(Un)Certain

Description

Faith deconstruction - the intentional examination of one's religious faith and beliefs, leading to a profound change in, or even loss of, that faith - has received increasing attention in the past few years, with the emergence of podcasts and online fora dedicated to discussing it, and pushback from those who see Christians who deconstruct as backslidden or 'never really saved'. So who are the people who deconstruct their faith, what causes them to do so and where does the journey take them? (Un)Certain is a collective memoir built on the stories and reflections of over 150 interviewees and nearly 400 survey respondents from all over the world, including the author's own story. These are ordinary people who reached the end of their (predominantly) evangelical road and had the courage to keep walking. It is woven around themes and shared experiences which came up time and again, and reveals a picture of deeply committed believers (including clergy) who reached a breaking point with the certainties and doctrines they spent years or even decades professing. Some tell stories of abuse, while others describe a slow unravelling in the face of exclusionary, politicised or harsh theologies. Far from simply walking away, their deconstruction stories reveal the breadth and nuance of a carefully considered expansion of faith.