The author discusses his personal faith trials and would provide a pastoral word to those undergoing doubt and "deconstruction."

The author explores deconstruction and doubt, tells his personal story of exhaustion and burnout, makes reference to those with whom he has worked through deconstruction experiences, and challenges a lot of the sources of doubts.

Yet I found the work highly disappointing and even distressing. I have appreciated previous works by the author and had high hopes for his consideration of doubt and deconstruction. I am in no position to judge the author or the situations he has spoken; all I can say is that those whom I have encountered who have gone through an experience of "deconstruction" would more likely be further repelled from Christianity than brought back in based on what is presented in this book.

The way he approaches and views "deconstruction" is defensive throughout with a strong desire to defend and protect the institution of the church. Therefore, it never seems as if he has really grappled with the profound brokenness and suffering that has led many to deconstruct. I fear this is what The Gospel Coalition, for instance, would love "deconstruction" to be, and the author's advice and posturing is exactly what I would expect TGC to advocate for in such circumstances.

Thus, the last person I would give this book to is someone who has gone through very real church hurt and trauma. It does not truly honor what they have endured. It is not nearly perspicacious enough to deal with the real sinfulness present in church members and institutions. Sadly, it's what one would expect to hear about deconstruction from a rather uncritical white Evangelical who will admit there's some difficulties but doesn't want to explore those difficulties too deeply. There's no call for lament and repentance in churches or institutions. One hears little of how God's judgment begins in His household. This is designed to be a spiritual slap in the face to tell doubters to get over it.

Maybe that will work for some. But not for all, or even most. Not recommended.

I appreciated this book and found it to be well written, practical and hopeful. I appreciate A.J. Swoboda's voice and writing.

A.J. Swoboda has re-written the narrative around doubt in evangelical circles at a time when the word “desconstruction” has become almost a slogan for the visible and the influential. He suggests that, rather than a sign that our faith is circling the drain, our struggle with faith might be “the surest sign we actually have one.” (377) After Doubt, with its implied message that there is, indeed, Christianity “after doubt,” is brutally honest, but intensely hopeful about all that is good and joyful when believers allow time for reconstruction to follow the seasons of deconstruction that happen in the course of a following life.

Rather than glorifying deconstruction or dismissing doubt, what if we believed that Jesus is actually fully present in the chasm between doubt and faith? What if on the other side of the chasm there lies a deeper hope and trust in Christ? Swoboda advocates for navigating doubt through spiritual practices and through prudent management of one’s thought life and one’s choice of companions.

It turns out that our contemporary Western world with our Enlightenment sensibilities is more predisposed to leaving than to staying and to moving on rather than honoring where we came from. I am not immune to this either, having borrowed Philip Yancey’s moniker as a “recovering fundamentalist” more than once over the years. Readers exhausted with the prevalence of deconstruction narratives will rejoice to see it used, not as a sign post at the opening of a dark, yawning chasm, but instead as a bridge under our feet as we join centuries of faithful followers in the ongoing process of construction, deconstruction, and blessed, grace-fueled REconstruction to the glory of God.

Many thanks to Brazos Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

Rarely have I been so moved by a work of Christian nonfiction that offers countless, tangible ways to unpack and closely examine not only wrong beliefs [about God, self and the church] but also the dangerous, real-life implications of errant theology. As a mid-30s woman who has identified as a follower of Christ for most of my life, I read this book with great appreciation and felt validation for this timely subject matter; ultimately, Swoboda delicately yet precisely details a deconstructive journey that ultimately leads to new opportunities of offering greater glory to God by loving Him more than one's mere ideas of Him.

I would have given this book five stars except for the fact I do not recognize the author's affirmation of charismatic Christianity as an orthodox denomination of the faith. Swoboda's very minimal references to this theological umbrella personally distract and trigger unpleasant memories of my own time in charismatic churches. However, I understand and applaud his readiness for full-disclosure on this front.

Ultimately, this book's merit stands on its own feet and does not in and of itself depend upon charismatic undertones; that withstanding, my high review does not imply endorsement for charismatic doctrines/teachings. Please read--you will be blessed.

