deconstruction
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Deconstruction, or religious deconstruction, refers to the process of an individual taking apart and examining their own previously unquestioned religious beliefs in order to gain new understanding and perspective. Linked to the deconstruction philosophical movement of the 1960s, religious deconstruction might result in a deconversion process in which someone leaves their religious tradition altogether, or they might remain in their religion with a new understanding of their faith.
In its current usage, religious deconstruction describes a movement of people who analyze how their personal faith and religious traditions engage with their changing sense of spirituality and broader social movements, such as gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights. One noteworthy group within the broader deconstruction movement is those who have left their evangelical church, who often self-identify as ex-evangelicals or exvangelicals.
The #exvangelical social media movement and the recent public discourse about deconstruction gained prominence around the 2016 presidential election in which many now-exvangelicals watched primarily white-majority evangelical churches support Donald Trump’s political platform and left due to what they perceived as hypocrisy within the church. Many exvangelicals also cite crises of faith and harmful experiences of misogyny, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies, and racism as their primary reasons for deconstructing and/or leaving the church. Some exvangelicals emphasize deconstruction of doctrines such as biblical inerrancy, or the commonly held evangelical doctrine that the Bible is the infallible word of God. Many who deconstruct engage in a “reconstruction” process in which they adopt different moral and ethical frameworks.
Some people whose deconstruction leads them to leave their religious communities report feelings of isolation and loss of community and culture. Some who deconstruct their faith have experienced religious trauma, which the Global Center for Religious Research defines as “an event, series of events, relationships, or circumstances within or connected to religious beliefs, practices, or structures that is experienced by an individual as overwhelming or disruptive and has lasting adverse effects on a person’s physical, mental, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.”
While the terms ex-Christian, ex-evangelical, and exvangelical are often used interchangeably, taking into account someone’s preference whenever possible ensures coverage aligns with their lived experience. Note that deconstruction is not synonymous with deconversion, in which someone leaves a religion altogether, and that many who deconstruct will remain within their religious traditions. Also note that some Christians sources might refer to deconstruction as “backsliding,” “falling into sin,” or “losing one’s way” and claim that those who leave Christianity were never truly Christians to begin with.
Additional resources
- Exodus: Why Americans are Leaving Religion—and Why They’re Unlikely to Come Back (PRRI)
- The Rise of #Exvangelical (Religion and Politics)
- Deconstruction is a valid Christian practice. Ask Martin Luther. (Religion News Service)
- A Kind of Homelessness: Evangelicals of Color in the Trump Era (Religion and Politics)
- The Largest and Fastest Religious Shift in America Is Well Underway (New York Times)
Summary
Deconstruction, or religious deconstruction, refers to the process of an individual taking apart and examining their own previously unquestioned religious beliefs in order to gain new understanding and perspective. One noteworthy group within the broader deconstruction movement is those who have left their evangelical church, who often self-identify as ex-evangelicals or exvangelicals. While the terms ex-Christian, ex-evangelical, and exvangelical are often used interchangeably, taking into account someone’s preference whenever possible ensures coverage aligns with their lived experience. Note that deconstruction is not synonymous with deconversion, in which someone leaves a religion altogether, and that many who deconstruct will remain within their religious traditions.