We started hearing this term a few years ago. When it first started, we didn’t know what to make of it. Was it a good thing . . . or a bad thing? we thought it was probably a good thing to reflect and sort through what we believe and come to some fresh conclusions about WHY we believe what we believe.
We soon realized that there’s lots more to this than we first thought! There’s now an entire “industry,” flourishing especially on Social Media, walking people through the deconstruction process!
So, what exactly is faith deconstruction? It was important for us to understand what it actually entailed. Clearly, sorting through beliefs we’ve been taught as children is a good thing when the goal is to truly understand TRUTH and claim it as our own (rather than simply what our parents taught us). However, it becomes a problem when the process is done within a secular worldview, where the lens through which we see reality doesn’t recognize any absolute authority or objective truth. It is a movement from a worldview rooted in the authority of the Bible to one rooted in the authority of the self.
The book’s authors define faith deconstruction as “a postmodern process of rethinking your faith without regarding Scripture as a standard.” Where there’s no objective truth or outside authority, we become our own authority (the self). And that’s where the problem lies!
My guess is that someone in your own family or someone you know is going through or has already gone through this process. When you’re labeled as toxic, you deserve to know why. Having read much on this topic over the past several years, I can say this is by far the most comprehensive and easily understood information we’ve found. I heartily endorse this book and encourage you to read it. The authors will clarify faith deconstruction from a Biblical perspective and suggest some excellent possibilities for navigating relationships impacted by faith deconstruction.