Alisa Childers
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No, Martin Luther Was Not a Deconstructionist

2/15/2022

52 Comments

 
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This article is in response to this piece from The Gospel Coalition. As a past TGC contributor, as an act of good faith, I did express my concerns directly to TGC before posting my article here. 

**Update** The Gospel Coalition was gracious to publish a condensed version of my article on their site. 


​No, Martin Luther Was Not a Deconstructionist. And neither was Jesus.
 
Many years ago, my Christian beliefs were challenged intellectually by a progressive Christian pastor. It threw me into deconstruction that took several years to fully come out of. I would find out later that he himself had already deconstructed and had hoped to propel his congregation into deconstruction so he could convert them to progressive Christianity. He was very good at it. In fact, he was almost totally successful. A few of us came back around to a historically Christian understanding of the gospel, but most did not. 
 
Because of this, when “deconstruction stories” started popping up in my social media newsfeed, along with hashtags like #exvangelical and #deconstruction, I paid attention. I’ve been following along… seeking to understand what people mean by those words. 
 
I witnessed a hashtag turn into a movement. 
 
As of today, there are 293,026 posts on Instagram utilizing the hashtag #deconstruction. The vast majority are from people who have either deconverted from Christianity, become progressive Christians, embraced same-sex marriage and relationships, rejected core historic doctrines of the faith,and/or are on a mission to crush the white Christian patriarchy. There are a few photos of deconstructed clothing (apparently this is a thing?) and a scant few sneaky posts from evangelicals attempting (mostly unsuccessfully) to convince the deconstructors that Jesus is the way. A plethora of insults, mockery, and anger are hurled at the church, along with memes stating, “I regret saving myself for marriage,” and “Good morning! It’s a great day to leave your nonaffirming church.” 
 
Online, there are countless deconstruction therapy and counseling sites which will facilitate your deconstruction and reconstruct you with mindfulness or the contemplative practices of progressive Christian favorites like Richard Rohr. There are conferences you can attend, one for which I personally paid good money (for research purposes) to be taught how to break free from toxic religion, reject Christian dogma, and learn to embrace what basically added up to warmed-over Buddhism. 
 
Phil Drysdale, a deconstructed Christian and deconstruction researcher asked people on Instagram to name the accounts that have helped them through their deconstructions. A quick scroll reveals that the leaders and guides the vast majority are looking to are accounts/people like Lisa Gungor, Audrey Assad, God is Grey, Jesus Unfollower, Your Favorite Heretics, Jo Luehmann, The Naked Pastor, and a plethora of others dedicated to providing a space for Christians to examine, reinterpret and/or abandon their beliefs. None of these accounts are encouraging Christians to look to Scripture as the authority for truth.  
 
 
My Kingdom for a Definition
 
In my book, Another Gospel: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity, which chronicles my own deconstruction journey, I define deconstruction this way: 
 
In the context of faith, deconstruction is the process of systematically dissecting and often rejecting the beliefs you grew up with. Sometimes the Christian will deconstruct all the way into atheism. Some remain there, but others experience a reconstruction. But the type of faith they end up embracing almost never resembles the Christianity they formerly knew.
 
I would add that it rarely retains any vestiges of actual Christianity. 
 
Over the past year or so, it has become common for Christian leaders to begin to refer to deconstruction as something potentially positive. I get it. When I first heard that take, I thought, “Hmmm. That could work. Just deconstruct the false beliefs and line up what you believe with Scripture.” I was operating from the foundational belief that objective truth exists and can be known. But as I continued to study the movement, this understanding of deconstruction became untenable.  
 
That’s because the way the word is most often used in the deconstruction movement has little to do with objective truth, and everything to do with tearing down whatever doctrine someone believes is morally wrong. Take, for example, Melissa Stewart, a former Christian now agnostic/atheist with a TikTok following of over 200k. She describes how lonely and isolated she felt during her own deconstruction, and how discovering the #exvangelical hashtag opened up a whole new world of voices who related with what she was going through. Her TikTok platform now gives her the opportunity to create that type of space for others. In an interview on the Exvangelical Podcast, she commented on the deconstruction/exvangelical online space: 
 
My biggest experiences with it were people talking about what they went through—their stories—and it was very personal and it focused on the human beings who have come out of this, rather than on whether a certain kind of theology is right or wrong. 
 
In my experience studying this movement, I think she nails it on the head. Deconstruction is not about getting your theology right. It’s built upon a postmodern-ish embrace of moral relativism. For example, if your church says a woman can’t be a pastor, the virtuous thing to do would be to leave that church and deconstruct out of that toxic and oppressive doctrine. Deconstructionists do not regard Scripture as being the final authority for morality and theology—they appeal primarily to science, culture, psychology, sociology, and history. 
 
