Beyond Deconstruction: Building a More Expansive Faith

Deconstruction isn’t the end; it’s the starting point for something new. This book points you toward what comes next.

Among exvangelicals and former fundamentalists, it’s common to hear discussions about faith deconstruction―the process of relinquishing long-held religious views that turned out to be uninformed, untrue, or unjust. But it’s less common to hear people talk about what happens next. After you reject some or all of your old beliefs, what new beliefs will you put in their place? How will you redefine what the Bible is and what faith means? How will you construct a new worldview?

When grappling with these questions, it can be helpful to hear from thoughtful Christians who have asked the same questions themselves. That’s why James McGrath―an award-winning New Testament scholar and educator―has created this book. Writing in a personal, conversational style, McGrath shares his experiences of outgrowing a narrowly defined Christianity and learning how to inhabit a more spacious, dynamic Christian faith. In addition to sharing his own story, McGrath offers practical advice for discerning the next steps in your unique faith journey. He doesn’t tell you what to think; instead, he introduces you to more expansive ways of thinking about Christianity, the Bible, the church, and more. And he encourages you to bring your whole self to the creative process of learning to live in meaningful relationship with God and with others. For anyone who feels stuck in the deconstruction space, Beyond Deconstruction will empower you to move forward―and will give you hope about what lies ahead.

James F. McGrath is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair of New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. His blog, Religion Prof, can be found on the Patheos network. His books include The A to Z of the New Testament, Beyond Deconstruction: Building a More Expansive Faith, Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist, and John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer.