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Secondhand Smoke: Tri Robinson Discusses Deconstruction

Secondhand Smoke: Tri Robinson Discusses Deconstruction

Last updated on: March 11, 2026 at 8:09 am by Jeff McLain

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Secondhand Smoke: Tri Robinson Discusses Deconstruction 2026-03-11T08:09:24-04:00 Jeff McLain

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Deconstruction/ Reconstruction by Tri Robinson.

As Tri Robinson writes in Deconstruction/Reconstruction, the generations today are struggling with a reality in which “they believe the church has let them down, and, in some cases, they equate the church with Jesus. It’s hard for them to separate the two” (Robinson 2025, 44).

This is “Deconstruction,” as it is often called. Though many definitions have been offered to deconstruction, Robinson remarks, “most Christian sociologists have concluded that it speaks of people, primarily young people, who have rejected their faith in search of new spiritual truths. Most often, that truth results from both hunger and disillusionment and is contrived through human reasoning” (Robinson 2025, An Explanation).

As someone who emerged from the Jesus Revolution, Robinson is now looking at a world deconstructing faith, and he is convinced that our emerging generations authentically “need a revelation of His reality in their hearts before it makes sense in their minds” (Robinson 2025, 26). This is about “an authentic experience with the Holy Spirit…a revelation of Jesus for themselves” (Robinson 2025, 24).

Released in 2025, Deconstruction/Reconstruction: Conversations at the Dusty Thistle is a self-published work by a former Jesus Revolution member, a long-term pastor, and an established rancher who now looks at a very different world. Remarking on his own story and the story of the Jesus Revolution, Robinson shares that “these experiences occurred because of our hunger to know God better and to understand what He wanted for our lives. We lived with a kind of expectancy that He could speak to us in multiple ways, not just through theological concepts” (Robinson 2025, 25).

“Secondhand Smoke” and a Generation Under Stress

The reasons why we are seeing a large deconstruction in this generation have been varied and diverse. Robinson remarks that he sees these generations as suffering from “secondhand smoke.” He remarks:
“Our generation was the generation that witnessed the radical changes firsthand, but their children seem to be the greater recipients of the change. It’s like secondary smoke…when a person is a smoker, they have a good chance of getting cancer, but then those who live in a household of smokers, the ones who inhale the secondary smoke, can also get sick even though they never smoked. Maybe these kids are recipients of their parents’ cultural stress” (Robinson 2025, 46).

This statement made me think. This is a generation that is deeply anxious and carrying much confusion and stress. I have remarked before about how the movements that shaped me also became part of the problem. This image of secondhand smoke fits that well. As a father, I see a generation that is afraid and wants to be “around people who feel like” they do, who see what they see. This generation is admitting to being afraid of things “like climate change, the escalation of violence and hatred in the world, and a very uncertain future” (Robinson 2025, 8).

Though these feelings are part of “a healthy and normal part of an authentic faith journey,” we haven’t responded well, which is Robinson’s undertaking and theme. These are individuals who are post-trust. They no longer know what to trust, and the legalistic and short answers are not cutting it for them. I have been thinking about the post-trust reality in which we are living; this is at the heart of much of my doctoral work on the Lord’s Prayer at Kairos University. This truly shapes the world around us at this time. I can’t help but think all of that is the intentional fruit of evil.

The internet, social media, and the rapid advance in AI are partly to blame (Robinson 2025, 18). The news has added to the confusion. It is depressing and frightening to them, which is “why most of their generation opted to turn to the internet or cellphone feeds to get their sound bite information,” because the news seems like nothing but “unvetted biased commentary” (Robinson 2025, 18).

That has certainly eroded trust even more. However, some of their biggest concerns seem to be how they have seen their fears, cares, and concerns addressed by previous generations. This generation is sitting by wondering “why so many of the Christian community had bought into the extreme right-wing conspiracy theories when they were not only bogus but dangerous” (Robinson 2025, 18–19).

It is also theologically dangerous, because more than ever, these generations need an experience with the Holy Spirit, as I and others have had, but such experiences are becoming rare. Robinson points out that studies into church history show that “reliance on the Holy Spirit diminishes when the church turns to political solutions” (Robinson 2025, 64).

Deconstruction/ Reconstruction: Conversations at the Dusty Thistle by Tri Robinson

From Wonder to Professionalism

So why is the secondhand smoke burying the kids of the next generation? Perhaps because “nobody could have predicted or guessed what the church would look like after the Jesus Revolution started” (Robinson 2025, 96).

Perhaps what is most interesting is that this generation is growing up with the blessings and failures—the secondhand smoke—of the new norm for church, which was largely shaped by the Calvary Chapel and Vineyard USA movements. When that was emerging, no one stopped to “think about it” and what would happen afterwards (Robinson 2025, 96). When we are on the mountaintop, we rarely catch a glimpse or pause long enough to study what might emerge.

However, somewhere along the way, what was formed then has lost some of its DNA and luster, and has become, as Robinson says, “more professional, and in some ways, with less Spirit-filled activity” (Robinson 2025, 97). Ouch.

It is important to realize that what once defined the era Robinson comes from was a sense of wonder, that “our worship times were filled with wonder.” I remember some of those same experiences, even in the 90s and early 00s, when I was on my spiritual search. Along the way, that sense of wonder, which invited the presence of God, was replaced with professionalism, strategy, and platformed personalities (Robinson 2025, 97).

Two Shifts That Changed the Movement

What happened? What changed it all? Robinson explains two major shifts that, through his lens, led to many failures within the movement.

First, yuppies. These were those who were “young, educated, [and] rich” and sold out “to the establishment…Money has a way of changing people,” and so does power, I would add (Robinson 2025, 86). It is clear that the group that was once on the margins became the power in size and seat, and as a result, they were changed by having the thing they once rallied against.

Another significant failure in the movement was the emergence of the “Moral Majority.” Robinson explains that “Jerry Falwell Sr., a Southern Baptist pastor who had become well-known in the televangelist world, founded the ‘Moral Majority.’ Falwell rejected the Southern Baptist conviction that church and state should be separated. He believed America should be a Christian nation,” and he rallied Christians to fight for what appeared to be Christian morals and ethics. As he formed alliances with other forces like Pat Robertson, the Moral Majority became the “Christian Coalition” and the Religious Right (Robinson 2025, 87–88).

At the core, the Religious Right was not concerned with renewal or revival, but with three objectives: getting conservative evangelicals to vote, getting them into the Republican Party, and electing social conservatives into public office. Sadly, this was more about domination and control than revival.

We cannot force people into Jesus or nations into righteousness.

The way it originally spoke to life and shared convictions drew people in, but over time, it took on new shapes. Robinson remarks, “Looking back, I think we weren’t paying attention” (Robinson 2025, 89). To pray, “Oh Lord, help me to pay attention,” seems to be a prayer needed more than ever!

Personal Reflection

This part made me reflect on my own upbringing. I remember my father watching Falwell speak on television with such boldness, clarity, and conviction. Yet there was always a part of me that didn’t connect with what he was saying. It didn’t smell or sound like Jesus.

My father was involved early on, listening and supporting, but in time told me, “he’s a quack like all other TV preachers.” Thankfully, I grew up wary of these movements but appreciated Robinson’s ability to frame them, leading to the disconnect we see today.

Sadly, this invasion has shaped both fundamental camps and the Spirit-filled. The same spirit of dominionism is present in the Moral Majority as in the Seven Mountains philosophy in Pentecostalism. All of this looks far too little like Jesus.

Perhaps it is true, as a young person shares in Robinson’s book, “people’s political convictions carry more weight than their stated religious beliefs” (Robinson 2025, 3). I see it everywhere, and those in it often cannot see it for themselves.

A Note from Tri Robinson to me in Deconstruction/ Reconstruction.

Spiritual Awakening and the “New Lights”

Robinson remarks on the work of David McKenna and his book, Mega Truth, studies in Spiritual Awakening (1986)—why did we love the word ‘mega’ so much in the 80s?

Through his studies, McKenna believed there were five conditions and stages that needed to be present for the birth or emergence of a spiritual awakening.

The first stage was insecurity (internal stress) about the state of things. Then comes a disconnection from everything people trust—businesses, education, and institutions—because there is confusion (cultural disjuncture).

Then the third stage, spiritual awakening, happens. This is an attempt to rescue lost values and truth, to find meaning and purpose. The Jesus Revolution can be described as a revival, not an awakening. Awakenings are more global.

The next stage brings prophets who call people back to justice and the words of Jesus (prophetic voices). Finally, we enter renewal and reform, a true global awakening that spreads worldwide.

Robinson points out that “McKenna points out that awakenings have always started with the emerging generation—young people who had experienced the same things our little group has been struggling with. McKenna called these young leaders ‘New Lights’” (Robinson 2025, 47–49).

Perhaps what we are seeing in this generation truly is the normal learning and growing pains of a generation coming into its own, in its own way. We need more new lights, and we must invest in them more than ever. We need new lights who encounter a real Jesus and have anchoring experiences with the Holy Spirit.

