What is
deconstruction? Well, in the
physical world, we are all familiar with construction as meaning “the
act or process of building something.” Similarly, deconstruction means the
selective dismantlement of building components as opposed to demolition. It is
construction in reverse.
Then there is the
related word reconstruction, that is, “the act or process of
building again something that was damaged or destroyed.” (Of course, Reconstruction
was the term used for the turbulent era from 1865 to 1877 as the Confederate
states were reintegrated into the United States.)
For quite some
time, though, deconstruction has been used as a philosophical or literary
term. In philosophy, it refers to the endeavor to understand the
relationship between a text and its meaning. Philosopher Jacques Derrida
(1930~2004) introduced that concept of deconstruction.
Somewhat
surprisingly, since Derrida described himself as Jewish “without being Jewish,”
his ideas about deconstruction have been influential among evangelical Christians,
and especially among those who have become “progressive.”
Consider the construction, deconstruction,
reconstruction process. Everyone acquires
a constructed worldview, which for most people is linked to religious beliefs. The
worldview or basic beliefs of children are constructed primarily by their parents
and/or teachers (such as Sunday School teachers).
Most people grow up accepting what they
have been taught without question—until they don’t. Some never change or veer very
much from their other-constructed worldview or religious faith. Those who
remain rooted in family and community structures into which they were born often
make little change.
However, because of life experiences,
critical thinking, and/or contact with different worldviews, most people who
leave their birth “cocoon” begin the often rather painful process of
deconstruction. That is true now for most Christian believers, of course.
According to Claude, in such cases, deconstruction
for Christians
refers to a critical examination and dismantling of traditional religious beliefs, practices, and interpretations of scripture. This process involves questioning long-held assumptions about faith, doctrine, and biblical interpretation to uncover underlying power structures, cultural biases, and historical influences that may have shaped Christian understanding.*1
The final paragraph of Claude’s response
to my question states, “The ultimate goal for many deconstructive theologians
is not destruction but reconstruction—building a more authentic, inclusive,
and contextually relevant understanding of Christian faith.” Touché!
Is deconstruction good or bad (beneficial
or harmful)? In the past, I
have written how “unexamined faith is not worth having,” and posted blog articles
about “Growing
in the Faith” (2/28/17) and about the importance of expanding one’s worldview
(7/30/24).*2
From a Christian point of view, I think
it is harmful when deconstruction ends up destroying one’s Christian faith, as
it sometimes does. However, it is certainly beneficial when it leads to growth,
an expanded worldview, and a faith strong enough to meet contemporary challenges
to a Christian worldview.
The reconstructed faith may differ from
the institutional Christianity to which one was formerly linked, but it may, in
fact, be more closely linked to the real message of Jesus Christ.
Two examples of the latter are Martin Thielen
and Jim Palmer, both former pastors and both now outside of organized
Christianity as a religion but still Jesus-followers, it seems to me.
Thielen is a former Baptist and Methodist
pastor. He elucidates the deconstruction and reconstruction of his Christian
faith in “My Long Farewell to Traditional Religion (and What Remains),” posted
on his Doubter’s Parish website.
Palmer is an M.Div. graduate of Trinity
Divinity School and served many years as a Christian pastor before leaving the ministry
in 2000. He started the online Center for Non-Religious Spirituality in 2021, creating
a community for people to explore spirituality apart from the core beliefs of
traditional religion.
Palmer, who writes extensively, also has
a Substack newsletter titled “deconstructionology.” Some of you might like to
read “What if …”, his
June 27 post, which lists “17 ways to transform candidates for the
hereafter into lovers of the world.”*3
Best wishes to all of you who are
currently working on deconstruction and reconstruction—and I encourage any of
you who may still need to begin deconstruction to start that process soon.
____
*1 Claude is now my AI chatbot
of choice, and it (he?) gave an excellent response to my inquiry, “What does
deconstruction mean for Christian theologians?” The words cited above is the
first of six paragraphs produced in just a few seconds. (You can find an
introduction to Claude here.)
*2 The former was the title of
my
June 20, 2018, blog post and also of the 17th chapter in my book
Thirty True Things Everyone Needs to Know Now (2019). Then, in
connection with the latter blog article, in my
8/20/24 post I wrote about deconstruction for the first time.
*3 While Palmer now identifies
as non-religious, much of what he posted in his June 27 newsletter is not much
different from what Pastor Jarrett Banks posted in his June
25 Substack blog article.
