“I’m something of an Exvangelical,” a friend told me recently. “I’ve really deconstructed in the past few years.” When I asked her to tell me more, I expected to hear the story of how someone raised in an Evangelical family had walked away from Christianity. Instead, I learned that she still considers herself a committed Christian and even regularly attends an Evangelical church. As my friend told me more of her story, I realized her “deconstruction” and hesitance to use the label “Evangelical” had much more to do with politics than theology. This is not an uncommon experience, especially in recent years given the political climate in American Christianity.

While deconstruction sometimes refers to a person’s doubts mounting until they no longer profess to be a Christian, there’s a healthier way to deconstruct that can actually strengthen our faith. At its best, deconstruction is a critical process that involves examining and potentially dismantling our existing beliefs to pave the way for “reconstruction” of a healthier and more robust faith. The Gospel is complete and sufficient; when we find ourselves adding to it, we’re really detracting from the Good News of Jesus Christ. Deconstruction can be a way of clearing the debris so we can better see Jesus.

In the American church, there is a temptation on both the political left and the right to enmesh our faith with extra-Biblical ideologies. Pretty soon, the Gospel can look a lot like “the Good News of Jesus Christ and my preferred party platform.” Scripture is reinterpreted to condone what’s fashionable in our own sub-cultures, and fighting the good fight of the faith comes to mean waging the culture war. When this happens, peeling back the layers of our intermixed faith and politics can help us re-center on Christ. Here are three principles to keep in mind:

1. Engage with your community. Deconstruction is most dangerous when done untethered from a local body of believers. Seek the guidance of others who can offer support, wisdom, and differing perspectives. This helps prevent the process from becoming self-centered and subjective. Community accountability is vital to maintaining a balanced view and avoiding the pitfalls of reconstructing your faith purely based on personal preferences or clearing away one set of politics just to replace it with another.
2. Deconstruct with an aim toward reconstruction. The purpose of deconstructing is not just to tear down but to rebuild. As you identify aspects of your faith that need reevaluation, simultaneously seek ways to reconstruct your faith in a healthier, more robust manner. This might involve deeper study of the Bible, engaging with theological perspectives you aren’t predisposed to share, or adopting new practices that are more in line with Biblical teachings.
3. Anchor yourself in the Word of God. As you deconstruct, it’s crucial to keep the Scriptures as your foundation. The goal is not to alter the Bible to fit your personal desires or contemporary cultural norms but to remove practices and traditions that do not align with Biblical teachings. When it comes to interpreting Scripture, do so prayerfully and in consultation with multiple theological perspectives and the support of your community. This approach ensures that deconstruction strengthens rather than weakens your faith.