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  1. The Word Before Heidegger When the history of deconstruction is introduced, it usually begins with Heidegger and Derrida. Heidegger speaks of Destruktion , and Derrida later develops déconstruction as a distinct philosophical practice. Yet a remarkable conversation with Derrida points to an earlier history, reaching back through Heidegger to Martin Luther and, before him, to a biblical passage. In November 2002, Derrida took part in a conference in Toronto entitled Other Testaments . During a discussion about deconstruction and Christianity, the interviewer proposed a genealogy: Heidegger's Destruktion could be connected to Luther's theological project, which recalled Paul's warning to the Corinthians and, further back, Isaiah's words about the destruction of human wisdom. Derrida did not reject the suggestion. He acknowledged a Judeo-Christian heritage within the tradition from which deconstruction emerged. The historical connections are more complex than...