In After Doubt, A.J. Swoboda tackles the "deconstruction" phenomenon that has swept through Western Christianity, especially in the last decade. Swoboda himself has gone through phases of spiritual deconstruction and doubt, and his experiences led him through deconstruction into "reconstruction", where he believes he has re-discovered the essence of what it means to follow Jesus. This work is largely reactionary - as a pastor in Portland, Oregon, Swoboda regularly meets with congregants who are raised in conservative (or fundamentalist) Christian homes and experience faith crises when exposed to the big, bad world. Additionally, he sees the response of his secular city toward the headlines regarding Evangelicalism and anticipates his readers' discomfort with the Western Church.

Swoboda's work is decisively pastoral - he doesn't spend enough time delineating the reasons behind spiritual deconstruction, and instead focuses on trite lists of controversial issues without really engaging them. The work may have been stronger if Swoboda had dedicated a chapter to specific theological issues that may cause doubt, exploring the motivations behind those controversies, and pointing his readers to resources for further study.

By moving too quickly toward reconstruction, Swoboda runs the risk of alienating readers who are in the midst of deconstruction. Additionally, Swoboda tends to repeat similar themes across chapters by listing binary conservative and progressive reactions to what he sees at orthodox Christianity.

Swoboda's work was helpful in looking at the topic of deconstruction from a bird's eye view and challenging the narrative of post-modern skepticism. The book is simple and inspiring, but not necessarily transformative.

When I filled out the form to join the launch team for After Doubt I had no idea what I was getting into. I had never heard of A.J. I had never read one of his books or heard a sermon by him. All I knew was that I was looking for more information and perspectives on the ideas of deconstruction and I was willing to pick up a book by someone I had never heard of to expand my knowledge. But I’m glad I took that chance.


As it turns out, After Doubt is a more… orthodox approach to the concepts of doubt, deconstruction, and reconstruction. And after years of hearing only progressive Christians really approach the topic of deconstruction in detail, and conservatives only really expressing wariness at using those terms, it is a relief to hear someone say, “it’s okay to have doubts, just don’t stay there.”

In short, it’s the book I needed five years ago when I was confronted with a rather large set of doubts of my own. But like all works that have been committed to the will of God, I think it’s been published at just the right time for others.

A.J. Swoboda’s book After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith Without Losing It (Brazos Press, 2021) was an excellent read on a subject that has recently become a flashpoint in the online evangelical/ex-vangelical space. Coincidentally, his book released the week after some major discourse on deconstruction was happening- to which this book would settle some folks down, hopefully.

Earlier on, he explains how he uses deconstruction and doubt synonymously. The “pro” of this is that it helps us see that we’ve been talking about this for a LONG time, just using different vocabulary. The “con” is that he misses some nuance about assuming constructs are valid to begin with.

He makes a good point about differentiation (which is healthy growth) and I think it can be helpful to acknowledge when this is the case rather than deconstruction/doubt. This would at least help us focus on what we are talking about when we say “deconstruction”.

There is a process of construct-ion that could have been more developed as this can help us understand better what it is that deconstruction is targeting. When those constructs are wrapped up in Christianity, it is hard to distinguish between them.

And when someone realizes that their spiritual community is complicit in perpetuating harmful constructs, it is right that should want change. The chapter on Discernment does a better job of addressing this, but it comes late.

His overriding concern is that deconstruction can become destruction, and that our current cultural moment does not prepare us navigate this well. At best, he is showing a path to create a dynamic life of faith. At worst, he is prescribing how deconstruction ought to be done.

Critique: I don’t feel he represents progressive Christians accurately or people whose deconstruction leads them to different constructs of understanding scripture and seeking to live faithfully. He admits a bit of his conservative evangelical biases toward the end of the book and it would be interesting to compare this with, say, Brian McLaren’s Faith After Doubt. (There just isn’t a lot of engagement with progressive folks, so their positions are sometimes simplistic or stereotyped.)

I also notice that his experience (campus ministry, church planting, and now teaching undergrads) has put him in contact with a lot of people who are naturally differentiating and evaluating their constructs. This shows in some of the examples he uses and it could have been stronger if he had demonstrated/engaged with people who had deconstructed in what he considers a “healthy” way. Maybe there will be a sequel.

Overall, this is a thoughtful treatment of the topic by someone who has walked the path himself. We may not share all of the same commitments now but I can see his honest efforts to assist people along the way.

