, and the ancient/Celtic/contemplative streams. I would like to see churches focus more, and allow discussion of, the wider aspect of the faith (the great "Hall" of CS Lewis, the "Village Green" of evangelicalism, etc...), and less on just their small tribe within Christianity.
My wife and I are in the process of moving to, and developing ministry in, the UK (Edinburgh, specifically). Students and others at some level of deconstruction tend to be our tribe. We don't even seek them out. They typically find us. We've both "deconstructed" our own faith. Me, much more than her. However, thanks to circumstances, a great deal of hopeful reading and study and a nourishing orthopraxis NOT rooted in Evangelicalism, we "found our way out" into a broad and spacious land. Spirituality, not theology, was my panacea. Breathing the stultifying air of much post-Reformation rationalist overreactionism, itself leading to the cult of cultural relevance, gave way to the way of the Desert Fathers, Celtic mysticism, and a dash of contemplative goodness (also prone to issues of another kind, admittedly) welcomed me and has never let me go. Never let me down. If we can reconstruct (if in fact that's what we've been doing!), anyone can.
my deconstruction/reconstruction has been what I believe is God opening the eyes of my heart to know Him more... discerning where we have been limiting Him, distorting His principles, twisting His word into a weapon by the subtle bias that has seeped in over the ages... things that cause harm to people instead of healing... ie the authoritarianism in Hebr 13:17, especially the 84 NIV (9 red flags in that verse alone when I compared it to the Greek)... with the traditional translation of "obey your leaders..." instead of "being persuaded by those who go ahead of you..." is one of 100+ laments that I have processed in my decon/recon journey as I pray "Lord, if I'm being deceived, please show me" and He answers that prayer! what is the deception/distortion, what is truth, how did we get here, and now what...
I call it a "painful, but profound journey"... so it's painful to recognize where we messed up, and heartbreaking to see the damage and harm it has caused, then the reconstructed truth is so profound, but sadly then it's painful again, as those in the church, especially the leaders, do not seem to welcome or want it... it seems there is a willful blindness to maintain the status quo... that's it for me in a very brief summary of a painful journey over the last 15 years... you asked!!! ;)
What do they want? Social relations/communion over against atomistic individualism, a way of knowing that is embodied and in communion where reason may assist in understanding over against rationalism which devalues or denies particularity (see McGilchrist’s Master and Emissary), knowing the self as storied from somewhere over against knowing the self gnosticly from nowhere, acknowledgement that I am social constructed without being socially determined over against (obviously) social determinism or self determinism, a community where awareness of an ideal being situated, awareness of the failure of practice to meet the ideal, and awareness of confession and forgiveness is necessary to balm the tension over against ideals which demand eradication (cancel) or subscription to ideals as sufficient in lieu of practice. So much more, but here’s a start.
Scot, if you persist in raising these kinds of important questions, sit on them a while in your daily briefings. I get busy working my head around "Monday's question" while you're onto "Tuesday's question." I need time to think about today's biggie about something beyond deconstruction. My instinct is "Yes, but..." The "something" will depend on how we identify what must be deconstructed. I'm not sure we've actually gotten that far at this point. My instinct is that the thing needing deconstruction is theological/biblical, not something applicational. The moment we jump into the "theological," twenty centuries of debate can sidetrack us mercilessly. OOF!
I immediately thought about some of the things Francis Schaeffer talked about in True Spirituality. Schaeffer said it should have been his first book when it was in fact it was about his twentieth. It detailed his own crisis of faith after embracing Jesus out of agnosticism.
Among other things, Schaeffer said what put him in a spiritual tailspin was noticing the lack of supernatural power in others AND in himself.
As one who has talked and/or interviewed several who have left Christianity every person has only mentioned the legitimate and heartbreaking things that happened to them. Abuse among leaders is number one. What I have still not heard is a honest look at one's own life, the kind of spiritual scrutiny that Schaeffer gave himself.
From my own vantage point of receiving abuse at the hands of those in church leadership I know how easily it can be to only point fingers outward. It is true that I have never abused anyone in the ways I received it, but it is also true that I have my own sins to consider and repent of as well.
It seems the conversation needs to get back more to the both/and of Schaeffer.
Thanks for making this one public, Scot. I think you're going to get a lot of comments.
