Faith Trends
Over the past few years, the evangelical deconstruction movement has gone viral in the church and on social media. But it’s not just former Christians who are deconstructing their faith.
According to a recent report from Barna, people who are still professing Christians are also deconstructing their childhood faith.
“Overall, 42 percent of adults say they have deconstructed the faith of their youth. Of today’s Christians, it’s 37 percent, with little difference whether they’re practicing (36%) or nonpracticing (37%) Christians. That means more than one-third of committed, churchgoing Christians relate to the idea of having deconstructed the faith of their youth.”
Why This Matters
The process of deconstruction can mean different things to different people, but in the Christian context, the word is most often used to describe people turning from their faith. However, the process of deconstructing—personally examining or re-examining the faith of one’s youth that was once indisputable—does not always result in deconversion. In fact, it may result in a stronger faith.
When people grow up in the church, it’s easy for them to adopt their faith by osmosis or tradition rather than develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ for themselves. In these cases, their faith is not built on a strong foundation and may not withstand the trials they’ll face in life. Deconstruction naturally follows—people want to understand for themselves why they think the way they do and why they believe what they do, especially when they feel let down or disappointed with God or the church.
Next Steps
Click here to read more from Barna’s research, and consider how your organization could support and strengthen the faith of those who are going through, or have already gone through, a deconstruction of their faith.
Deconstructions questions can be challenging but are easier with compassionate, grace-filled support. If you need resources to navigate this topic, let us know – we’re here to help!
Jonathan Andrews
Director of Media | jonathan@eaglecom.ca