Water to Wine: Brian Zahnd on Rebuilding Faith

In this episode of The Return, Jordan Mattox and Dustin Maddox welcome Brian Zahnd for a wide-ranging discussion on faith, doubt, and reconstruction. Brian shares his personal story—from a teenage conversion during the Jesus Movement to building a thriving ministry, and then reaching a turning point in midlife when the version of Christianity he knew no longer felt worthy of the Christ who first captivated him. That realization led him into years of reading church history, philosophy, and theology, reshaping his understanding of faith and changing the direction of his ministry.

The conversation digs into the meaning and limits of “deconstruction,” why many people leave faith entirely when their first framework collapses, and how American evangelicalism can blur the lines between Jesus, the Bible, the church, and Christianity as a cultural religion. Brian offers a vision of reconstruction rooted in historic tradition, intellectual depth, and a renewed fascination with Christ himself.

Along the way, they talk about how to read scripture after faith has been shaken, why institutions struggle to hold meaning in modern life, and where people might find a spiritual home when neither fundamentalism nor emptiness feels like a viable option. The episode closes with reflections on literature, theology, and the long, patient work of rebuilding a life of faith.