 
A Life of Its Own
 
Now, the narrative is evolving. I’m seeing more and more posts, including the previously mentioned Gospel Coalition article, that portray Martin Luther and even Jesus himself as deconstructionists. This, in my view, is inherently irresponsible. If deconstruction means nothing more than changing your mind, or correcting bad ideas, then I can say I deconstructed by switching from AT&T to Verizon. Martin Luther was trying to reform the church to get back to Scripture. This is most certainly not what the deconstructionists are doing. In most cases, the Bible is the first thing to go. And when people put Jesus in the deconstruction camp…it’s unclear whether they mean he deconstructed his own views or he deconstructed the views of others. Either way, it's seriously problematic. Deconstruction is not an appropriate term to use in these contexts. 
 
It’s as if all of the sudden no one knows what the word means anymore, and they are somehow trying to redeem it or co-opt it to represent something like changing your mind or reforming your faith. Some in the deconstruction movement will argue that the current iteration of deconstruction is not to be conflated with the postmodern philosophy of Jacque Derrida, who is often referred to as the “Father of Deconstruction.” But I’m not convinced. Ultimately, Derrida didn’t believe that words could be pinned down to singular meanings. James Lindsay and Helen Pluckrose put it like this: “For Derrida, the speaker’s meaning has no more authority than the hearer’s interpretation and thus intention cannot outweigh impact.”[i]
 
Of course, for Derrida deconstruction had to do with text and words, not necessarily the dismantling of one’s faith. But it’s only a short jump from deconstructing the text of the Bible (which, I would argue, is typically the first stop on the path to deconstruction as it is manifesting today) to the complete unraveling of one’s orthodox Christian beliefs. 
 
Here’s the irony. If we attempt to completely detach current deconstruction from Derrida and define it subjectively, we are literally deconstructing the word “deconstruction” a la Derrida. Why are we trying to co-opt a word and spin it into a positive? And if the meaning of the word deconstruction signifies any number of different things, at best we will be equivocating. At worst, we will have bought into the assumptions of postmodernism  hook, line and sinker.  

 
Matt Chandler is Right
 
Recent comments by Matt Chandler have made the rounds in which he characterized deconstruction as “the sexy thing to do,” hitting on the almost trendy type of cool factor the word now carries. Aside from giving the deconstructionists endless opportunities to make him the butt of their “Matt Chandler thinks I’m sexy!” jokes and memes, his comments (along with the recent comments by John Cooper of Skillet) have revealed that many Christians are using this one word in profoundly different ways. For example, Relevant magazine claims Chandler and Cooper have a “fundamental misunderstanding” of deconstruction. I disagree. I admit I’ve had a few quibbles with points Matt Chandler has made in recent years. But on this I think he understands something they don’t. He links deconstruction with the postmodernism of Derrida, and in a subsequent Instagram post, commented, “Deconstruction doesn’t mean doubt or theological wrestle or struggling through church hurt.” (All things he said he’s been through and has tons of mercy for.) I think he’s dead right.
 
We are Christians, and we should be deriving our vocabulary and categories from Scripture.  I see nowhere in the Bible where anything like the current movement of deconstruction is promoted or condoned. I propose we leave it with Derrida and instead use biblical words and categories like doubt, reformation, discernment, and even sometimes, (gasp!) apostasy.
 
Let’s save deconstruction for what it presents itself to be. Here are some characteristics to look for if you think you might be deconstructing: 
 
1.     Some type of moral relativism is assumed, whether explicitly or implicitly. If Scripture is your authority, you are not deconstructing. That doesn’t mean you’re not struggling deeply with doubt, seeking healing from church abuse, or have profound confusion over what it means to be a Christian.
2.     You are detaching from the body of Christ and seeking only the community of others who are also in deconstruction. If you are working through your doubts and questions in community with other believers, or at least have the intention of doing so, you are not deconstructing. Sometimes this will mean leaving an unbiblical church environment for a time, with the goal of finding a healthy one.
3.     You are looking to non-Christian religious philosophies, history, or sociology—rather than Scripture— to determine authentic Christianity. Not that things like history and sociology are without merit, but if you are honestly seeking to derive your religious beliefs from Scripture, you are not deconstructing.

This doesn’t mean there’s no hope if you find yourself in actual deconstruction. Ten years ago, I found myself spiraling into deconstruction, and God in his unfathomable mercy and faithfulness led me out. 
 
 
Let’s not Deconstruct Deconstruction
 
As Christians, we tend to protest when progressives and secularists take words and phrases like “love,” “tolerance,’ “biblical inspiration,” and “incarnation” and change the definitions to suit their preferences. Let’s not do the same with deconstruction. 
 
Deconstruction has taken on a life of its own, and now is the time to be extremely careful to define our words accurately. After all, if the word means everything, then it means nothing, yet it carries the potential to suck unsuspecting Christians into a very dangerous vortex of ideas from which they might not return.

52 Comments
Barry Poudrier
2/15/2022 07:50:28 pm

Hello Alisa,

First, I must say I appreciate your passion and dedication to your work.

That said, I do believe any attempt to categorize the term Deconstruction (writ large) will obfuscate the real issue. In actual function, deconstruction is a terminating action taken as a result of various primary drivers. It's these drivers have to be taken seriously and with full intellectual honesty and vigor as deconstruction is a result - not a cause.

