August 19, 2021
Today, I’ll talk about the enduring classic story structure of the Hero’s Journey and examine how it relates to faith deconstruction.
I recently wrote that faith deconstruction can be frustrating because it seems like there’s an inevitability about it. Once the first glimpse of the Truth is had—once the first pillar falls—the rest comes tumbling down no matter how hard we try to keep it all standing. You’ll see this same theme in the Hero’s Journey, which is why I think it’s helpful to view the deconstruction and deconversion process as you being on your own Hero’s Journey.
If you aren’t familiar with the Hero’s Journey, it’s a common structure that underlies most famous stories—from myths passed down from ancient cultures to modern Hollywood blockbusters.
The Hero’s Journey is taught in pretty much every storytelling class or course. If your tale emulates the general plot points of the Hero’s Journey, your story is more likely to resonate with wider audiences. The ancient, seemingly timeless pattern of the Hero’s Journey transforms your story from a line of random events to a powerful allegory that speaks on what it means to be human.
Since enduring myths, books, and films are usually powerful allegories for the human experience, it can be helpful to view your own life—particularly your faith deconstruction—through the lens of the Hero’s Journey. All great stories are about change, after all. You are the protagonist of your story—your lived experience. You are the Hero.
To better understand this, here’s a quick breakdown of the Hero’s Journey:
The Hero’s Journey is traditionally about someone who starts off living comfortably in the “Normal World” where everything is as he’s accustomed to. Then an “Inciting Incident” forces him from his status quo and onto a journey. At first, the Hero refuses the “Call to Adventure.” He’s afraid or feels unprepared or unworthy. He doesn’t want to give up the comfort of the Normal World. Eventually, the Hero decides to leave the Normal World and cross into the New World, which is very different from the world he’s used to.
As the Hero ventures forth, he encounters trials and obstacles. Some of them are external, such as enemies who seek to defeat him. Some are internal, such as the Hero’s feelings of inadequacy, which are also capable of defeating him. Along the way, the Hero is aided by allies and guided by a mentor who has already been through what the Hero is experiencing.
Before the Hero can complete his journey, he must undergo a crushing defeat or major setback that threatens to destroy him. The Hero must then use all he’s learned from his journey to overcome this setback and ultimately defeat his enemies, the most important of which are usually the ones inside him. The Hero then returns to his Normal World but is forever changed by what he went through. He will never be the same again.
If this structure sounds familiar, it’s because many classic stories such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings are based on the Hero’s Journey.
What does all of this have to do with you and your faith deconstruction? It can be helpful to visualize your deconversion as your own Hero’s Journey. Let’s plug the story of you leaving the Church into the famous story structure:
The Inciting Incident was likely a new piece of knowledge or information that you couldn’t ignore. Perhaps you finally became aware of the glaring contradictions in the Bible or you got fed up with your head pastor’s bad behavior. Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to drive you from your Normal World (the Church). I imagine you refused the Call to Adventure for some time by trying to force yourself to remain a believer. Ultimately, however, there was no turning back. You entered your New World—a place of questioning, unlearning, deconstructing, rebuilding, and living your life differently. This New World was filled with trials, obstacles, and roadblocks. There were enemies, both external and internal. You also met allies and mentors.
This Hero’s Journey mindset will especially come in handy when you encounter the major setback—that moment when you feel like defeat is imminent and all is lost. For most, it’s the time when they realize their faith deconstruction has thrown all or most of their seven life areas into disarray—things they once thought were permanent fixtures in their lives fall away such as their friends, their still-believing spouse, or maybe even their job if they were employed by a church. Essentially, they feel like they need to start their whole lives over completely.
But you now know that this major setback moment is not where the Hero’s Journey—your story—ends. This moment is actually the final test. You will break through to the other side victorious, stronger, wiser, changed, and prepared to mentor the next wave of Heroes who will follow in your steps.