How Much Deconstruction Is Too Much?
I talk with a lot of people who are going through some sort of deconstruction of traditional evangelical beliefs.
They are finding new guides in the faith from the ones they may have grown up with…Benjamin Cremer and Kate Bowler hold far more sway than Chuck Smith or Charles Stanley.
There is much to be commended about the “new evangelicalism”…it is concerned with a biblical view on social issues and justice and is not held captive by a single political party or person.
It is open to exploring different Christian faith traditions and does not exclude the thoughts of Roman Catholicism or Orthodoxy.
It is open for discussion and exploration…and that appeals to this old Anglican as well.
The one area that does concern me is that it almost always ends up in a rejection of traditional Christian morality, especially in regard to LGBTQ relationships.
Just to be clear…I hold to a tradition doctrine of Christian sexual ethics, though I’m always willing to have conversations around the subject and I don’t condemn those who differ with me.
Most of those I speak with are trying to operate from a place of loving their neighbor and aren’t much interested in Christian dogmatics…because their experiences with those who railed dogmatically was anything but loving.
How do we address this…or do we?
Great question, Michael. Wish I had a coherent answer! Not sure any 2 stories are the same.
Re: LGBT, there are plenty, of evangelical leader types who don’t reject traditional morality — John Stott, Philip and Tony Campolo are 3 that come to mind. Where they differ w/other traditionals is that they’re opposed to discrimination against them. Probably other things, too. What you also don’t see them doing is lobbing invective against them, or “demonizing” them.
Yancey
bob 1,
Demonization denies people the Gospel.
I don’t have any definitive answers…I do believe in a creation “norm”…but norms all were marred in the fall…
bob1,
Unfortunately Campolo did become fully LGBTQ affirming several years back. But I still love the man even as I have disagreements with him.
Sadly now he is confined to a wheelchair after having a stroke a few years back.
Kevin H, Thanks for the update on Tony! I saw him speak at an urban conference in the early 80s. Love the guy. Dynamic speaker. Combined scholarship (I think he was a professional sociologist) with a strong passion for the Church to act like the Church! Sorry to hear of his stroke.
Campolo wrote some great books too. Favorite title: “How To Follow Jesus Without Embarrassing God.” 😀
There is a less thoughtful form of deconstructing I’ve seen in which a person simply swaps all their views from fundamentalist to progressive. “If the people I followed for 40 years were wrong, then the opposite side must be right.” Why bother looking at you beliefs one at a time when you can simply switch jerseys?
I don’t know how to judge another persons deconstruction. Sometimes you get to a place in life where it just doesn’t fit anymore. Maybe there is a different form of Christianity that would fit better and allows you still to hold to some form of faith. Maybe not.
For me, I had to let it all go and resolved to only pick back up what was necessary. Jesus came back pretty quick, much of the rest has not come back. I’m back to daily prayer and have recently started reading a few verses here and there. Haven’t worried one bit about sexuality and don’t imagine that I will.
My answer would be: If you don’t have to deconstruct, don’t. Its horrible and terrifying. If you’ve reached a place in life where you just can’t keep going forward, do what you have to do. God is better than we give him credit for. He’ll still be there when you get back. In fact, He’ll run down the street to greet you upon your return.
Terry,
I usually assume the jersey switchers weren’t that invested in the first jersey…
Josh…I’ll say the amen.
I think you’ve described the process well.
standard apologetic answer – where does morality come from – evolved and ever evolving (although law of entropy seems to indicate nothing is really evolving but decaying) or designed by our Creator?
Mark,
I wish the question was that simple.
We believe our God is revealed in our Scriptures…and those are open to interpretation…