In cases of deconstruction with an intellectual driver, often the "problems" fall into three camps -

Radical Moral skepticism (in particular, Skeptical Theism)
The effect of the historical-critical method on biblical confidence
Epistemic Autonomy (particularly in contrast to Reformation Epistemology)

From an intellectual standpoint, apologetics cannot afford to be reductionist or self affirming - that's not how the opposing case is presented on the internet (see Genetically Modified Skeptic, Pinecreek, etc...).
Unfortunately, Christian apologists are taken to task routinely on these sites and the apologists' argumentation needs to be more intellectually robust to overcome the types of objections being stated there.

From a visceral/emotive standpoint, people who have (and are going) through deconstruction recoil at the presented notion of deconstruction containing a sociologically attractive component. For them, deconstruction is agony and loss. Rather than Derrida, Nietzsche is much more on point regarding the actual experience. https://www.jstor.org/stable/303148

Alisa, I wish you all the best in your endeavors, but if I may make 2 suggestions -

1. Don't go native - having all your exchanges with like-minded guests create the effect of an echo chamber, which will do nothing to sharpen your apologetic - in fact, it will weaken it over time.

2. Spend time fairly elucidating the opposing view - go out of your way to be fair and remember the axiom, "an informed individual can successfully argue all sides of an issue." Avoid strawmen and pat answers. Run your responses by actual atheists and get their honest critique - otherwise, you're just preaching to the choir.

Very Best Regards,

Barry

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Dawn Larson
2/16/2022 01:33:48 am

Thank you for this article. It is timely for me since I just had someone share that tweet with me about Jesus being a deconstructionist. I had never heard that before and now I understand better what's going on. So sad for people I know who have abandoned God's Word for books like "Jesus and John Wayne."

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Gloria Pope
2/28/2022 08:40:38 am

Hi, Dawn. I read Jesus and John Wayne. I did not abandon God's Word, I abandoned, Mark Discoll, James Dobson, Tim LaHaye, Bill Hybels, Billy Graham.... and on and on.

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Caroline
2/16/2022 02:18:12 am

So good!

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Kristin McGuire
2/16/2022 11:37:25 am

Thank you for this constructive evaluation of deconstruction. I am not seeing a lot of good fruit from the latter, so I think I will stick with my unsexy theology.

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Krissy
2/16/2022 11:59:33 am

It seems like in an age of deconstructionism one of the most powerful things they can deconstruct/take apart is language. Which also makes the ambiguity in defining it a strength for them. I'm teaching a class to middle and high school students on rhetoric, worldview, and the media, and I started by covering rhetoric, and used a recommend book by Daniel R. Berger "Speaking the Truth in Love, Christian Public Rhetoric.” In Chapter 1 Berger brings up Derrida as well, and goes into deconstructionism from a rhetoric and linguistic view and it is fascinating, starting with "that's your truth" and breaking it down more, and then gives a worth-reading summary of Deconstructive Linguistic Philosophy and why he rejects it. And this was published in 2007!

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Nadine Youssef
2/21/2022 03:29:11 am

Exactly.

Beautifully-said.

And thank you for the book recommendation!

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Mary Lou McDonough
2/16/2022 12:22:41 pm

Thank you so much for your dedication 2 biblical truth. I think your perspective has considerable weight due to your own experience with deconstruction errors. It also seems to me that there is a satanic Spirit of Seduction attached to this movement.

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John Evans
2/18/2022 02:49:07 pm

Well, Mary, the movement that is defending and hiding pedophiles and abusers sure isn't the deconstructing movement, so are you sure about that whole Satanic Spirit thing?

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Gordon Hackman
7/29/2022 01:46:19 pm

This is nothing but whataboutism.

Gordon Holley
8/2/2022 11:16:40 pm

Are you saying that severely questioning a sacred institution is the moral equivalent to the aiding-and-abetting of pedophilia that that said institution facilitates by its vulnerabilities and misprision?
Are you saying that pedophiles using the church to do their deed is only a rhetorical distraction used by 'deconstructionists' instead of a legitimate call for its cause? The 'whatabout' of sexual abuse is half what it's about.

Kyle
2/17/2022 07:52:52 pm

Some thoughts on deconstruction.

First Thought:

A linguistic principal is that usage determines meaning. Sorry you don't like that deconstruction has taken on a new semantic range. You can complain about it all you want, but there is no putting that toothpaste back into the tube.

Second Thought:

If you start a company that sells cookies and people don't purchase your cookies, the business needs to adjust and take the blame rather than placing the blame at the feet of the customers. A simple point, but a pertinent one.

The longer the church blames the culture, blames society, blames individuals who leave the church, rather than looking deeply at itself to see what it is doing wrong, the more the American evangelical church will see deconstructions taking place.

Maybe emotional health is essential, and perhaps the categories of sin and idolatry are not comprehensive enough. Maybe learning about how the mind operates via meditation is a good thing, not an evil thing. Perhaps science is not trying to fool you, but rather is the best way we can understand cosmology rightly. Maybe stressing the issues of the lgtbq+ community while paying no mind to the sexual immorality within Christian marriages and churches is simply no longer being accepted. Perhaps the greed and materialism of the American Evangelical church is a significant off-putting reality to people. Maybe it's the refusal of the American Evangelicalis to see that they are just as much a product of expressive individualism as any other social movement that is pushing people away.

