I am very grateful to have stumbled upon this book. Without knowing it, I have been going through a deconstruction process of my faith for years, and this book has really helped to understand the process and put a name to certain ideas and concepts. This book is targeted mainly to christians or believers immersed in a toxic religion setting. This is why probably this book won't fly off the shelves necessarily, since a great number of professing christians would find the process of faith deconstruction almost heretic and intimidating to their faith, which they are taught never to question.. But for anyone who is willing to give an honest look to their beliefs and how the church environment has affected them for better or for worse (and yes, there is a lot of "for worse"), this book is for you. Deconstruction invites us to become honest about what we believe, why we believe it, how it affects us. It invites us to break down our faith to abandon easy black and white answers and absolutism that has blindly lead many honest believers into undiscovered bias, limiting beliefs and letting toxic religion opress us and others. All of these concepts are quite challenging and demand work and effort, and this is why I don't think that many christians are willing to put in this effort, but it is worth it and the book hopes to be a guide, not providing a set amount of steps (which would again be in a sense inspired by legalism), but giving pointers, since the process will be unique for everyone. I hope and believe this book will be a useful tool for anyone is willing to go through the vulnerable exploration process that deconstruction welcomes.

This was such a unique read and I'm glad I got a chance to read it while going through my journey of deconstruction. Angela's tone is comforting and empathetic, which is what you need when going through something so personal. The advice she gives is helpful and the reassurance that whoever is going through a process of questioning aspects of their faith is not alone. It can be very isolating and you feel misunderstood, but if there's one thing I took away from this book is that it's completely okay to question what you believe and most importantly, that I'm not alone in this journey. I've connected with others who feel similarly and that also found Angela through this book. Whether or not you believe deconstruction is legit or not, I think everyone wanting to understand different perspectives and experiences to pick this up and give it a read. I loved this book because she's not telling you how to feel or saying that there's one outcome of going through deconstruction. I think it's important to recognize that it's unique to each person and she gives you permission to take what you want and get from this book whatever resonates and helps you process and move forward. Highly recommend!

I appreciated this book seeing deconstruction as something normal and even healthy rather than as a slippery slope towards unbelief.

Thank you for the opportunity to read the eARC, I think this is an important read for anyone in the deconstructing process.

Angela Herrington is an expert on deconstruction, providing coaching, community, and online seminars on the topic to an audience of spiritually hurting and searching former Evangelicals. In this book, her goal is to “keep you company in the wilderness” because “you, my friend, are your own best deconstruction guide.”

Herrington defines deconstruction as “an essential season of moving away from toxic, man-made religion and moving toward the wild, sacred, and holy Creator of all things.”

There are a lot of helpful tools and concepts in the book, such as embodied curiosity, checking in with yourself, releasing old beliefs, recentering on new ones, and having self-compassion. I found the chapter on “packing for the wilderness” very helpful for describing the self-care practices that are needed during deconstruction. Less helpful to me were the explanations of the ways the Church has historically oppressed other people groups. The suggestion to adjust your social media feed to learn new beliefs seems less grounded than finding other sources of knowledge. Yet, the chapter on examining and sorting your beliefs using “buckets” was very practical and useful. The seven categories of toxic beliefs to reevaluate was on point. Many of the tools Herrington offers are in line with best practices in psychology and ones I will use and recommend to my own clients.

Herrington proposes that deconstruction is an individual and systemic process that results in “a radical correction of the power imbalance by decentering white, patriarchal Christianity". Her approach centers on restructuring power and uplifting marginalized voices. Deconstruction is “about ending the harm we do to others by reinforcing a structure that oppresses them.” While a good and necessary goal, this approach may not resonate as much with Christians who see deconstruction less as a systemic restructuring and more as a path to a deeper personal faith and richer theology.

Overall, there are many helpful tools and concepts that will make this book most appealing to progressive, exvangelical, and post-Christian readers looking for “company in the wilderness”.