Ep. 38: Recovering From Evangelicalism: The 5 Noble Truths of Deconstruction

Show Notes

Episode Summary

Leaving evangelicalism feels a lot like recovering from an addiction. “For a species wired for survival, we have an odd habit of getting hooked on things that can kill us,” writes science journalist and professor Michael D. Lemonick. Much like an addictive substance, evangelicalism felt good until it didn’t. Most of us began deconstructing evangelical fundamentalism with one goal in mind: to end the suffering that got us here in the first place. In this introductory episode to season two, Holy Heretics host Gary Alan Taylor introduces us to a path out of evangelicalism, a path paved by seekers and sojourners for thousands of years. Drawing from his own deconstruction and recovery journey, Gary Alan offers the “Five Noble Truths of Deconstruction,” and how can they offer healing, recovery, and a new life after evangelicalism.

Bio

Gary Alan Taylor is co-founder of The Sophia Society and co-host of Holy Heretics Podcast. He graduated from Milligan University and earned a M.A. in European History from East Tennessee State University. An international speaker, content creator, and writer, Gary Alan left evangelicalism after spending 26 years working in nonprofit ministry and higher educational institutions, including a ten year stint at Focus on the Family (don’t judge). Once an “evangelical’s evangelical,” it was during his time at Focus on the Family when he began to see the underbelly of evangelical culture, a movement built on domination, fear, cultural coercion, and white supremacy. He now works to help others in the deconstruction community find new spiritual pathways after evangelicalism. He and his wife Jennifer live in Monument, Colorado with their three children. They are confirmed in the Episcopal Church and are seeking a more contemplative, dare we say mystical version of Christianity. You can find him on Twitter @GaryAlanTaylor1 and on Instagram @garyalantaylor48.

Quotables

• “This season of Holy Heretics is all about recovery and reconstruction. Recovering first from the trauma, suffering, the pain, even the learned helplessness of conservative American evangelicalism.”

• “To fully recovery from evangelicalism, we must first accept that we have been in a great deal of pain for a long time.”

• “It’s not simply enough to sweep the house clean and renounce everything. At some point we have to start putting something there in its place…What is the spiritual path you are going to pursue, where are you going to go from here? Where is your heart leading you?”

• “Who were you before evangelical fundamentalism got to you? And how do you uncover that part of you that hasn’t been traumatized by this dominator religion?”

• “Deconstruction is the public act of spiritual lament.”

• “Without lament, we live in denial. Without lament, we can’t move forward.”

• “Deconstruction is the pursuit of truth.”

• “Evangelicalism at its root causes suffering.”

• “My favorite deconstructionists were the mystics, the desert mothers and fathers who in the fourth century fled a church who had gotten in bed with the Roman Empire .”

• “Just so you know, especially if you just jumped into the deconstruction space, you are probably going to be doing this for the rest of your life.”

• “Deconstruction is more than a journey out into the unknown, it is a quest to encounter God. In many ways, it is our quest to go back to God. ”

Timestamps and References

• [02:20]—Gary Alan says goodbye to Melanie

• [04:30]—What it means to recover from evangelicalism

• [08:51]—The First Noble Truth of Deconstruction

• [09:13]—The needed act of lament

• [12:19]—The Second Noble Truth of Deconstruction

• [13:45]—The core lies of evangelicalism

• [15:01]—The Third Noble Truth of Deconstruction

• [16:03]—Post Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS)

• [20:56]—The Fourth Noble Truth of Deconstruction

• [21:44]—Deconstruction: The second great reformation of the church

• [24:15]—The ancient tradition of deconstruction

• [26:35]—The Fifth Noble Truth of Deconstruction

• [27:32]—Gary Alan’s spiritual pilgrimage to London and the genesis of Holy Heretics

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Credits

This episode was written by Gary Alan Taylor and produced by The Sophia Society. Music is by Faith in Foxholes.