Deconstruction happens because people find deep well-being and insights in places other than the church. And to put it simply, the longer you blame them for deconstructing, without addressing what you are not providing, the more people will continue to deconstruct.

Focus on what you can control, rather than blaming people seeking to find elsewhere what the church has failed to provide.

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John Evans
2/18/2022 02:21:04 pm

Amen Kyle!

So much of the evangelical movement is just unreflective, and objectively anti-human in its praxis. You put this so well.

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Noah
2/18/2022 03:19:31 pm

Hi Kyle,

First off I want to say that I heartily agree with some of your critiques of the American Church (greed, sexual sin within the church, etc.). That being said I think you maybe misunderstand the nature/purpose of the Christian church. Its purpose was never to be a business and thus should not be run as such (think of when Jesus flipped the tables in the Temple, why did he do that?). On the contrary, it was to be a place of prayer & worship, where God's full word is preached, and where people can grow in sanctification with their brothers and sisters. All throughout the OT and NT God's chosen people many times succumbed to the sins you listed above, and God punished them severely when they did. Much of that sin crept in when the Israelites decided that God's standards/way of life were inferior to the tantalizing/sensual lifestyle of the surrounding Canaanite neighbors. You could say something similar is going on today with the deconstruction movement.

Christ's church doesn't bend the knee to the cultural zeitgeist to try and attract more people and boost its numbers. On the contrary God requires that His people submit all aspects of their lives to His word (culture included), even if that means they become outcasts in their own communities. Jesus said that we should be prepared to lay it all down, even our own families, in order to follow Him. It's not an easy path to follow.

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Noah
2/19/2022 02:42:57 pm

Kyle, I agree! I used to be very into the apologetics movement, hoping to grow up to be a great apologist. But everything you are saying is ringing so deep and true in me, and the journey I've been on. Christ is Lord, I believe that wholeheartedly! But much else I'm realizing is up in the air, and that's okay. But spot on to everything you said.

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Anthony Barber
3/19/2022 10:40:34 am

Point well taken. After all Jesus said to remember the beam in our own eyes before we can se clearly to take the splinter out of someone else's eye. Having said that, the ultimate issue for a Christian is..what says the Lord? And yes too often we get the Kingdom of God mixed up with the politics of men, and with American culture. Deconstructing can be good if you are getting rid of values and doctrines that really don't come from Scripture, but it can be very distructive when you abandon or distort essentials of the Christian faith. We are called to believe certian things. Test the spirits, cling to what is good. 1 John 4:1.

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Jeannie Prinsen
2/18/2022 10:16:04 am

You spoke about progressive Christianity at our church in Ontario 2 years ago and it was the impetus for many people leaving our church. The fear mongering, decontextualized quoting from progressive writers, and poor analysis of gospel "vs" justice were appalling.

People come to different conclusions than you do. Deal with it.

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Gordon Hackman
4/27/2022 01:29:53 pm

The progressive writers won't get any better if they're "contextualized."

Aside from this, all you've done here is make a number of assertions without providing an examples.

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Christopher
2/18/2022 10:26:30 am

Brilliant article, which I picked up through the TGC website. Being an Evangelical from the UK rather than the USA, I wonder how much deconstruction comes from the toxic marriage between right-wing politics and much of American Evangelical Christianity? If being Evangelical is voting for Trump, many Gen Z people (the age-group I teach) would want nothing to do with it. Not everyone reads real Evangelicals like Russell Moore to know that the two things are quite separate. Of course lots of it is moral too - teenagers rejecting Christian sexual morality - but to an Evangelical from Britain the culture war and the decision by so many "Evangelicals" to put politics above Scripture (love your neighbour anyone???) is responsible for much of this tragic mess.

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Sam
2/18/2022 12:20:19 pm

Good post on an interesting subject. Perhaps in the days before social media this topic wouldn't or couldn't have had such an impact or far reaching consequence. What I'm seeing with this is that for an immature Christian this is a very, very dangerous topic or approach for one's faith. I don't feel that's getting much attention unfortunately. Many in this movement don't have an understanding of what they're deconstructing in the first place and that's what should be bothersome. They're being blown around from one wind of doctrine to another without, I think, understanding what either one is. That is what is so irresponsible about this to me: in the way that deconstruction passes through various social media. You have no idea who's reading it or why on instragram, facebook, youtube, twitter or whatever else.

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John Evans
2/18/2022 02:19:08 pm

Alisa,

TGC brought me here.

This article is not particularly logical or well thought out, and in some places descends into outright gaslighting of folks who are leaving the church for good reasons. It ignores the demonstrable connection between Evangelical theology (including the 'biblical' view on marriage and purity culture) and abusive behavior and personal trauma.

The language used is self serving and unreflective (contrasting 'Christians' with 'progressives', for one, or claiming that evangelical theology is tantamount to Biblical theology). Essentially this article boils down to 'the only form of deconstruction that is valid is the kind that agrees with our theology'. Disappointing.