I saw A. J. Swoboda’s book, After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing It, advertised last July on Twitter and was excited to read it. I started reading a digital version in mid-January thanks to @brazospress, and then received a physical copy a few weeks ago. Overall, I liked this book (the author’s left-leaning views were exposed several times, so I certainly didn’t agree with everything). But it’s got some great nuggets of wisdom for Christians struggling with doubt and for those who are thinking of leaving or who have, perhaps, already left their faith behind. Since we live in a culture that prioritizes authenticity and expressive individualism over honoring tradition, deconstructing one’s Christian faith is applauded. But there is a way forward: reconstruction. However the goal isn’t to reconstruct a new, unique faith but to recapture ancient Christianity with a whole new set of eyes in a way that is childlike, not childish.

Swoboda writes, “While there exist countless resources specifically crafted to help those who are crossing the chasm from doubt to faith, far more sparse are resources that aim to help people whose faith has meandered back toward doubt... Doubt and deconstruction play important roles in our journey of following Jesus. They can be exhilarating experiences. But also oppressive and hopeless. Though both have their dark sides, I will show that they can play a vital role in how we follow Jesus... In short, what I’m trying to do here is help my reader think through the how of doubt and deconstruction—the spiritual formation side of these experiences. This book, as such, is less about deconstruction and doubt as it is about how we walk through these experiences faithfully with and toward Jesus.”

When you’re deconstructing not because it’s trendy but because your theology has failed you, or you obey a version of God shaped by trauma, you can find plenty of voices to speak into the abyss as you rebuild. But not all of those voices will lead you to a truer experience of Christ. I was relieved that AJ chose to start this book by stating where he comes from theologically - you’re not left wondering where this man stands while he is helping you wade through the muck.

I have had the gift of AJ’s presence and his previous books to be my guide through that darkness. He’s not afraid to be a harsh critic of how our culture shapes our faith more than Jesus himself, but also not afraid to sit in the dark and wipe away the tears of those hurting from spiritual wounding. It’s one thing to write about that tension, but another to live in it. I’m overjoyed that everyone can have that same spiritual companionship through After Doubt.

There are many reasons for deconstructing faith, and I wish that After Doubt had spent more time discussing when it is necessary to deconstruct beliefs that are harmful, because folks in that camp (myself included) need more reinforcement. This book was a bit triggering as someone who is dealing with that. But this was challenging call to pay attention to what you are letting shape your reconstruction, which is a necessary message in our time and place. A Glorious Dark is a fantastic next read of AJs, if you have not read it yet.

After Doubt is something of a roadmap for the weary, and wary, faithful - faithful not because they are doubt-less but because in the midst of doubt, they are seeking a way forward. The tone of the book is decisively not a self-help book, but it remains a kind of help nonetheless. It's a book by a theologian who is also a former pastor and who cares deeply about the path of deconstruction, a path that has become more of a highway in our liquid age. The book is remarkably fair-minded, seeking a way toward reconstruction through (not around) doubt.

The book is divided into two parts that are, the author admits, rather different, a "discernible shift." In the first part, the reader gets oriented to the map - what doubt and deconstruction are, what they mean for theology and life, etc. If the reader is looking for a secular account of doubt, this is not it. It is thoroughly theological in its perspective. In the second part, the map becomes more of a GPS. Here, the embrace of ancient spiritual practices is refreshing for a book so in touch with contemporary culture. There are no trite steps toward spiritual renewal. What the reader finds instead is a useful, spiritual guide without the platitudes.

Overall, the author plots together both academic and popular conversations, resulting in an informed and inspiring book littered with unique insight and subtle humor. For the Christian on the road of doubt or deconstruction, the book will be both entertaining and challenging.

Few books are released in the "Contemporary Christian" category that speaks to the current moment and the past. This book is one of those. By reflecting on great leaders and writers of our Christian history, AJ Swoboda takes time to methodically break down our assumptions towards deconstruction and point us back to the point of our faith, Jesus Christ. I couldn't recommend the weekend this will take to invest into your walk with Jesus more than to read this book. No matter if you are conservative, democrat, protestant or catholic, this book will speak to your current walk with Jesus.

A. J. Swoboda’s “After Doubt” is a wonderfully wise and pastoral response to those feeling like they are walking on a spiritual waterbed and not on spiritual solid ground. A. J’s vulnerability, passion for people, love for God and truth, make this a must read for those experiencing a disorienting faith shift.