To Rebehold the Stars: Reimaging Fath and Formation After Deconstruction (Tiffany Yecke Brooks) - Review
A significant number of Christians
have been undergoing what is known as deconstruction. For some, that means not
only leaving behind belief systems that no longer work, but the Christian faith
itself. There are others who, after shedding unworkable belief systems and
practices, seek to rebuild their faith. There is more than one way of doing
this, which is why we are seeing an increasing number of books, podcasts, and
other sites that offer guidance. Among those resources is a book I recently
reviewed and recommended to those seeking a path forward. That book would be James
McGrath’s helpful book written from a progressive Christian perspective
titled Beyond Deconstruction: Building a More Expansive Faith (Eerdmans).
Eerdmans has produced another book that seeks to address the issue of reconstruction
after deconstruction. That book is Tiffany Yecke Brooks’ To Rebehold the Stars: Reimagining Faith
and Formation after Deconstruction. I would like to point out the letters
"re" in the title word Rebehold. These two letters will serve
as entry points to each step of Brooks’ process of spiritual reconstruction.
Different authors bring different
perspectives to similar conversations. So, whereas James McGrath is a biblical
scholar, Brooks has a PhD in English as well as an MA in spiritual formation
from Portland Seminary (George Fox University). Both authors bring their own
stories into the conversation since both have undertaken the journey from
conservative Protestantism to deconstruction to reconstruction of something new.
What Brooks brings to the conversation is her interest in spiritual formation. While
Brooks doesn't come out and reveal her prior religious background that led to
her own journey of deconstruction, it seems clear from the names of several of the
endorsers to the book, some of whom are friends, that her spiritual roots lie in
the Churches of Christ (Stone Campbell Movement). She also reveals that some of
the material present in the book was shared with a gathering at a Disciples of Christ
Church, which leads me to believe that she has moved from the Churches of Christ
to the Disciples as she took this journey of deconstruction/reconstruction. That
makes sense for someone who is moving from a more conservative background to
one that is more progressive, and yet is in the same basic tradition.
As for the book itself, there are
fifteen chapters, all of which are introduced with an introductory chapter
titled "Rebehold the Stars." Perhaps unsurprisingly for one with a
PhD in English, Brooks begins her introduction with a line from Dante's Inferno
(Divine Comedy), where two men "rebehold the stars," as they escape
the underworld. This is what she offers her readers, a process by which they
might escape the underworld, rebehold the stars, and rebuild their faith
without falling into the traps of the old ways. So, here is a book focused on
spiritual formation for those who, in her words, have "dragged yourself
out of Hell."
Once you drag yourself out of hell,
the process of reconstruction begins. The starting place for that is revealed
in a chapter titled "Rename" (Chapter 1). She points out that the two
letters "re" are very loaded, in that they speak, at least in legal
terms, of “pertaining to” or “regarding.” They can also be used to speak of something
happening “again,” and a variety of other meanings. But as we will see going
forward, each of the words that name the chapters speaks of something new. Thus,
the point of this first chapter is that language is important and that
"new vocabulary allows for new categories of thought and new ways of
making sense of the world" (p. 6). Reconstruction requires us to change
our vocabulary, so each of the chapters begins with the letters “re.”
Having started the journey by
embracing new vocabulary, we can move forward in the process with a chapter
titled "Reimagine" (Chapter 2). Here, Brooks invites us to "let
go of rigid certainty and open ourselves up to the mystery and awe of standing
in the presence of the Creator." As we open ourselves to new
possibilities, we can experience a "Renaissance" in which we can be
and become who we really are (Chapter 3). In this chapter, she provides a
series of questions that will allow readers to think through their own
identities. This process continues in Chapter 4, titled "Reassess."
With this step in the process of reconstruction of one’s faith, a person builds
a spirituality that is authentic to who they are as a person. Chapter 5 is
titled "Recognize," and focuses on a person's emotions as they
reconstruct. Then in Chapter 6, titled "Re-View," Brooks invites the
reader to look back at some of the older but familiar "church-y"
words that they had used in their prior spiritual life and "remystify them
in order to appreciate their meaning without the personal or cultural baggage
that may have become attached to them over time" (p. 79). These terms
include sin, forgiveness, righteousness, salvation, discipline, and evangelism.