I think you probably mean well, but this kind of doubling down, gaslighting, and refusal to honestly engage is the sort of thing us 'sexy' deconstructionists left the church over. It is proof that the thing 'we' left has nothing to do with Jesus or the Spirit.

Hope you can do better. Wishing you the best.
John

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Rick
2/26/2022 04:30:42 pm

John,

Your post isn’t very clear on some issues… first I would ask you to define what you mean by “the church”, specifically what church are people leaving?

Are you talking about the one founded, loved, and being redeemed by Jesus Christ… made up of all true believers throughout the world and in history? You know them, the ones who diligently study the character and moral law of God revealed in the scriptures. The ones who recognize they are born with the inability to live up to the perfect morality of a Holy God and that they have sinned against Him… but rather than rebel against Him and His righteousness by throwing off his commandments, even hating Him and teaching others to do so… they are overwhelmed with remorse and sorrow, and from the inner most part of their being… cry out for forgiveness. The ones who find the justice and forgiveness of God in the perfect obedience and sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ, who, in grace and mercy, gives them His righteousness through faith in Him and what He has done on their behalf. The ones who hold fast to His promise of eternal life with Him… the ones who He works in, giving them a new Spirit, knowing they sin but hate that part of themselves… and through this hatred of their sin and love for the Lord Jesus Christ, they begin a lifelong struggle against sin in their life. They meet and fellowship with others like them, they encourage and comfort one another in their struggle, together they worship God and His Son, their Savor. They study His word contained in the scriptures, so they come to know Him more and more; His word is the source of their knowledge, wisdom, and strength. The Church is this fellowship of believers, led by leaders strong in the faith, tested in the exercising of that faith and conduct of their lives.

Is this the Church you say people are leaving? Or do you have in mind a church building or congregation of people on this corner or that one. The ones led by so-called pastors primarily interested in attendance numbers… and through marketing programs, social events, and entertainment, fill the building with people who don’t know God, but call themselves Christian for one reason or another. They are carnal and love their sins, they refuse to let them go, they are not sorry, nor do they feel any remorse… the Lord Jesus Christ passes their lips but has no real influence in their life. They don't study the scriptures and can be led almost anywhere by manipulative and deceitful leaders. From a church like this come all kinds of strange things; crawling around the floor barking, belief that 2+2 can equal 5, and that absolute truth is relative (of which they are absolutely certain).

Finally, your third paragraph. You allude to some sort of “truth” about Jesus and the Spirit… where do you get this true knowledge of them? If you think we are misled, perhaps you can point us to the source of this true knowledge?

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DH
3/3/2022 11:56:19 am

Rick, so well put. I've heard many stories of folks throwing out the baby with the bathwater - describing the deconstruction of their beliefs that never really resembled Christianity in the first place. I went through this myself. I also went through a period of time where when I rejected truth because it didn't align with my own sense of morality. Finally, I realized it's not about me - it's about God. And it came to the point where I had to decide - was I going to live my life according to my own warped viewpoints, or was I going to surrender my will and life to a holy, just, loving, good God? It honestly felt like no kind of choice - I'm old enough to have experienced the consequences of my rebellion, so surrendering and trusting this good God seems the only sensible option.

Anthony Barber
3/19/2022 11:05:03 am

What do you underestand evangelical theology to be saying and why do you think it is not equal to Biblical theology?

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Gordon Holley
3/21/2022 10:33:18 am

You judge a tree by its fruits, not by its instruction manuals. The secret to unlocking the Bible is reading it as though it were to be read by 1st Century Jews in Jewish Koine from the Aramaic, not by 1800s Englishmen.

Adam Brunson
2/18/2022 05:09:29 pm

Thank you. Very helpful.

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Bob Jones
2/19/2022 08:24:17 am

You said, "I would add that it rarely retains any vestiges of actual Christianity. ". This is wrong.

Tik Tok stars aren't the real world. Vloggers don't represent the majority of people. Social media influencers have less influence than you think.

If you get into the churches today you see plenty of people deconstructing. However, most of those people are wanting a "pure religion." (Shoot, even James was even deconstructing.).

Today's deconstructionists that I'm around as a pastor see how far American Evangelicalism has strayed from the New Testament teachings. Where is the concern for the poor, the widow, the prostitute, the sinner?

These are people who are confused why the Sermon on the Mount is treated as hyperbole, why divorce is no longer a sin but supporting rights for LGBTQ folks are anathema, why Jesus makes it clear that people are thrown into hell at least partly based upon clothing the naked, giving food to the hungry, offering water to the thirsty, and visiting people in prison and no evangelicals will talk about it.

Today's deconstructions are simply moving away from a wayward church and the majority are returning to a more Jesus centered way of life

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J Smith
2/25/2022 09:59:46 pm

Well said!

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anthony barber
3/19/2022 11:14:55 am

May I say that the Evangelical church has strayed from the Word in many ways, but I must disagree on your staement that being thrown into (or not) hell is based on feeding the hungry and giving them water, etc. That is not the basis of salvation, though it can be and should be the fruit of it. The basis of our salvation is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross alone. And our embrace of that. Having said that, faith without works is dead, as James wrote.

