‘Social Contagion’: Alisa Childers Reveals Real Dangers of Deconstruction
“Deconstruction” has become one of the most frequently spouted faith terms of late, sparking an abundance of reactions from Christians and non-Christians alike. Author Alisa Childers, who addresses the subject in her latest book, “The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It’s Destructive, and How to Respond,” recently told CBN News why she believes this pattern of people unpacking and deconstructing their faith has become so prevalent.
“I do think it’s a fad, although a lot of people would say it’s not a fad,” she said. “It’s actually this real experience that happens, but I think it can be proven to be a fad because you can trace it back through its philosophical roots in the postmodern philosophies that gained steam in the 60s.” Childers said there are some legitimate issues at the core of deconstruction, noting spiritual abuse, legalism during people’s childhoods, or even some individuals’ quest to find ways to shed themselves of “bad ideas” while being able to hold on to the “good ones.”
Despite some viable motivations that might lead a person into deconstruction, Childers said overarching problems related to it must be addressed. “The problem with what we see in the deconstruction movement is that, very often, what people decide are bad beliefs are actually historic Christian doctrines like original sin and the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross,” she said. “And theological … doctrines that really define Christianity.”
Childers said social media has helped solidify deconstruction as a fad. She posited culture likely wouldn’t have the rampant deconstruction movement in its current form without social media tools. “I think there’s a little bit of a social contagion aspect to it as well, because that hashtag of ‘deconstruction’ — there’s a lot of false information in there,” she said. “There’s a lot of claims that are made about Christian theology that are not true.” Nonetheless, this inaccurate information can hold sway over hearts and minds, ushering people further out of historic Christianity and into an abyss.
One of the challenges when it comes to deconstruction, of course, is that the word carries different meanings for various people. Childers said it’s essential to ask and understand what someone means when he or she uses the word. Childers said it is good to positively engage doubt, ask tough questions, and test the faith tradition given by parents against Scripture. Unfortunately, she said some people do something quite different; they experience a “shift of authority from an external source of authority for truth to the authority of the self.” And it’s that turn to the self Childers believes is having a diabolical impact on individuals and culture.
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