After we engage in this review, Brooks invites us to "Revisit"
(Chapter 7), which focuses on the role Tradition plays in this process. In revisiting
tradition, she offers us what she calls a "tradition audit." She
writes of this audit that "we don't want to reject meaningful expressions
of faith simply because they are part of our deconstructed spirituality, but
neither do we want to colonize the new shape of our faith with unexamined ideas
or problematic theology simply because they are convenient" (p. 107). This
seems wise to me.
Having engaged with and reclaimed the
traditions of the faith, we find ourselves at the halfway point in this process
of reconstruction. The journey continues in chapter 8, which is titled
"Reconsider." In this chapter, Brooks speaks of "finding new
ways of understanding" by examining our images or understandings of God’s nature.
In other words, this is an invitation to do some theological work. That work
continues with a chapter that may seem out of place at first, but which will
make sense once it is explained. So, Chapter 9 is titled "Reincarnation
(Not that Kind).” With this chapter, Brooks invites us to consider the person
of Christ, the way we perceive holiness, and read Scripture. Of this “reincarnation,” she writes that “God
is entering into the world so that we may see, hear, taste, smell, touch, and
know God better. When we learn to recognize the subtleties of God, we become
more keenly aware of God’s presence—whether we are seeking or being sought” (p.
129). With this invitation to ponder the incarnation, we turn in Chapter 10, which
is titled "Revise," to a conversation about many of the traditional
spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and fasting, rethinking how they might
play in a reconstructed faith. If Chapter 10 focuses on traditional spiritual
disciplines, Chapter 11, titled "Revamp," invites readers to create
new spiritual practices beginning with justice, intentional scripture study,
confession, lament, celebration, and creation. After two chapters focused on
spiritual disciplines, in Chapter 12, Brooks offers a chapter titled
"Receive," which speaks to our relationship with suffering,
acknowledging that there are no easy answers or solutions. Besides lament, she
suggests the only real responses are to “endure it, exit it, or ease it” (p. 175).
It seems to me that she recognizes that our attempts at developing theodicies
(defenses of God in the face of suffering are of limited value). From dealing
with suffering, we move to a chapter titled "Reconcile or Release," which
speaks to how we engage in forgiveness (Chapter 13).
Having gone through these various
steps of reconstruction, such that one can leave behind the kinds of faith
experiences that have proven destructive or unhelpful, while creating new
practices and theological understandings that make more sense, perhaps now it
is time to "Reengage" (Chapter 14). By this, Brooks means the process
of finding a new faith community that fits, perhaps not perfectly, but still
fits the new spiritual realities. The assumption, perhaps from the beginning,
is that the journey of faith is best experienced in the company of others. While
this is true, she cautions the reader not to jump too soon into a new community.
Rather, she encourages the reader to reenter/reengage carefully and with great
thought. Having invited the reader to reengage in a faith community, Brooks
concludes the book with a chapter she titles "Blessed (Re)Assurance."
Readers might recognize the old gospel song Brooks uses to title the chapter,
with a slight but important emendation. What she wishes to communicate here is
that reengaging after going through this process of reconstruction doesn't
promise safety, as if there will be no risks. However, there is the possibility
of security. By that, she means that when you encounter rough times, you won't
be lost. Ultimately, what this all means, getting back to Dante, is that we can
"rebehold the stars" together as reconstructed persons.
As is true of James McGrath's book
concerning reconstruction, what I appreciate about Tiffany Yecke Brooks’ book To Rebehold the Stars is that she offers readers a sense of hope that
deconstruction need not lead a person to abandon the Christian faith or abandon
the possibility of finding a community of faith that fits a person's new
understandings of the faith. There are places where a person’s newfound sense
of faith can find a home that will nurture and empower them. It may take time
to find that place, but one needn’t end up without a spiritual home. So, I hope that those who read Tiffany Yecke
Brooks’ To Rebold the Stars will “rebold the stars” and find that path
to spiritual reconstruction.
A person may purchase a copy of To Rebehold the Stars at their favorite retailer, including my Amazon affiliate or my Bookshop.org store.
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