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Nadine Youssef
2/21/2022 03:25:59 am

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Such an important message. Covers all the bases.

God bless you for applying your gifts to this fight!

A sister in Christ and new enthisastic supporter.

🐑🙏🦁

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Regan Wieland
2/21/2022 11:31:37 am

As a life-long christian navigating what I've discovered is called "deconstruction", I'm dismayed to find that so many of my fellow travelers seem to have merely traded their original religious dogma for a new progressive dogma instead of rejecting dogma altogether and embarking on an objective search for The Truth (which must exist if God is really "God").

Granted, sorting through 60 years of unquestioned and frequently tangled doctrines and theology is difficult and often terrifying, but I would submit that finally finding Godly wisdom is the fruit of sincere and fearless examination of every belief, not of simply trading life at one end of the theological spectrum for life at the other.

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Gordon Holley
2/21/2022 03:58:49 pm

"doubt, reformation, discernment"
Those are all terrible words to use. None of them invoke the image of rethinking the lies and absurdities that you founded your worldview on.
"Doubt" in Christianese means temporarily holding your beliefs in suspision.
"Reformation" means rigid, dogmatic reductionism and unwavering loyalty to immaterial and inexperiential presupposition.
"Discernment" means instinctive rejection of outside ideas and justifying said rejections with philosophy.

Regardless of whatever clerical definitions you want to mean behind those words, the definitions I gave above are what the world sees and understands when they observe how the language is used.

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Gordon Hackman
4/27/2022 01:33:50 pm

I find this comment completely uncompelling. You stipulate your own definitions of the three words and then assert that we should reject them based on your stipulations. Not sure why anyone should take you seriously.

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Gordon Holley
5/2/2022 08:13:51 pm

The Bible has a lot to say about doubt (Prov.3:5, Matt.14:31; 21:21, Mk. 9:24, Rom 14:23, Jas 1:6-8) and none of it is good. Unwavering conviction is heavily encouraged in scripture.
You have to intentionally ignore the distinguishing characteristics of the Reformed Churches from ither traditions and the tenents of the Protestant Reformation to not connect the word to its implication.
As for discernment, even the discernment ministries are making discernment ministry about discerment ministries. Look up Berean Research or other monergistic fatalistic polemicists' own articles about the reputation of Online Discernment Ministries and how they know their reputation is tarnished by squabbling and dogmatics.
You find it uncompelling because you don't want to be compelled.

Gordon Hackman
7/29/2022 01:52:28 pm

I find it uncompelling because you've done nothing to justify your stipulations.

Gordon Holley
8/2/2022 11:01:37 pm

I did do something. I wrote 2 paragraphs justifying my objections about word usage and their frequent associations you can read above and more below: "Doubt" is associated with faithlessness in the Bible, therefore those who read the Bible will be prone to read that into the term. "Discernment" is used in the rhetoric of fundamentalist heresy hunters who attack anyone who doesn't follow their polemic. Many who have crossed paths with their groupthink and hostile community will see "discernment" as more an act of nit-picking and making wild accusations. "Reformation" is associated with the Protestant Reformation and thereby its antimaterialism, splintering, reductionism, and the cold, silent, hateful smugness of the nearest Reformed church, none of which are a fitting image. You can decide not to be convinced, but I made an argument. I don't know why you are so desperate to tell me how important your opinion on my suggestion for better semantics is that you have to insult me by saying my argument is "nothing".
I have the feeling that your aggression outs you as a vocal minority in opinion when you simply deny that my arguments are arguments for a cheap shot at discrediting me.
Idk what nerve I touched, and I'm sorry if I've offended you personally, but I won't let you goad at me with a snarky "la la la I can't hear you" a third time. Go try to bully someone else. It's too late at night here and now.

Gordon Holley
8/2/2022 11:22:02 pm

I listed out for you the associations made with the most common usage of those words. I'm not going to do the thinking for you; you can connect the dots on your own. I'm not sure why your opinion is so important that you have to try and insult me by telling me that my arguments are nothing, but I'm not gonna let you goad me any more with your "la la la I can't hear you." Go bully someone else.

Gordon Hackman
8/22/2022 10:39:15 pm

On further rethinking, I'd say that a better term than uncompelling for describing your stipulated definitions would be uncharitable.

Heather
2/22/2022 11:16:08 am

Yes, Luther stood up to the Catholic Church by using the Bible itself to challenge practices that were not in Bible. It seems like it’s reversed for some deconstructionist, they are trying to skirt around what the scripture says based on their own feelings and worldly perspective. They aren't using the Bible as a filter, they use themselves to filter God’s Word.

Most Christians I imagine have read something in scripture and thought to themselves “Wow, that makes me uncomfortable” or “Did God really mean that?” No shame in questioning your faith sometimes. When we come across these thoughts and feelings are we seeking to try and understand scripture and God or are we seeking answers that make us feel good based on our own world view?

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Randy Christian link
2/23/2022 02:45:14 pm

Alissa,

You have taken on a very difficult task in trying to assess and critique a movement such as deconstructionism, if for no other reason than, as you point out, the word has no one meaning. As I read the comments I am struck that the readers seem to be critiquing or praising based on their beginning point with regard to the definition of "deconstruction".

Perhaps part of the problem deconstructionists experience is that so many in the modern American Church have the same problem. The pressure of identifying with worldly movements (progressives, conservatives, etc.) has led to a confusion within the Church about exactly what Christian faith is.

I have been part of the Lord's Church for 50 years, serving in pastoral ministry for over 45 of those years. I have seen every form of hypocrisy imaginable, and been hurt by every church I have ever served. I have agreed with the culture around us and vehemently disagreed. I understand why so many in the Church struggle with these issues.

That said, it seems to me that these discussions side-step the primary issue of Christianity--who is Jesus? If He is Lord and King, then life isn't about answering cultural questions, but simply asking "What does faithful to Jesus look like in this circumstance?" Faithful people may disagree on the answer to this question, but they continue to seek the answer together.

Perhaps the answer to deconstructionism is simply authentic faith--faith in Jesus, the King--which asks moment to moment, "What does faithful to the King look like right now?"

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Gladys
2/24/2022 10:53:36 am

why the fear on people deconstructing? Each person has to walk their own path before God. God is not a tyrant and probably understands why people deconstruct more than the people themselves.

Yes I am on of those that have gone through the journey of deconstructing. I will tell you it is a very painful "not sexy or fun" in any way. When you deconstruct you are left with nothing for a time and it is very scary. I believe though that deconstructing is the logical course for anyone to take if they examine their beliefs more closely.

We are taught to believe that the bible is the ultimate authority and we are also taught how to interpret, that is religion period.

Yes i deconstructed from Christ-less religion and i am glad i have. I believe in Christ Crucified , everything else i am not really sure of, God is mysterious and we don't have it all figured out.

It is scary to lose certainty for sure, but i have learned to relate to God in a different way. I am not afraid to come to God with my doubts and struggles.

Deconstruction is between God and the person and nobody else should be judging or condemning such people.

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James
2/24/2022 02:10:46 pm

Great perspective on a complicated topic. I think there are some issues though.
One, to claim that deconstruction "rarely retains any vestiges of *actual* Christianity" is a very polarizing statement. Even one person who "deconstructed" their faith, and came out stronger for it, refutes this claim.
Two, while "Martin Luther was trying to reform the church to get *back* to Scripture" why couldn't this be true of someone deconstructing? What if someone is "protesting" *against* the inerrancy, not of scripture, but of one person, group, or denomination's *interpretation* of scripture?
Third, the article said "It’s as if all of the sudden no one knows what the word means anymore."
Exactly. But to claim that, means the author must admit the same. Otherwise, all this article has done is label deconstruction heresy, and then condemn it.
Lastly, I would strongly advise against supporting John Cooper's view on deconstruction.
I don't Jesus would say we should "declare war" on people struggling to come to a better understanding of their faith.

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Daniel
2/25/2022 12:26:45 pm

With respect, I find your assertion of what deconstruction is to be incorrect, and I think the problem begins with the fact that you seem to be assuming that everyone who deconstructs starts out with the "right" theology and deconstructs into something that is objectively "wrong" theology, as evidenced my your assertion that, "If Scripture is your authority, you are not deconstructing." This is simply untrue. Let me explain.

I've seen a few of your videos on YouTube, and generally find them to be informational. But you are quite literally encouraging certain Christians to deconstruct their faith. There are principles of their faith in God that you find to be in error, and you present proof and persuade people to abandon those principles. At times, these changes are close enough to surface level that an adjustment is not too difficult to make without upsetting the entire structure of their faith. But what if these principles you dispute were foundational tenets of their previous faith? Then there is little logical choice but to "deconstruct" their existing faith, keeping the pieces that hold up to the new standard you helped them adopt and discarding what does not.

This is similar to my own experience with deconstruction. My main challenge was that I found it hard to identify with a faith that, from my cultural context, seemed to require that I be a Republican, love guns, hate gay people, etc. This led to a deconstruction of my faith. An examination of each component of my faith, starting at the foundation. Contrary to your assertion, I never really doubted the authority of the Scriptures (though I did briefly inspect it alongside everything else). What I did find is that my cultural experience had added unnecessary and flat-out wrong expectations of what my faith should look like. It turned out that being a Republican is not a necessary component of the Christian faith, and so I threw out that piece of my faith that was wrong and worthless. A superfluous cultural addition. And that was good and necessary. Just as discarding the New Age beliefs you warn against is good and necessary.

If you're building a house, and you realize that only half of your house is on a solid foundation, should you continue building and just hope that the solid half will be good enough to support the rest of it? No! This would be reckless and irresponsible. The necessary course of action is to dismantle what is on a faulty foundation, and ensure the entire foundation is solid. Then you can responsibly continue building.

