Positive Deconstruction
Encyclopedia
Positive deconstruction, in relation to Christian apologetics
, is a term first used by Nick Pollard in Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult (drawing on Dr. David Cook), to describe a methodology for engaging with worldviews in Christian apologetics. The process is one of deconstruction because it involves 'dismantling' the worldview in order to identify areas of conflict with a Christian worldview. It is positive because the intention is not to destroy a person's ideas and belief system, but to build on areas of agreement between the two worldviews in order to argue for the truth of the Christian worldview.
Pollard identifies four key aspects:
Tony Watkins develops this in relation to film in Focus: The Art and Soul of Cinema. He aims to make the positive deconstruction process more accessible, and accordingly re-labels the four aspects of the process (pp. 31–45):
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
, is a term first used by Nick Pollard in Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult (drawing on Dr. David Cook), to describe a methodology for engaging with worldviews in Christian apologetics. The process is one of deconstruction because it involves 'dismantling' the worldview in order to identify areas of conflict with a Christian worldview. It is positive because the intention is not to destroy a person's ideas and belief system, but to build on areas of agreement between the two worldviews in order to argue for the truth of the Christian worldview.
Pollard identifies four key aspects:
- Identify the worldview: What beliefs, values and attitudes are being communicated?
- Analyse the worldview, primarily in terms of the correspondenceCorrespondence theory of truthThe correspondence theory of truth states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world, and whether it accurately describes that world...
, coherenceCoherence theory of truthCoherence theory of truth regards truth as coherence with some specified set of sentences, propositions or beliefs. There is no single coherence theory of truth, but rather an assortment of perspectives that are commonly collected under this title...
and pragmaticPragmatic theory of truthPragmatic theory of truth refers to those accounts, definitions, and theories of the concept truth that distinguish the philosophies of pragmatism and pragmaticism...
theories of truth - Affirm the truth: what aspects of the worldview are in agreement with a Christian worldview?
- Deny the error: what aspects of the worldview are in conflict with a Christian worldview?
Tony Watkins develops this in relation to film in Focus: The Art and Soul of Cinema. He aims to make the positive deconstruction process more accessible, and accordingly re-labels the four aspects of the process (pp. 31–45):
- Analyse the worldview, in which he suggests a five-part framework for considering worldviews:
- What is reality?
- What does it mean to be human?
- How do we know what the good is?
- How do we know anything at all?
- What is the fundamental problem confronting all human beings, and what is the solution?
- Evaluate the worldview (as with Pollard's second stage, this is terms of correspondence, coherence, pragmatism)
- Celebrate the good
- Challenge the bad
Further reading
- Dahle, Lars. 'Acts 17 as an apologetic model', Whitefield Briefing, Vol. 7, No. 1 (March 2002). Also published on Culturewatch.org.
- Dahle, Lars. 'Encountering and Engaging a Postmodern Context: Applying the apologetic model in Acts 17', Whitefield Briefing, Vol. 7, No. 6 (December 2002). Also published on Culturewatch.org.
- Pollard, Nick; Harris, Paul; Watkins, Tony and Wall, Phil. Beyond the Fringe: Reaching People Outside the Church (Leicester: IVP, 1999)
- Watkins, Tony. Focus: The Art and Soul of Cinema (Milton Keynes: Damaris Books, 2007)