Regenerate
Following Jesus after Deconstruction
Foreword by Kurt Willems
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
"Loss. Fear. Doubt. What does anything mean when your ground of being is stripped away?"
Tony met God when he was four years old through the love of his mother. When he was twelve, he realized he had a crush on one of his male friends and grew convinced God would have nothing to do with him. At sixteen, Tony reencountered God who affirmed that nothing stood between them but love. When he was twenty-three, married to the girl of his dreams, and on staff at a church, Tony's secret came out, and he came close to losing it all.
What followed was arduous years of deconstruction, losing everything he thought he knew about God, only to rediscover God in the mystery. This God was not a new God--it was the same one as before, just seen with regenerated faith. This God was more beautiful and restorative than Tony could have ever imagined.
Tony's story is not uncommon in the modern evangelical landscape. Thousands of people throughout the West are experiencing a crisis of faith that is commonly referred to as "deconstruction." With raw honesty, Tony uses his own story as a starting point for a dialogue on the deconstruction process. Tony unpacks what the deconstruction process is, why it happens, and how the church can help people experiencing a crisis of faith without worsening it along the way. In this memoir, Tony candidly pleads for the church to make a turn: not to a trendier, "progressive" version of Christianity, nor to a stricter form of fundamentalism, but to the revolutionary, Jesus-centered movement that changed the face of the earth. A movement once better known for its society of healing love than its dogma.
Tony Scarcello is a pastor, speaker, and writer located in Springfield, Oregon. He regularly speaks at churches, camps, retreats, and conferences. Tony is also the host of the Regenerate Podcast, a podcast dedicated to having the critical conversations required to regenerate our faith. When he isn’t doing those things you can find him analyzing movies, reading theology, or spending time with his wife Kelsey, friends, and family. Connect with Tony at TonyScarcello.com.
“I can’t express how deeply I believe in Tony’s work, and this book. The topic of following Jesus in the age of deconstruction is not only overlooked, it is rarely thought about as clearly as it is here. We are lucky to have Tony thinking through this for us. It’s a gift.”
—A. J. Swoboda, Assistant Professor of Bible and World Christianity, Bushnell University, and author of Subversive Sabbath
“Tony provides an honest and vulnerable space to bring our own journeys of deconstruction, disappointment, and hope by offering his first. This book is an important piece in guiding us to move beyond simply intellectualizing spirituality. It instead offers a path forward rooted in seeing the past, healing in the present, and hoping for the future.”
—Brandi Miller, Director, Tacoma Justice Program
“I found myself experiencing a full range of human emotions as I was clinging to these pages. One moment I was laughing out loud, while the next I was fighting back tears. Regenerate reads like a movie—one which will resonate with so many Christians wrestling with their faith while seeking to follow Jesus. If you’ve ever peeled back the thin veneer of happy clappy Christianity and wondered if the actual Jesus is really worth following, then this book is a must-read. One of the best books I’ve read this year.”
—Preston Sprinkle, President of The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender
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