Now this is where the danger of deconstruction does come in. The point of deconstruction shouldn't be just to dismantle everything. There is an implication by the act of deconstructing, that there should also be a reconstruction, sans the faulty bits. Lots of people skip this step, and it's a tragedy. They choose to leave themselves in shambles without rebuilding. Because rebuilding requires a discipline that many of us simply lack. And unfortunately, I think this has been the case with many of the influential deconstructionists cited here. Also some people throw out the baby with the bathwater. And they use deconstruction as an excuse to abandon the Gospel altogether. This too, is tragic. But it does not nullify the fact that there are merits to this process as well.

So all this to say, yes. Deconstruction, like many things, is a two edged sword. It led me to a strengthening of my faith. But it can be dangerous and lead to a net negative result, *if we let it.* Introspection and serious assessment (and sometimes reassessment) of the substance of our faith is not only good, but absolutely vital. 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts us to be ready to explain the hope we have in Christ. My deconstruction experience helped me do that. And while caution is most certainly needed here, I think it is irresponsible to dismiss the entire process the way that this article seems to advocate.

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James Wartian
2/25/2022 02:59:13 pm

Very well said. I think your call to start with biblical language needs to be repeated over and over. Words do have meaning, and we are not allowed to subjectively make a word mean whatever we want (which you said far more eloquently than I just did). Thank you for your clear yet gracious reply to a confusing article on TCG. Thank you for putting the Bible first. No truly mature Christian would be arrogant enough to think we are 100% right in how we understand the Bible, but if the Bible is not our authority, then we have no where else to learn the words of life!

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Michael
2/27/2022 02:11:25 pm

Alisa,

Problem here: I want to change churches from a Progressive church to a
Bible believing church but my spouse does not. I have more to say but
I'd rather do it in private. And before anyone replies, I'll just say
yes I'm aware of Matthew 10:34 - 39 and Luke 12:51 - 53 and this is
precisely why I'm reaching out.

Alisa, please contact me at my e-mail address if you can help.

Thanks,

Michael

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Todd Ritzema
3/7/2022 10:27:25 pm

Alisa -

Good article. I refuse to concede to the idea that words do not have specific meanings. If it were true, that idea would destroy language as a means of communication.

-Todd

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Gordon Hackman
4/27/2022 01:38:22 pm

Agreed. Calling Luther a deconstructionist is facile and historically inaccurate at best. At worst, it's dishonest and self-serving.

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David Gray link
5/1/2022 03:46:48 pm

Alisa,

I just wanted to let you know that apologist Randal Rauser just released a book as a challenge to some of the arguments you presented in your book Another Gospel? It would be amazing to have you respond in some form!

The link to the blog post about his book is below:
https://randalrauser.com/2022/04/progressive-christians-love-jesus-too-is-now-available-in-kindle/

I do not speak for him, but I imagine he would be interested in having dialog with you!

David

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Diane Truitt
5/8/2022 04:30:37 pm

I am puzzled that you write that you have had a "few quibbles" with Matt Chandler. I have attended his church many times but I left when he began ranting about white privilege and implying we white Christians need to repent of our racism. Hardly a quibble, as he has morphed into a Woke pastor promoting cultural Marxism.

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Kat
5/15/2022 02:46:00 pm

Wow... When I read through these comments it kind of feels like no one actually read the article.

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Andrea
8/14/2022 01:45:57 pm

Alisa, I found this specific blog entry by researching "what Christians think of deconstructing." I currently consider myself someone who's deconstructing the conservative Christian bubble that I grew up in. I have a LOT of religious trauma (thanks in large part to the purity movement) and have been in trauma therapy for 5 years. I was a deeply devout Christian who loved God very much. I went to church regularly until I was in my mid-thirties (a few years ago). I tithed 10% of every dollar that I made throughout the majority of my life thus far. Now, I don't know what to believe. I no longer feel connected to God in any way, shape or form, and that breaks my heart. I have prayed and prayed and begged him to show himself like I thought he was doing throughout much of my life. As I dismantle everything I've been taught, the abuse I've endured, the terrible things I've witnessed in various churches and during my time at a Christian college, I have very little hope that I'll connect with any of it ever again. It's not shameful. Your words made it sound like deconstruction is shameful and scary. I'm DEVASTATED to be in the position that I'm in. It's the hardest thing I've ever gone through. The church needs to embrace and not shame people who are questioning everything and who no longer feel like they have any solid ground beneath them. I truly hope that you and other Christians will be gentle and kind to people who no longer know how to believe the things that you believe. And I hope this blog post doesn't scare people away from being their authentic selves, and from asking questions that are necessary for their well-being.

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Kimberly
11/11/2022 01:37:33 am

I am so sorry to read your story. I do have a nagging question and since your comment yet again brought up the issue, I am asking: Why do people keep "blaming" the purity movement/say they have been so damaged by it? Are you rejecting the idea that God designed sex and sexual expressions of affection/physical bonding for a monogamous marriage relationship? I just do not understand why it was so wrong to encourage embracing abstinence/saving one's sexual expressions for their intended place? It is as if people are wishing they had not obeyed God's Word in this matter, and I just do not understand.....why????

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