BEFORE YOU LOSE YOUR FAITH: DECONSTRUCTING DOUBT IN THE CHURCH, edited by Ivan Mesa

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance 

by Kirsten Birkett 

About the Author 

Ivan Mesa (ThM, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is an editor for The Gospel Coalition (since 2014), where he acquires books and oversees reviews, longform, and the Read the Bible initiative. 

Contents  

Part One: Deconstruct Deconstruction 

1. Doubt Your Way Back to Truth  Trevin Wax
2. ‘Progressive’ Christianity Was Even Shallower  Than the Evangelical Faith I Left Ian Harber
3. Deconversion Is Not as Countercultural as You Think  Brett McCracken 
4. Don’t Deconstruct—Disenculturate Instead Hunter Beaumont

Part Two: Deconstruct the Issues  

5. Sex: Telling a Better Story  Rachel Gilson
6. Race: Is Christianity a White Man’s Religion? Claude Atcho
7. Politics: Just Servant, Tyrannical Master Samuel James
8. Internet: Deconstructing Faith Online Jay Y. Kim
9. Social Justice: Breakup or Breakthrough? Thaddeus Williams
10. Science: Why Scientism Can’t Explain Morality or Reality Keith Plummer
11. Anti-Intellectualism: We Must Ask Hard Questions Karen Swallow Prior  
12. Hell: Skeleton in God’s Closet? Joshua Ryan Butler

Part Three: Reconstruct Faith

13. Embrace True Belonging in the Church  Jeremy Linneman
14. Sometimes People Don’t Believe Jared Wilson
15. Take a Hard Look at Jesus Derek Rishmawy

General Summary

“Deconstruction” here refers to the (increasingly publicized and normalized) process of dismantling or rejecting the beliefs you grew up with. This series of popular essays addresses the problems that might lead to this and gives Christian responses. 

Part One: Deconstruct Deconstruction

Chapter 1: Doubt Your Way Back to Truth Trevin Wax 

There are two main categories of common doubt, revolving around whether Christianity is true and good. Strugglers may try to salvage a Christianity that meets one of these but remakes the other in secular light. It takes integrity to give up this attempt, and tenacity to seek answers, yet the Spirit works with those who question honestly. 

Our cultural context sees doubt as courageous. Doubters often adopt the Enlightenment story that rejecting Christianity shows maturity. However, this is merely another faith – one which should come under as much scrutiny as any doubter gives to Christianity. “Christianity frees us from slavery to the present day.” Interrogate yourself, and reconsider Jesus. . . .

Buy the books

BEFORE YOU LOSE YOUR FAITH: DECONSTRUCTING DOUBT IN THE CHURCH, edited by Ivan Mesa

The Gospel Coalition, 2021 | 139 pages

From: Amazon ( Paperback )
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From: Amazon ( Audiobook )