Deconstruction is often painted as a dangerous process, a slippery slope that leads people away from faith. But here’s the irony: **without deconstruction, there would be no Protestant Christianity. **
The very foundation of Protestantism is built on questioning religious authority, challenging traditions, and seeking truth beyond institutional control. And yet, many today fear the same process that gave rise to their faith tradition in the first place.
The Protestant Reformation: A Faith Rebuilt Through Questioning
At its core, deconstruction is about asking hard questions and re-evaluating beliefs. That’s exactly what happened in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation, when figures like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli challenged the Catholic Church’s authority.
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses (1517) called out corruption and emphasized that salvation wasn’t something the church could sell. This movement led to a widespread exodus from the Catholic Church and the formation of Protestant denominations.
The Reformation wasn’t about abandoning faith—it was about returning to its core. That’s exactly what many who engage in deconstruction today are trying to do.
Faith Has Always Evolved
This isn’t just about the Reformation. Christianity has always been shaped by questioning. Even in the early church, believers were debating doctrine, disagreeing over theology, and wrestling with faith.
"The first time that it happened wasn’t with the Catholic Church and the Protestant movement. This has been happening since the early church - since Jesus walked this earth.
And this isn’t just true of religion—it’s how growth works in every area of life. Psychology started with Freud, then people questioned him and moved toward behaviorism. Later, cognitive-behavioral therapy emerged. Each stage built upon the last, refining our understanding of human behavior.
Faith is no different. The willingness to examine, refine, and grow is not a sign of weakness—it’s a sign of engagement.
Evangelicalism’s Uncomfortable Mirror
One of the most striking things about modern evangelicalism is how much it has started to resemble what it once resisted.
"The Protestant Church has now become the Catholic Church, with all of the money, all of the doctrine, all of the ritual, all of the beliefs that people should just blindly believe. No, no, no, don’t read it for yourself—let me do it for you."
Protestantism was built on the idea that faith should not be controlled by a single institution or hierarchy. Yet today, many evangelical spaces discourage questions, promote rigid doctrine, and shame those who step outside the lines. The same mechanisms of control that once drove people away from the Catholic Church now operate within Protestantism itself.
Deconstruction Is Not the Enemy—Fear Is
For many people, deconstruction isn’t about tearing down faith—it’s about reclaiming it. It’s about making sure their beliefs align with truth, not just tradition.
The Bible itself is full of tension, differing perspectives, and complex narratives. That’s not a flaw—it’s an invitation. It calls us to wrestle with what’s there, to engage deeply, and to seek understanding rather than passive acceptance.
Faith Thrives When We Make Room for Questions
So what if, instead of fearing deconstruction, we saw it as a natural and necessary part of faith? What if we recognized that Protestantism itself exists because people before us were willing to ask the hard questions?
Truth does not need to be protected—it needs to be pursued.
If Protestantism could survive deconstruction once, maybe it’s time to trust that it can do so again.
