Ideas

The Church Needs Reformation, Not Deconstruction

Contributor

A short guide to the exvangelical movement.

Illustration by Rick Szuecs / Source Images: Patrick Wittke / Unsplash / Envato

Deconstruction is a buzzword these days. The term exvangelical has emerged as an identity marker and an activist movement. People’s faith stories—and their “losing faith” stories—are often emotional and vulnerable. They grow out of biography and experiences, so Christians struggling with faith need love and listening ears, not merely argument.

Still, we have a responsibility as a church to thoughtfully engage wider cultural conversations around deconstruction. Jesus is the truth that sets us free. Asking hard questions about faith is normal. It’s a necessary part of Christian maturity. But there are better and worse ways to critically assess claims to truth. So take these as helpful guidelines:

First, distinguish between deconstruction and reform. The church is a Christ-made institution, but it is also a sinful institution. It always needs reform. If a person’s frustration with the church arises from the biblical vision of community, that’s not deconstruction. It’s calling the church back to the gospel.

There have always been reformers in the church, and we did not call them deconstructors. This is not merely semantics. To call something to reform (as opposed to simply destroying it) is to implicitly recognize the integrity of its original design.

As an example, I am often dismayed by the misogyny I see in the church. But I also recognize that the notion of women’s intrinsic dignity is given to me by the church itself. Compared to the pagan world around it, the early church elevated the status of women. The idea of innate human equality emerges out of the best of Christian thought. We can’t deconstruct the church while drawing from its very logic, beliefs, and tradition.

Second, avoid inadvertently centering white, Western voices. Often, when white Christians deconstruct their faith due to racism and injustice in the church, they don’t then learn from or join Black, Latino, or immigrant churches. We need to listen more to evangelical people of color who have a legacy of holding together a commitment to both orthodoxy and justice.

Third, steer clear of gimmicks or manipulation. Josh Harris, of I Kissed Dating Goodbye fame, recently received jeers from across the theological spectrum for his $275 course on deconstruction, which he later canceled. But the phenomenon isn’t limited to him. A month ago, I was greeted by a Facebook ad for a deconstruction coach. There is now an industry dedicated to monetizing deconstruction.

Parts of the exvangelical movement drop the doctrinal commitments of evangelicalism but retain the incessant faddishness and marketing gimmickry endemic to it. But the consumeristic shallowness of contemporary evangelicalism needs to be deconstructed—taken apart and subverted—not duplicated.

Last, engage steelmen—the strongest versions of an argument—not strawmen. Many of those who most vocally deconstruct Christianity jettison a thin version of American fundamentalism and mistake it for the whole tradition. But much of what bothers us about certain parts of the evangelical community—for instance, anti-intellectualism, a lack of compassion or concern for justice, enmeshment with political conservatism, a suspicion of mystery—are largely absent in, say, Christian patristic thought.

There has never been a pure, perfect moment in the church. Still, if you look at the broad swath of Christian faith as represented in Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant thought, a shared tradition emerges—one that offers profound hope in our particular moment.

If a person comes to the point of truly disbelieving the claims of Christianity, there’s honesty and integrity in leaving the faith outright, rather than seeking to reshape it to suit one’s preferences. I respect that. But it’s important to critically assess the actual faith, not a truncated version of it.

What a sinful church needs is not deconstruction but deep construction. We have to forsake shallow critique to build a more faithful vision of the community of Jesus. But we cannot do it without holding to the deposit of faith we’ve received from the historic and global church. We cannot do it without the truth of Scripture. And we cannot do it without the Holy Spirit.

Also in this issue

Historically, Americans almost universally believed churches were good for communities. Even families that were not particularly devout leaned heavily on congregations in the 19th century to educate their children both in letters and in moral foundations. That amity has faded, of course, with declining church attendance. But a growing body of social science and medical research suggests corporate worship is not merely good for our souls but also for our bodies and minds. Our cover story this month explores why the abandonment of church could constitute a silent public health crisis.

Cover Story

The Riddle of Church Loneliness

Cover Story

Empty Pews Are an American Public Health Crisis

The New Head of the World Evangelical Alliance Wants to Talk

Actually, God Is Doing an Old Thing

How Scripture Keeps Surprising Me

News

Duke University Study Finds More Sin in the Rain

Our November Issue: Worship With Benefits

We Need a Savior More Than a State

Editorial

The Antidote to Celebrity Church Is Mere Church

The New Prison Ministry Lies in Bible Education

Reply All

Testimony

My Body Is a Temple, Not a Fighting Machine

Excerpt

You Can’t Slay the Giant Anxiety with Mere Willpower

News

A Court Win for One Pro-Life Med Student Raises Concerns for Others

News

The New President of an Evangelical University Has a Question: ‘What Would Booker T. Washington Do?’

News

Jesus Loves the Brown Pop-Eyed Atewa Slippery Frog

News

Gleanings: November 2021

Churchgoers May Remember Song Lyrics Over Sermon Quotes

The Great Commission’s Greatest Hits

Review

God Loves a Persistent Pray-er

Review

The Inhuman Consequences of Satan’s Oldest Lie

New & Noteworthy Books

View issue

Our Latest

Review

The Virgin Birth Is More Than an Incredible Occurrence

We’re eager to ask whether it could have happened. We shouldn’t forget to ask what it means.

The Nine Days of Filipino Christmas

Some Protestants observe the Catholic tradition of Simbang Gabi, predawn services in the days leading up to Christmas.

Why Armenian Christians Recall Noah’s Ark in December

The biblical account of the Flood resonates with a persecuted church born near Mount Ararat.

The Bulletin

Neighborhood Threat

The Bulletin talks about Christians in Syria, Bible education, and the “bad guys” of NYC.

Join CT for a Live Book Awards Event

A conversation with Russell Moore, Book of the Year winner Gavin Ortlund, and Award of Merit winner Brad East.

Excerpt

There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Proper’ Christmas Carol

As we learn from the surprising journeys of several holiday classics, the term defies easy definition.

Advent Calls Us Out of Our Despair

Sitting in the dark helps us truly appreciate the light.

Advent Doesn’t Have to Make Sense

As a curator, I love how contemporary art makes the world feel strange. So does the story of Jesus’ birth.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube