Deconstruction is all the rage these days. Social media is full of #exvangelicals lining up to tell their story about how they left the church. The problem is, most popular-level deconstruction is a fancy way of starting a bonfire. People torch their faith (often on the basis of legitimate concerns) and walk away.

This is where Brian Zahnd comes in. He identifies a major problem with deconstruction: it’s “a methodology that has no real endgame” (33). You can deconstruct endlessly only to realize there’s nothing left. To be sure, some (many!) cultural elements of our faith should be discarded—but how do you decide what to keep?

For Zhand, it all comes down to faith. Explaining Kierkegaard, Zhand writes that “Christian faith is the decision to act in imitation of Jesus Christ because in your heart you know this is right” (114). The Bible calls us to taste and see that God is good—not deconstruct to decide.

Ultimately, the Christian experience is not built on a mere intellectual foundation that can be deconstructed. Rather, it’s built on a conviction—a belief—that Jesus is who he said he is and that the whole universe turns on that claim.

Zahnd, Brian. When Everything’s On Fire: Faith Forged from the Ashes. IVP, 2021.