I think Kris is right that the situation now "feels" like it did at the beginning of the Emerging Church movement. (Was that only 20-25 years ago?!? How that balloon has deflated...) I think the commenter is right, who said the questions are mainly different now and focused on praxis. I also think that because of our general lack of knowledge about Christian history, we all of us tend to miss that these same sort of praxis questions were being asked, and people were observing a lack of authenticity, in the late 200s-early 300s AD, fueling the beginning of monasticism. I agree with the reasons the other commenters up until now have also noted.
The doctrinal types of questions still remain, though, especially those regarding the goodness of God. From what I'm hearing, what comes to the forefront that American Evangelicalism has not addressed well, or even at all: What does it mean to be human? How does being a Christian help me live a good life, not simply follow a set of rules for being nice, read my bible and pray? (This category could also cover the questions about authenticity, spiritual abuse, deeper Christian life, examination of one's own situation, link with politics, awareness of and living in/for transcendence, etc.) Does God really want to send people to eternal conscious torment in a place he constructed for that purpose? And for me personally, I see a huge blank area in Protestantism regarding a) the ramifications of the Incarnation and b) the restrictive definition of "being saved" - things that, as you know, are front and center in EO.
I must note that now, as 20-25 years ago, there are plenty of Christians, esp within Evangelicalism broadly, who trust and are loyal to Jesus, don't put a facade on their lives, are as thoughtful as they are able to be, are truly pious toward God and act with great love toward others. These are some of my friends, who are better Christians than I am. They're not the ones who "make the news". It's not because of them that I myself "deconstructed", as you know.
My sense is it's too early to ask for solutions. It feels like we're in the midst of a shift and the solutions are still over the horizon. Stay with the shift and the next steps (rather than the formulaic-sounding word "solutions") will emerge.
I've followed the conversation around deconstruction for some time, and at times find that it is easy to get lost due to natural struggle as different thinkers work it out for themselves. I'm looking for a book that frames these different conversations and helps to make sense of all of them. Just today, I ordered AJ Swoboda's book "After Doubt" after I listened to a podcast in which he spoke directly about deconstruction and reconstruction. What I heard struck hit some notes that I believe ring true from my pastoral perspective and experience as I work with adults that have been hurt by the church or who have had childhood faith shaken by the current reality of American Christianity.
Deconstruction is on the rise because so many churches have failed to be authentic, meaning, they are often out of touch with day to day life. The churches that have sought to be authentic often become overly practical and lose the spiritual/worshipful aspect. So there are many reasons for people to walk away and rethink what it means to truly FOLLOW Jesus. I just posted my thoughts on deconstruction last week here: https://www.readingremy.com/2021/09/08/deconstructing-faith/
Here are a few points from my own experience after what I feel was (is?) an emergence from the other side of some type of deconstruction (probably the best word, yet it feels a bit strong)
- I am more certain about a few key doctrines and less certain about a lot of others
- I have discovered a larger, more robust circle of teachers, authors, thinkers who I am learning from - many of which draw from a much deeper and older theology
- I have recognized a previously undetected arrogance and have become more humble (what can I REALLY know to be true)
- I have become more suspicious of mainstream thought and quicker to listen to those on the fringe, or who have been cast out of the mainstream
- I still have Jesus and the Gospel, but a more beautiful and more loving version
What do I want? I guess, to know what really is true and right - and to know that all along it has been Jesus and His Kingdom coming - coming for all of us.
Lest I ramble on too TOO much (and I know I would), I'll just respond to the questions:
1. What do they see as the problems? What is it that makes the faith no longer credible?
In my experience, and in those closest to me, it seems to be the exclusivist claims (on whatever aspect of life/faith) made with adamant certainty (while requiring equivalent certainty by others) even when clear evidence exists that should cause us to question or outright reject what we were previously told was the "absolute truth." Things that make the faith no longer credible for some: rejecting evolution; ignoring or denying the dynamic process that led to Christian Scripture; "flat" readings of the Bible; wildly inconsistent applications of "Biblical" ethics; a lived faith that seems to look nothing at all like what we see of Jesus in the Gospels; the heresy of Christian nationalism...
2, What do the deconstructors want instead of what they’ve got now?
I think they/we want(ed): a lived faith that looks more the Jesus of the Gospels, and less like Jesus draped in an American flag, and/or a Jesus who baptizes elements of white American conservative evangelical culture as THE way to live out the Christian faith; a Christianity that makes room for questions, and is comfortable enough in its own skin to acknowledge uncertainty where it exists; an approach to the Bible that allows it to function and exist as it is, rather than forcing it into roles it was never designed to play; a faith willing to accept responsibility for past failures and work for structural changes in the present/future; a spiritual practice that leads to the loving God and loving neighbor in tangible, practical, recognizable ways, not just in word only...
3. Are you seeing anyone who has gone beyond the deconstruction to viable reconstruction? What does that look like?
Here I will only speak for myself. For me it looks like: rooting myself in the historic creeds of the Christian faith, holding those things as lovingly as possible, and allowing for loving/respectful dialogue on everything else; rooting myself in the other-oriented, self-giving love of the Trinity, and allowing that to form/shape my ethical imagination and practice as much as possible; embracing a cruciform/Christoform hermeneutic and accepting responsibility for that decision; working with others to foster a culture that reflects these things, one that gives others the space to ask their questions, wrestle with their doubts, and take the time necessary to reconstruct something they're willing to give their lives to.
Disclaimer: I’ve lived in the south my whole life within a southern bubble of American Christianity (30+ yrs in a Pentecostal denomination and 10 yrs in a non-denominational community church). What I write below is based on my lived experience. I still very much consider myself a Christian but have not attended church in 18 months.
Deconstruction is such a broad term and can mean so many things that I am becoming turned off by the word, but I haven’t found a better one yet.
The short of it for me personally - where I live “going to church” is often what identifies a person as a Christ follower, and it’s become a sort of club without a lot of depth. The focus is on serving the congregation and attending to what happens within the four walls of the church, not outside of it. Over time, I became extremely uncomfortable with how the idea of personal responsibility (a ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mentality) was not only intertwined with the gospel and Jesus, it overshadowed it.
My husband and I had close, personal relationships in our previous church, but once we asked a few questions, pushed back mildly in areas we had concerns, and our oldest teen stepped just outside the church’s boundaries of being a “good kid,” those friends began distancing themselves from us and it all started unraveling. Decades of church hurts and abuses of power was just too much. Simply, our church experience did not look like Jesus.
I’ve been a Christian most of my life, and I love Jesus, but I’ve learned more about theology and scripture in the past year and a half than in the 40+ years prior. I’ve discovered my level of Biblical literacy was/is significantly lacking. I had unknowingly built a faith from generally accepting what I had been taught by pastors, wrapped in a lot of cherry picked verses. I think what is deemed ‘Christian’ frequently in the U.S. has its deepest roots in culture, politics and what is most comfortable. I am looking for something more, much more. Authenticity would be a nice start. The Church leading from a posture of ‘Love God and love your neighbor’ would be even better.
I went through what I considered a deconstruction in the mid 2000s that allowed me to rebuild my faith. It was a recognition that what I believed didn’t hold up to the world as it was.
That being said - what’s going on now is not Emergent Church era deconstruction. Hauerwas is right I suspect, despite the bluntness. There’s something narcissistic about this whole project. And for whatever reason, it seems to mostly lead people to leaving Christian community entirely and making politics their God.
I think the pendulum has swung too far. And it has been pushing me more and more towards ancient/traditional faith (my kids going to Dominican Catholic school probably with the assist). There’s something to submitting to that which you may not understand, or to the wisdom and tradition that was built long before you arrived. That seems to be a needed anchor in a world of hyper individualism in which we find ourselves, where there is no telos besides greed/money/market on the right or identity markers on the left.
Hey Scot, as a millennial pastor helping others through this "movement," I appreciate you taking the time to discuss and pour wisdom on it!
I did a podcast on deconstruction, and would love your thoughts if you have the time: https://www.bibleandpopculture.com/blog/the-difference-between-them
The breakdown is this: there are multiple angles going on - young people are pulling apart doctrinal issues that seem too "conservative," they are charging the church with years of pain, abuse, manipulation. Our generation is tired of hollow church messages and methodology. Many minority Christians are "decolonizing" or rescuing the Gospel from Western cultural captivity, as Soong- Chan Rah puts it. Consumerism in the church is also one element, but perhaps one of the most surfaced motivators has been the Western church's attachment to politics. Just looking at that list, you can see there are legitimate issues to tackle, so the movement shouldn't be written off so quickly.
There are likely more elements, but that is what I am dealing with at ground level. The irony is the way of Christ seems to get lost in the process. It seems okay to burn what's old to the ground when you are battling a perceived institutional monster. But your take is correct - there is a massive unbalance of problem recognition to solutions being offered.
Frankly, I think most of them just want to be heard. As Jesus recognized, the chaotic crowds weren't in need of better systems, nor better doctrine. He showed compassion because they were like harassed sheep without a shepherd. That's the calling here in my opinion.
