Rev. Karla is an amazing soul with a passion for helping people on their spiritual journey, and that shines through in this book.

If you are looking for something that will deconstruct you into another view of Christianity, this is not the text for you. If you want something that leaves things open for you to explore, you will enjoy this partial memoir, partial prescriptive journey through a wise woman's view of faith.

There is so much in this book that resonated with me, from misogyny, spiritual abuse and gaslighting, excluding the LGBTQ+ community, relationships that are based entirely on church activities, a desire for in-house training rather than theological training, and elevating young men chosen by leadership to become pastors, leaders and advisors before there is any emotional maturity.

For all of these reasons I have become unchurched and know many who have, but there’s one difference from my experience to the author’s - I still believe in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The issues I have with the various churches I have attended or considered attending are due to the perversion of scripture rather than my belief in the Trinity.

The author hints in Chapter 4 that she believes the resurrection to be a parable ir allegory like some okd testament books like Daniel, Job and Jonah, without explanation. Then again in Chapter 8 states that Jesus is no longer central ti her spirituality.

What is missing for me in this book is why? I’d love to understand the research and thought process she went through since there are many different types of deconstructions and this is glaringly absent in the book.

I love Rev Karla in TikTok. She has such a gentle way of speaking. That comes across throughout her book as well. It's a beautiful look at deconstructing a toxic faith.

I tend to gravitate to books about people questioning their Christian faith. While I do attend a progressive church now, I grew up in a very agnostic family…so questioning is what I am familiar with. This book contained some good talking points but every time the author called the reader “beloved”, I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. So, obviously this book is not for me. I do believe someone who has dealt with religious trauma may find the tone soothing. I received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

To put it simply this is a great book. I came across the author back in 2020 on tiktok. Over the years of watching her videos and then listening to her podcast, Spirituality Matters, I was able to feel better about going on a deconstructing journey. She was able to connect with people talking about interactions people have had at church and trying to answer questions for those hurt by the church. When I found out she was writing a book I was thrilled.

This book gives me the same feeling I get from her videos and podcast. She will call you beloved and you can feel the kindness from it. Karla shares her journey and what it can mean to deconstruct from a high control religion. She can make it feel okay to deconstruct and ask the questions that high control religion would tell you not to. This isn't a book to tell you how to deconstruct because Karla wants the reader to understand that the journey will be different for everyone. That is why we need to question and decide how we feel with the answer or lack of answer that we get.

I will be posting a review on my blog closer to release date.

This is really a bold step to take from Karla to questioning again about her religion and goes beyond that, to find new spirituality that is good for her journey next in life. Deconstructing, probably should be read cautiously and carefully.

This was a really interesting book, and I appreciated the Author's honesty and vulnerability in discussing her struggles with the evangelical church and finally leaving and finding her own faith in her own way. I found it difficult to connect with the author's story, potentially because I live in Canada and the evangelical church in Canada on the whole looks nothing like the evangelical church in the US, or because although I have deconstructed some pieces of the faith I was raised in I have not felt the need to leave the church completely. I also found that though the author said several times that people need to find what works for them and let go of what they need to let go of and find what they need to find based on their own lives, she also made it seem that if you didn't let go of the things that she let go of and embrace the things she embraced that you weren't doing it right. I think this book would speak far more to someone deconstructing from the US evangelical church, than to someone like myself who was raised in far less restrictive church environments.

As someone who grew up in a very religious household, this book really helped me out. Deconstructing is a great book for those who have always been told what to believe without being told why and basically being brainwashed to believe certain things because "the Bible says so." I will definitely be buying this book for my personal library and recommending it for my patrons to read as well.

This is an interesting take on Deconstruction of Christianity.
What makes it different is the author is coming from an older perspective. So far all the deconstruction stories I have heard have been from millennial generation. When I first started reading it, it was a bit of a slow pace. But as you get further into the story, she also starts quoting people to back up information on her experiences. She also start adding food for thought questions to the reader. I found this extremely helpful and insightful to understand her perspective, and where she comes from. Coming from an older generation, the author has most definitely seen a lot more misogyny, and patriarchy throughout her life and within the church. Some of the stories she talks about her absolutely shocking. And one thing I do enjoy about her overall message is that the church is made up of broken people. Hence why there’s so many denominations, but it’s up to us not to fall into the trap of “being a good Christian “ because that is what is modeled within the church.

Disclaimer I am a Bible, believing Christian that does go to a southern Baptist church. In no way, does her book indoctrinate anyone into her own beliefs. It gives her life experience and allows the reader to open their mind a bit more as to why it’s important to have your own relationship with Jesus and not follow man.

Let's state the obvious up front. Karla Kamstra's "Deconstructing: Leaving Church, Finding Faith" will have its detractors.

It will be ripped apart in certain Christian circles, especially those of a more evangelical persuasion.

Yet, and I'm sure Kamstra is already aware of this, it is also likely to be at least a little rejected by even the more progressive side of Christianity struggling her more interfaith approach to spirituality and broadened views on what it means to "deconstruct" not quite resonating.

For those unaware, Rev. Karla Kamstra maintains a Tik-Tok ministry with over 500,000 followers. In this setting (and yes, I believe a social media-based ministry is legit), Kamstra has taken God out of the dogmatic, denominational box and placed Her (and yes, Kamstra has an entire chapter on the Divine Feminine) into a more universal realm.

So, for Kamstra, "Deconstructing" is both an exploration of her own religious trauma and ultimate deconstruction toward a widened and more inclusive relationship with faith and with jesus and a gentle guide for others seeking to maintain spirituality in a less tangled and healthier way.

Over the course of "Deconstructing," Kamstra takes us into the spiritual wilderness while discussing the emotional fallout and deep-diving into patriarchy, Biblical issues, the hurtful church, discovering the divine, reconciliation, next steps, and life after deconstruction. In each of the book's nine chapters, Kamstra offers both reflection points and tangible action guides toward embarking on the journey in a way that empowers self-care and also reflects her own journey.

I appreciated, as well, Kamstra's inclusion of resources, definitions, and even some contemporary artists who have experienced some degree of deconstruction (for example, Nichole Nordeman).

"Deconstructing" will most resonate those feeling more comfortable with an interfaith spirituality that breaks down walls and passionately affirms. For those seeking a more Christian-based, or even evangelical, approach toward the subject "Deconstructing" is likely to feel incomplete.

As an ordained interfaith pastor who currently aligns with the Presbyterian denomination (PC-USA) but is not ordained Presbyterian, I found much to appreciate within "Deconstructing" and found Rev. Karla to in many ways remind me of the pastor I studied under as I was healing from the religious trauma of my childhood (as a Jehovah's Witness, undeniably cultish). While my own journey remains more centered within Christianity, "Deconstructing" is a valuable guide for those exploring the full spectrum of what it means to be faithful and what it means to discover a life-affirming and giving faith.

At times, I found "Deconstructing" more prescriptive than facilitating. This was especially true early in the book and in the section where Kamstra's obvious passion for the Divine Feminine comes to life. I also, at times, longed for Kamstra to lean more into her background for those of us for whom "Deconstructing" is an introduction to her ministry.

However, these are minor quibbles for what is an otherwise gentle (possibly too gentle), honest, and authentic journey through what it means to deconstruct and what it means to ultimately discover one's own faith journey whether immersed in Christianity, Buddhism, interfaith spirituality, or others.