Winquist was an early proponent of what has been called "weak theology," which emphasizes the responsibility of individuals to act in the world here and now — a controversial concept that has created a rift between traditionalists and deconstructionists — and was deeply engaged in the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Paul Tillich, and Mark C. Taylor, among others. Winquist argues in "Desiring Theology", for example, that Derrida's deconstructive criticism is not "wild analysis," but the very careful reading of texts.