May we be willing to walk into dark valleys with the hurt/confused/frustrated just as the Good Shepherd does.
I think much of the deconstruction we see nowadays are not questions about the faith itself, but more so the actions of those who profess faith. The intellectual problem was more an issue 15 years ago, whereas the hypocritical and social problems are more prevalent today.
I consider what I went through as deconstruction, as I was really questioning what it means to be the Church and to follow Jesus. Hypocritical and social problems I saw in the church were the catalyst.
The difference between those who claim to have deconstructed, or self proclaims ex-evangelicals, I dove deeper into scripture, prayer, and joined a more traditional church body. I deconstructed how I was taught about the faith socially and reconstructed a framework that fit what I was see scripture. I also learned much from various teachers I had found (including you Scot) who broadened my outlook and challenged many of my own beliefs and misconceptions about our faith.
You asked, “What do the deconstructors want instead of what they’ve got now?” I think they want a consistent, genuine faith with people of like-minded beliefs. They want a place to belong that embraces Jesus as Jesus, and not the white middle class Jesus of American Christianity. But because of the push-back they get from the American Church, many are leaving the faith all together.
You asked, “So, what does REconstruction look like on the other side of this DEconstruction?” I think the answer is reformation.
I believe we can learn from those who have gone through deconstruction, see the holes in our beliefs and practices, and look to our Lord to change us into better images of him.
"There’s something here, so I believe, but there’s also a tone deafness that surprised me." Yes! Thank you for this. It can be frustrating to see church leaders downplay what people are expressing, as if the people are always wrong in criticizing the church. Even in the HaurAnd please, no more "I am getting criticized from all sides, so I must be doing something right" church leadership mindset.
There are probably varying reasons, depending on personalities, etc...but many are clearly saying "something is wrong" and that they need to re-evaluate their faith. I think back to Willow Creek's Reveal study as one example of a blinking warning sign of where things were headed.
Like others who have commented here, I (over decades) have found myself more drawn to focus on the core aspects of the faith, and the ancient/Celtic/contemplative streams. I would like to see churches focus more, and allow discussion of, the wider aspect of the faith (the great "Hall" of CS Lewis, the "Village Green" of evangelicalism, etc...), and less on just their small tribe within Christianity.
My wife and I are in the process of moving to, and developing ministry in, the UK (Edinburgh, specifically). Students and others at some level of deconstruction tend to be our tribe. We don't even seek them out. They typically find us. We've both "deconstructed" our own faith. Me, much more than her. However, thanks to circumstances, a great deal of hopeful reading and study and a nourishing orthopraxis NOT rooted in Evangelicalism, we "found our way out" into a broad and spacious land. Spirituality, not theology, was my panacea. Breathing the stultifying air of much post-Reformation rationalist overreactionism, itself leading to the cult of cultural relevance, gave way to the way of the Desert Fathers, Celtic mysticism, and a dash of contemplative goodness (also prone to issues of another kind, admittedly) welcomed me and has never let me go. Never let me down. If we can reconstruct (if in fact that's what we've been doing!), anyone can.
my deconstruction/reconstruction has been what I believe is God opening the eyes of my heart to know Him more... discerning where we have been limiting Him, distorting His principles, twisting His word into a weapon by the subtle bias that has seeped in over the ages... things that cause harm to people instead of healing... ie the authoritarianism in Hebr 13:17, especially the 84 NIV (9 red flags in that verse alone when I compared it to the Greek)... with the traditional translation of "obey your leaders..." instead of "being persuaded by those who go ahead of you..." is one of 100+ laments that I have processed in my decon/recon journey as I pray "Lord, if I'm being deceived, please show me" and He answers that prayer! what is the deception/distortion, what is truth, how did we get here, and now what...
I call it a "painful, but profound journey"... so it's painful to recognize where we messed up, and heartbreaking to see the damage and harm it has caused, then the reconstructed truth is so profound, but sadly then it's painful again, as those in the church, especially the leaders, do not seem to welcome or want it... it seems there is a willful blindness to maintain the status quo... that's it for me in a very brief summary of a painful journey over the last 15 years... you asked!!! ;)
What do they want? Social relations/communion over against atomistic individualism, a way of knowing that is embodied and in communion where reason may assist in understanding over against rationalism which devalues or denies particularity (see McGilchrist’s Master and Emissary), knowing the self as storied from somewhere over against knowing the self gnosticly from nowhere, acknowledgement that I am social constructed without being socially determined over against (obviously) social determinism or self determinism, a community where awareness of an ideal being situated, awareness of the failure of practice to meet the ideal, and awareness of confession and forgiveness is necessary to balm the tension over against ideals which demand eradication (cancel) or subscription to ideals as sufficient in lieu of practice. So much more, but here’s a start.
