| dc.description.abstract | In the context of white North American evangelicalism, a phenomenon known as
Christian “deconstruction” is gaining prominence, wherein a significant number of individuals, both current adherents and former members, are reassessing their beliefs and institutional affiliations. This trend is reshaping the landscape of evangelicalism and coincides with a broader cultural shift identified by theorists as metamodernism. Unlike manifestations in previous contexts, doubt and deconstruction in a metamodern framework are viewed as a generative process conducive to growth and development. For preachers navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by this paradigm shift, understanding Christian deconstruction and the metamodern context is paramount. This dissertation employs historical, cultural, theological, scientific, and homiletical lenses to explore Christian deconstruction’s implications for the evangelical church and preaching. The historical lens traces the evolution of evangelicalism and contextualizes the emergence of Christian deconstruction within the broader religious and cultural landscape. The cultural lens examines distinctive metamodern characteristics of the Christian deconstruction movement and highlights its significance for the trajectory of evangelicalism. The theological lens addresses misconceptions within the evangelical church regarding the deconstruction process and how theological thinking is impacted by metamodernism. The scientific lens provides insights into the psychological and sociological dynamics of belief, faith, and doubt, redefining the categories and shedding light on the motivators and processes for changes in belief. Finally, the homiletical lens identifies salient features of a metamodern thinking paradigm and shows how those aspects can influence sermonic decision-making for preachers who want to communicate effectively with a broader spectrum in their congregations. Preachers with this understanding can alter their community’s self-imagination and promote the spiritual growth of listeners by becoming the primary doubter or deconstructor, creating and defending space for profound questioning, and orienting listeners toward undeconstructible truth in a shared and ongoing process of becoming. | |
