Deconverted
The Deconstruction and Dismantling of the Contemporary Church
by Jeffery Childress and John S. Knox
Foreword by Kenneth G. Warren
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Is the modern Christian church losing the battle against postmodern society and the current hate culture? Deconverted reflects research gathered from interviews with once self-professed Christians who have now walked away from the church and their previously deeply-held religious beliefs. With so much at risk in the lives of postmodern seekers, who is being misled and what apologetical truths can the church learn from this phenomenon?
Jeffery Childress is the Charlotte-East Chapter Director of Reasonable Faith and a current post-graduate student in Liberty University’s Doctor of Ministry program: Expository Teaching and Preaching. He also holds a MA in Christian Apologetics from Liberty University.
John S. Knox is Associate Professor of Psychology and Sociology at Liberty University. He has a PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK) in theology and religion (sociology of religion), an MA in sociology from Arizona State University, and an MATS in Christianity history and thought from George Fox University.
“Deconverted is a must-read for every pastor, church, and denominational leader. Authors Childress and Knox unpack the foundational reasons as to why members abandon church life (and the faith) in postmodernity. However, they also offer valuable insights on how to stop this trend. More than just relevant critical analysis of dangerous ecclesiological attitudes, this book provides tangible hope and strategies for the future of the Christian church.”
—Timotheos Tsohantaridis, George Fox University, emeritus
“Childress and Knox are spot on as to why we are having a crisis of faith in our world. We have become a nation that does not need Yahweh, because we have substituted a relationship with God Almighty with a godless exercise of bankrupt humanism which leads us to lives without purpose. Read this to encourage you to begin to glorify your Lord and Savior so that you and yours may experience eternal life forever.”
—Joe Brown, Pastor, Restoration Church of the Carolinas
“For too long, the church has had a laissez-faire approach to those who claim they no longer believe in God. Fueled by the lack of discipleship, Christians don’t feel equipped to defend their faith. Childress and Knox have addressed both the problem and the church’s solution to allow the ‘truth’ to overcome in this postmodern era. Anyone who takes the time to read this will be enlightened and equipped to defend the cause of Christ.”
—Mike Whitson, Pastor, First Baptist of Indian Trail