Scot, if you persist in raising these kinds of important questions, sit on them a while in your daily briefings. I get busy working my head around "Monday's question" while you're onto "Tuesday's question." I need time to think about today's biggie about something beyond deconstruction. My instinct is "Yes, but..." The "something" will depend on how we identify what must be deconstructed. I'm not sure we've actually gotten that far at this point. My instinct is that the thing needing deconstruction is theological/biblical, not something applicational. The moment we jump into the "theological," twenty centuries of debate can sidetrack us mercilessly. OOF!
I immediately thought about some of the things Francis Schaeffer talked about in True Spirituality. Schaeffer said it should have been his first book when it was in fact it was about his twentieth. It detailed his own crisis of faith after embracing Jesus out of agnosticism.
Among other things, Schaeffer said what put him in a spiritual tailspin was noticing the lack of supernatural power in others AND in himself.
As one who has talked and/or interviewed several who have left Christianity every person has only mentioned the legitimate and heartbreaking things that happened to them. Abuse among leaders is number one. What I have still not heard is a honest look at one's own life, the kind of spiritual scrutiny that Schaeffer gave himself.
From my own vantage point of receiving abuse at the hands of those in church leadership I know how easily it can be to only point fingers outward. It is true that I have never abused anyone in the ways I received it, but it is also true that I have my own sins to consider and repent of as well.
It seems the conversation needs to get back more to the both/and of Schaeffer.
Thanks for making this one public, Scot. I think you're going to get a lot of comments.
I think Kris is right that the situation now "feels" like it did at the beginning of the Emerging Church movement. (Was that only 20-25 years ago?!? How that balloon has deflated...) I think the commenter is right, who said the questions are mainly different now and focused on praxis. I also think that because of our general lack of knowledge about Christian history, we all of us tend to miss that these same sort of praxis questions were being asked, and people were observing a lack of authenticity, in the late 200s-early 300s AD, fueling the beginning of monasticism. I agree with the reasons the other commenters up until now have also noted.
The doctrinal types of questions still remain, though, especially those regarding the goodness of God. From what I'm hearing, what comes to the forefront that American Evangelicalism has not addressed well, or even at all: What does it mean to be human? How does being a Christian help me live a good life, not simply follow a set of rules for being nice, read my bible and pray? (This category could also cover the questions about authenticity, spiritual abuse, deeper Christian life, examination of one's own situation, link with politics, awareness of and living in/for transcendence, etc.) Does God really want to send people to eternal conscious torment in a place he constructed for that purpose? And for me personally, I see a huge blank area in Protestantism regarding a) the ramifications of the Incarnation and b) the restrictive definition of "being saved" - things that, as you know, are front and center in EO.
I must note that now, as 20-25 years ago, there are plenty of Christians, esp within Evangelicalism broadly, who trust and are loyal to Jesus, don't put a facade on their lives, are as thoughtful as they are able to be, are truly pious toward God and act with great love toward others. These are some of my friends, who are better Christians than I am. They're not the ones who "make the news". It's not because of them that I myself "deconstructed", as you know.
Dana
My sense is it's too early to ask for solutions. It feels like we're in the midst of a shift and the solutions are still over the horizon. Stay with the shift and the next steps (rather than the formulaic-sounding word "solutions") will emerge.
I've followed the conversation around deconstruction for some time, and at times find that it is easy to get lost due to natural struggle as different thinkers work it out for themselves. I'm looking for a book that frames these different conversations and helps to make sense of all of them. Just today, I ordered AJ Swoboda's book "After Doubt" after I listened to a podcast in which he spoke directly about deconstruction and reconstruction. What I heard struck hit some notes that I believe ring true from my pastoral perspective and experience as I work with adults that have been hurt by the church or who have had childhood faith shaken by the current reality of American Christianity.
Deconstruction is on the rise because so many churches have failed to be authentic, meaning, they are often out of touch with day to day life. The churches that have sought to be authentic often become overly practical and lose the spiritual/worshipful aspect. So there are many reasons for people to walk away and rethink what it means to truly FOLLOW Jesus. I just posted my thoughts on deconstruction last week here: https://www.readingremy.com/2021/09/08/deconstructing-faith/