Post 9 - What is Deconstruction?

 Post 9

What is Deconstruction?

When I took to writing on this topic of exploring faith beyond tradition, I had a brain dump of all the issues I could think of that affected me personally. Allegedly, that is a good sign. The chapter I just read in the book referred to the importance of acknowledging the fragments from the broken places of our souls. It's good to clean house this way. It can be therapeutic to address the bruised over areas that remain. 

And it's important to detect current cracks and to uncover what's causing them and what might help to heal them.

And as we uncover the fractures for ourselves, we grieve, forgive, or lament. And then we are better able to move on. It's all part of our journey back to home base. 

And as I walk in my own wilderness, I try to be the church to others. Just today, I sent a donation to a church who will do an outreach to the homeless and downtrodden in the city this month. The donation will also be used to help support International students who have come from India and find it hard to live in the expensive Canadian economy. 

I also have a couple of students come and help me with house chores and I pay them. Otherwise, they have not found employement. With my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I appreciate when others can lift my load. And God has blessed my husband and I with the money to be able to be generous to others.  

So I have lots of posts I'm trying to publish now in some kind of order, but at times, I need to backtrack. This one below was not yet shared, but is important for all to understand what this idea of deconstruction is all about. 

The sales page for the book reads: 

"Canadian Christians frustrated with the Church have come ‘Undone’ and are leaving politely, almost apologetically, in what this book dubs a Quiet Deconstruction. Blessed are the Undone asks: what aspects of faith are being questioned, and why?

Weaving in church history, cultural analysis and their personal stories, Bick and Schuurman use canoe camping to illustrate the twists and turns of the spiritual journey. Whether you feel like you’re up the creek without a paddle when it comes to faith, or if people you love have lost their bearings, this book is for you.

WONDERING WHAT ALL THE ‘DECONSTRUCTION’ TALK IS ALL ABOUT?

This book neither condemns nor condones the trend of those deconstructing their faith. It seeks to describe and document the Canadian “deconstructing faith” scene while also providing a theological and sociological frame through which to understand it. Provocative, critical, fair, and focused on Canadian concerns, this book opens a window of well-researched appraisal.

“If the Sermon on the Mount were written today, it might say: We are blessed when we have more questions than answers. We are even blessed when the Church has let us down, when life tips our canoe, when we’re just treading water, when we have no one to talk to, when we run out of hope, when our faith is Undone.”

A weathered industrial complex. 
Sometimes our souls can feel this way.
But there is always HOPE.

WHAT IS DECONSTRUCTION?

According to ChatGPT, Deconstruction "in the context of the Christian faith refers to a process where individuals critically examine, question, and sometimes dismantle their long-held beliefs about Christianity. 

This can involve reevaluating doctrines, traditions, and personal experiences with the faith.

The term is often used to describe a journey of doubt, spiritual rethinking, or reconstructing beliefs after facing contradictions, frustrations, or personal crises within one's religious experience.

People going through deconstruction might move away from rigid interpretations of faith, question the authority of religious institutions, or reinterpret teachings in a way that feels more authentic to them. Some find new expressions of faith, while others might distance themselves from the religion entirely."

A snippet from one of my Paintings. Art by Rosalie Garde.

I understand all of this. I've seen enough on the Christianity sub in popular social media platform "Reddit" to see how far Christianity has moved away from what I was taught. I've seen the confusion in individuals caused by so much questioning. My personal opinion is that people try too hard to figure God out. We can never really figure God out. 

And as for Reddit, there's too much bullying (or persecution) there. There's too much criticism of Christians. Troll-like behaviour. Some have told me it isn't a Christian sub, it is a sub to discuss Christianity, or in other words, to debate it and mock it. It reflects the dire state of our faith practice in this season.

I don't take everything in the Bible literally, and many would be better off if they didn't either. I prefer to consult the Holy Spirit when I have questions. I prefer to trust that God will grant me the input I need to know, when I need to know it.