Thankfully, we serve a creative God, “and because He has created everyone differently, He has provided many ways for people to discover His love for them” (Robinson 2025, 75).

Tri Robinson suggests that we begin praying the same prayer Paul prayed for the church in Ephesians over 2,000 years ago, a prayer found in Ephesians 3:1–19. Maybe as we meet these folks where they are, pray, and call for authentic experiences that bring reasoning, new life will emerge.

As Tri ends his book: “Lord, please let it be” (Robinson 2025, 111).

The Storytelling Approach of Deconstruction/Reconstruction

In this book, Robinson puts together a creative story. These are conversations, as he calls them, from the “Dusty Thistle.” Like a Patrick Lencioni book, it is a story that, in parable form, tells true things.

The Robinsons—Tri and his wife Nancy—frame the story of Generation Z standing at the crossroads of faith. The whole book, and the reflections I shared above, are presented in story form through the young individuals Tri encounters.

They begin to sit in a barn turned into a private tavern and have honest conversations. The people are not real, but the conversations are.

Tri has had them with young people, and I continue to have these same conversations every day in my work at Water Street Mission and in the intersections of life. They are real concerns, even when I don’t agree with Generation Z’s convictions.

The Dusty Thistle is a real place that begins to host real stories, conversations, and interactions in a storytelling way that stitches together a prophetic expectation for what might yet come.

I am not a novel reader, and, truthfully, I do not usually like books written in a parable or narrative style. I will admit, though, that this book took me only a few hours to read (with reflective pauses). It is just a little over 110 pages and features a large 12-point font.

It is a self-published work by a pastor who has not only written many books I have enjoyed, but is also a reflective pastor who came out of the Jesus Revolution and pastored a well-known Vineyard church. He wrestled with real-life ministry while working his ranch in the hills of Idaho, and now sits back and analyzes what is happening in light of all these changes.

About Tri Robinson

Tri Robinson is a longtime pastor, author, and voice shaped by the spiritual renewal of the Jesus Movement. He helped found and lead Vineyard Boise for decades, becoming known for his emphasis on spiritual formation, the work of the Holy Spirit, and thoughtful engagement with culture. Robinson has also been a strong advocate for environmental stewardship, encouraging Christians to see creation care as part of faithful discipleship and responsible leadership in the world. After stepping away from pastoral leadership, he has focused on writing, mentoring leaders, and reflecting on the long-term impact of the Jesus Movement and the Vineyard tradition. His recent work, including Deconstruction/Reconstruction, explores generational struggles with faith, the role of spiritual experience, and the need for authentic encounters with Jesus in a changing cultural landscape.

Closing Thoughts

There were times I wanted to push back on the stories in this book. Depending on the conversation, I wanted to argue philosophy, theology, ethics, and morality. There were moments when the stories triggered something in me, and I wished Tri had pushed back more or said something different. I wanted revival and truth.

Those tensions are real, and I do not think Tri plays them down. There is no arguing people into the faith.
As I journaled recently about my own kids, they need a real encounter with the Spirit, just as I had. Now I find myself watching Tri say the same thing in this book about the next generation.

Tensions aside, this is a book that I imagine people of my parents’ generation and my own could read to better understand how we got here. The power of the story is that it stays with you. It helps you reframe how you see those in Generation Z who are on a real, authentic faith journey right now.

Hear this: “The Moral Majority believed that the church should control national and local politics…While many Christians drank the posion, bleivin this political agenda was the will of God, tehy didn’t realize the collateral damage…their children rejected the pison but, in so doing, also rejected the church” (Robinson 2025, An Explanation). As a result we have seen syncretism and trading, many “who have rejected their faith in search of new spiritual truths.” Yet Tri offers a reflection on the heart of a young generation trying to find itself, and the hope that God will be faithful to introduce Himself to them.

Thanks for reading. I’m Jeff McLain, and I write the Lead a Quiet Life blog on Patheos, exploring Christian spiritual formation and the call of 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 to lead a quiet life in a noisy world. If this post resonated, share it, leave a comment, or connect with the Lead a Quiet Life page on Facebook. You can also learn more about me at jeffmclain.com.

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About Jeff McLain

Jeff McLain writes the Lead a Quiet Life blog on Patheos, where he explores Christian spiritual formation, the Lord’s Prayer, and the call of 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 to live faithfully in a noisy world. He serves as Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and pastors River Corner Church. You can read more about the author here.

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