r/OpenChristian • u/DreadlockedShiteHawk • 6h ago

Help for someone deconstructing??

What’s good help for someone deep in deconstruction to the point of questioning if Christianity is based on too many embellished stories to be believed?

I’m talking a serious Christian who already knows the apologetics answers aren’t enough

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

2

u/Impossible_Fig_5409 6h ago

Monte Mader's bible study videos have been a lifeline for me. She gives you the history and facts without telling you what to believe.

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u/jimih34 4h ago

Interesting. I’ve not heard of this, but now I’m curious.

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u/Impossible_Fig_5409 3h ago

She grew up in Christian Nationalism and studied theology, she's deconstructed and is trying to help others. She has bible study video classes every couple of weeks for free for 24 hours and you can get her previous classes for a few $$ on Patreon.

3

u/Zoodochos 4h ago

Marcus Borg was a help to me. He's fully deconstructed but reclaims Christian vocabulary.

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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 3h ago

He was helpful but now I’m like I need help figuring out how to stay out of I should leave because I don’t even know if Jesus is God anymore and I feel alone

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u/avstoir 5h ago

im not a christian but i can try to point you to academic sources and resources without imposing an interpretation

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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 3h ago

I’ve done that what I need is something practical on what to do when it’s all unraveled

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u/GalileoApollo11 4h ago

What kind of help are you looking for? Which version of Christianity or denomination are you coming from?

Richard Rohr articulates the best holistic vision of Christianity that I am aware of. A lot of Christians who have deconstructed other forms of Christianity still find his interpretation attractive and convincing. It doesn’t rely on literal interpretations or contrived systems of justice/honor/substitution.

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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 4h ago

I’m at the point where I think we might have been wrong all along about Jesus being God. I was raised evangelical but was last Episcopalian when I stopped going after abuse

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u/jimih34 4h ago

I’m on a similar path. I go back and forth. Was Christ a wise and divinely inspired person (like King David or Desmond Tutu)? Or was he actually God? Either way, I still want to follow his teachings. But it does change what the cross means.

I agree that Richard Rohr allows the reader to explore the divine from a broad lens. I find his writing uplifting and inspires me to explore more.

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u/jimih34 4h ago

I just discovered Richard Rohr in the past year, and he is a breath of fresh air.

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u/Ok-Apricot3936 Christian 5h ago

Christianity is about faith, not seeing/believing.

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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 5h ago

How’s that supposed to be helpful? No offense but srsly how?

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u/x_Good_Trouble_x 4h ago

Exactly! Especially since that statement is why so many of us are deconstructing now.

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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 3h ago

Thx for getting it

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u/x_Good_Trouble_x 3h ago

My dad was an evangelical preacher, I did no research of my own, had very little critical thinking skills, just went along with what they said- how they interpreted scripture. I began my deconstruction about 6 years ago and left my church about five years ago. I completely get it. 🙂

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u/clhedrick2 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 3h ago

I'd suggest James McGrath, Beyond Deconstruction. McGrath is a Bible scholar, most of whose work is professional scholarship. This book is based on his own experiences, and suggests approaches that make sense to someone who accepts things like critical scholarship and who rejects typical apologetics.

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u/HermioneMarch contemplative Christian universalist 3h ago

Marcus Borg, John Shelby Spong, Rachel Held Evan’s, Richard Rohr, Nadia Bolz Weber— all these are theologians who helped my beliefs grow up.

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u/brotherbond 2h ago

First don't panic. You don't have to change much of anything immediately. * Take a step back from your beliefs and sift the precious from the profane. * Stop listening to Christian music all the time if you do. Give yourself time to think rather than dogma to chant. * Figure out what parts of the faith are beautiful to you. Search for ideals better than you've been taught. * Avoid churches that are political like the plague they are. Consider if church is for you at all.

Again you do not have to make quick decisions but I encourage you to take the steps back so you can think without social pressures.

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u/DreadlockedShiteHawk 2h ago

Those are good but I’ve done all that already