and thought leader." Rev. Mashaun D. Simon Photo credit Dr. Dee Dawkins Haigler, Rev. Mashaun D. Simon
On a recent episode of “Wake Up With Dee Morning Show,” host Dr. Dee Dawkins-Haigler spoke with Rev. Dr. Mashaun D. Simon, an award-winning journalist, preacher and thought leader, about his new book Faith Deconstruction for Dummies.
Rev Simon said his passion for writing started early. He wrote short stories throughout childhood and later joined Vox Youth Communications during high school. When it came time for college, he chose journalism over his other interest, music. “I chose journalism and chased the journalism bug for much of my life, my career,” he said.
Even with early success in the field, he began to question the direction of the industry. Sensationalism, he said, was becoming the priority. That shift, combined with people telling him he had a call to ministry, eventually led him to enroll in seminary. “I went to seminary to prove God wrong,” he said, noting that the experience ultimately led him into pastoral leadership and a decade of ministry work.
The idea for the book did not come from his doctoral research but from a personal essay he wrote as part of the Collegeville Institute’s Emerging Writers Fellowship. The essay explored his own process of rethinking long-held beliefs. Publishers at Wiley later discovered that piece and approached him to write Faith Deconstruction for Dummies. He initially declined. “I was not interested in engaging this topic,” he said, adding that he understood how seriously people view their faith and how defensive they can be about it.
Rev Simon eventually agreed, but only if he could approach the subject with care. His goal, he said, is not to strip people of their beliefs. “I’m not interested in snatching people’s faith from them,” he said. “I want to help them have a stronger faith and a stronger relationship with whatever divine entity they worship.”
A central theme of the book is distinguishing between faith and religion. Rev Simon explains that the two are not interchangeable. He defines religion as a system of structures and rules, while faith is more fluid. “You can have faith without religion, but you can’t have religion without faith,” he said.
The book also addresses issues that often lead people to question traditional teachings. Rev Simon discusses purity culture, patriarchal interpretations of scripture, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric across various faith traditions. He includes comparative chapters exploring Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, African traditional religions, and Indigenous spiritual practices.
To listen to the full interview, click the link above.