Five years ago, Ian Harber wrote an article that went viral just before the world shut down for the COVID-19 virus. The article tells the story of leaving and returning to an evangelical church. Based on response to that article, he’s far from alone in doubting the church and Christian beliefs. And hopefully not the only one who’s made his way home. Especially if you know someone doubting or even leaving the faith, I’ll hope you’ll listen and learn how to walk with them through the process and back home to God.

Ian has a new book, Walking Through Deconstruction: How to Be a Companion in a Crisis of Faith (IVP). Ian neither valorizes deconstruction nor dismisses this crisis of faith. As a result, he’s written a brutally honest, defiantly hopeful book that can help anyone undergoing this process as well as everyone who loves them.

Ian joined me on Gospelbound to discuss his journey through deconstructing and reconstructing his faith, examining the emotional aspects of doubt and anxiety, social media’s role, the distinction between deconstruction and apostasy, and the need for supportive church environments. I especially appreciated how he commended doctrine as the “script of reality” that centers our story on God, and not ourselves.