Deconstructing Your Faith: Review of "Invisible Jesus"

Deconstructing Your Faith

… a review of “Invisible Jesus"

I recently read through Scot McKnight’s latest book, “Invisible Jesus,” co-written with pastor Tommy Preson Phillips. They give a new twist to the whole deconstruction discussion.

Deconstructing Faith

Deconstruction spoken of here is related to faith and church. There is a movement among church people today who are taking a step back from their church experience and questioning what they’ve been taught and believed through the years. Before they continue in their journey of faith they want to make sure they are on the right path.

Many people within the church have criticized this movement, labeling deconstructionists as, at best, weak in faith and, at worst, rebellious or apostate. And others have forecast the death of the church as a result of so many people questioning their faith and even leaving church.

Changing, Not Leaving Church

But, not so fast. People aren’t leaving church as much as you might think. The authors quote a 2022 HarperCollins study that showed that 86% of deconstructionists remain in church. It just might be a different church from the one they were previously in. They return from their sabbatical with a more thoughtful and reasoned approach to faith rather than blindly accepting everything that is preached from the pulpit. 

The Causes of Deconstruction

The primary cause of deconstruction is people recognizing that the church is looking less and less like Jesus. Hence the title, “Invisible Jesus.” Nothing in their church looks like Jesus.  They’ve seen too much hypocrisy, too much abuse, too much “show business,” too much politics and culture war, and not enough humility, compassion, or love for the poor and hurting.

Is Deconstruction Prophetic?

McKnight and Phillips flip the script saying that, rather than being rebellious, deconstructionists are actually prophetic. That is, people questioning their faith is a good thing because it waves a red flag of caution to the church that somethings wrong. The authors say,

“...the deconstruction crisis sweeping through the church is a prophetic movement of the Spirit born out of devotion to the way of Jesus - a Jesus many find invisible in churches…For many, deconstruction is not apostasy but a pilgrimage, not a departure from following Jesus but another step in the journey toward a Jesus - shaped way of life.” page 15,16

If they are right, then deconstructionists shouldn’t be judged or criticized for their concerns but listened to. Assessments and adjustments should be made so that the church begins to look and act like Jesus. 

My Experience With Deconstruction

Being a skeptic at heart, I’ve always been a bit of a deconstructionist, even as a pastor. In fact, the reason I started a church was after my own deconstruction of my right wing conservative faith. As I wrote in my book, Broken Trust, I lived a toxic faith… a faith that threw up road blocks to God even as I worked at inviting people to know Him. I left the church for five years. But when I returned, I was inspired to start something that actually offered “good news” to people.

Helpful Advice for Deconstructionists

McKnight/Phillips do a good job of giving voice to those who are looking for a better faith and better ministers to lead them. They mention a variety of reasons that people have questioned their faith as well as addressing the fears that naturally come from dropping long held beliefs and practices, like, “What if I’m wrong?”  

Two chapters offer advice on what to look for in a good pastor and how to detect a toxic pastor.

I appreciated reading this word of comfort:

“...when someone walks away from the church, Jesus goes with them.”

That’s reassuring because people are often told that leaving the church means leaving Jesus and that thought can haunt them. But the opposite is true. Jesus goes with us as we search for truth. He honors those who reject a superficial Christianity and refuse to compromise their faith. 

This is something that I’ve found to be true, not only in my own life but in the lives of the many people I’ve spoken with who came limping out of an abusive church. God is always with us, even in “the valley of the shadow of death,” we just need to look for him.

Worth A Read…

From a literary perspective, I felt the book started strong and then lost a little momentum. But that might be due to having two authors. Overall, it’s a good read.

If you have stepped back from your faith/church experience, you might want to pick up the book. It will affirm many thoughts and answer many questions that you have. It will also help you to see that you aren’t a bad person or alone in this journey. In fact, it might make you feel prophetic.

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