About a month ago someone sent me a link to a YouTube video. “Have you seen this?????” A podcaster is interviewing Childers and Barnett because their new book, quoted from above, was coming out. My name came up. They claim I am a “thought leader” in the deconstruction movement. They go on to critique what I say about deconstruction matter-of-factly. Of course, I had to get the book. I am mentioned in it several times. When I got the book and read the opening line, “APOSTASY IS NOTHING NEW.”, I knew exactly how this book was going to go. It doesn’t bother me one single bit. Let me tell you why... First of all, there is no “deconstruction movement”. There’s no such thing as “deconstructionism”. People have always questioned their beliefs for millennia. It’s nothing new. I chose to co-opt the word from the French philosopher Jacques Derrida to describe this process in our spiritual journeys. It describes so well the comprehensive nature of questioning our beliefs and faith. Second, I’m used to getting criticized. It happens every day. I think, for the most part, Childers and Barnett are polite about it. There are some that are outright nasty and even frightening. But I’m used to it. It’s also nothing new. Third, and finally, I totally understand where they’re coming from. They are what I call “ecclesio-centric” and “orthodox-centric”. In other words, for them, the church and its orthodoxy are central and all deviations are… apostasy. Which means a falling away. For them… What is deconstruction? Apostasy! Why is it destructive? Because it destroys your faith and depletes the church’s membership. How should you respond? Come back! Don’t let it happen again! That’s basically it, in a nutshell. What they don’t realize is this is exactly why so many are “falling away”… or, to put it in healthier language… deconstructing their beliefs and their relationship to the church… because they are tired of being controlled… held… kept… dominated… enslaved. So, this book and all reactions to deconstruction will only frighten the ones who aren’t quite sure that they’re doing the right thing by questioning their beliefs. But to those of us who know this is a necessary part of our spiritual growth, and that we will proceed whether the church provides a safe space for us to do it or not, it doesn’t scare us at all. It’s just typical. |