It's Here: Walking Through Deconstruction

Available now.

Today is the day.

Walking Through Deconstruction: How To Be A Companion In A Crisis Of Faith is officially published and available wherever you buy books.

Almost exactly five years ago, I told God in prayer that if he wanted to use my story, I was ready to tell it. Two months later, I had the opportunity to share some of my story for The Gospel Coalition. The response was beyond anything I ever imagined. I don’t claim that this is a normal experience, but it’s just what happened.

Fast forward to today, and the prayer that turned into an article has grown up into a book.

From the outset, it was important to me that I not write a memoir. I wasn’t interested in writing an angry tell-all that aired all of my dirty laundry. It’d be impossible to write about this topic without telling some of my story. That’s inevitable. But I didn’t want it to just be a venting session with all of my grievances. I genuinely want to serve the church and those who are going through this painful process of deconstruction.

So this book isn’t a memoir, but it is deeply personal.

I wrote the book I wish the people around me could have read when I was deconstructing. I wonder how much of my life would look different if the pastors, friends, and loved ones in my life had this book when I was deep in the process.

In one sense, it doesn’t matter. God has been faithful in my life regardless. On the other hand, how much hurt would I have been spared? God only knows.

I’m not afraid to be brutally honest, but I also will always be defiantly hopeful. These lessons were won the hard way. I hope you are able to glean some of those lessons the easy way.

I’m under no illusion that this is a perfect book. It’s my first one and I’m hardly the smartest person to write on the topic. I’m sure I might’ve gotten some things wrong. Maybe I overemphasized some things or underemphasized others. A friend of mine told me, “You don’t finish a book. Books escape.” I already feel that in the year since I finished it.

But I hope my experience, reflection, and study come through and bring a new perspective on a topic that is confusing for many and painful for many more. My hope is that this book, far from being the last word on deconstruction, becomes a meaningful contribution to the larger conversation.

To everyone who pre-ordered this book, thank you.

It’s no secret in the publishing industry that pre-orders help make or break a book. I’ve been told the pre-orders have been strong—especially for a first-time, unknown author like myself—and that’s because of you. You took a chance on this before anyone had read it, before any reviews were out, and with almost no idea what was in it. I don’t take that for granted at all.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you haven’t ordered it yet, would you consider it? I’ve already heard from parents who bought it thinking about their kids, folks who want to better love their friends who are deconstructing, and pastors who have told me they’re buying multiple copies to put on the church bookshelf. All of these are exactly the uses I had hoped for.

If you want to start reading while you wait for your copy, here is the Introduction and Chapter 1. You can read them here.

Here is the table of contents.

I want to say a huge thank you to Gavin Ortlund for writing the Foreward. He’s an inspiration and I wish someone like him was doing the work he’s doing when I was deconstructing. One of the reasons I wanted Gavin to write the foreward is that I hope people who read my book go watch his content and read his books after. I believe his work is the perfect companion to my book.

There are many, many more thank you’s I could give. This book didn’t happen because of me, but because of many people who believed in me, took a chance, and made this happen.

If this is the only book I ever get to write, it’s the one I wanted to write. I’ll keep writing on this here Substack and, if this book does well enough, maybe I’ll have the chance to write more. But I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to write this one. And if it’s all I get to write, I’m happy.

After you read it, make sure to leave a rating (and review!) on Amazon. Every author says it, but those things really move the needle. But even more importantly, tell someone you know in real life about it.

And even more importantly than that, I hope it helps you faithfully walk with those who are deconstructing. And even more fundamentally than that, I hope it strengthens and encourages you in your own faith, and that strength overflows in your love for God and others.

That’s what it’s all about.

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