What Do The Terms ‘Deconstruction’ and ‘Reconstruction’ Mean?

There’s a lot of talk about religious ‘deconstruction’ and ‘reconstruction’ at the moment, particularly coming from the #Exvangelical movement. We’re seeing high-profile Christian leaders, authors, theologians and musicians like Joshua Harris (author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye) and Marty Sampson (Hillsong writer) walking away from Christianity, and doing so publicly.

Christians would label this as “leaving the fold” or “falling away”, but for many, and maybe for these former Christian leaders, these terms fail to represent the journey. In fact, they completely disregard the journey. They presume the end. The reality is, many people who are deconstructing their faith aren’t leaving the fold at all, they’re simply questioning what it is. Many people aren’t “falling away”, they’re simply peering over the edge to see what’s down there.

The terms ‘deconstruction’ and ‘reconstruction’ endeavour to call this process what it is: a journey. And yes, some end up leaving the fold or falling away, but some don’t, and I assure you that many of the folk on this journey are sitting in your church every Sunday morning.

What is ‘deconstruction’?

Many who grow up in a religious home eventually reach a point in adulthood where they feel the need to reevaluate the way…