Book Review: Counterfeit Gods

I wrapped up Tim Keller’s Counterfeit Gods roughly two weeks ago and truly enjoyed it. Keller has a uniquely brilliant ability to critique our American culture without sounding acerbic and angry.

Mr. Keller’s first challenge is to lay out the concept of idolatry. Within a Christian context, this word is thrown around all the time, but outside of it, much less so. Simply put, an idol is a good thing that we as humans turn into an ultimate thing. We make functional saviors out of things like work, sex, romance, money, family…really anything that can consume our passions and worship.

Keller takes this conception a bit further to a concept he delineates into surface and deep idols. A surface idol is simply the things mentioned in the paragraph above, our little obsessions that take the place of God in our lives. However, a ‘deep’ idol is the intrinsic insecurity that these idols address. For example, one might elevate sex as the ultimate thing in ones life. When every waking moment is spent thinking about, pursuing and engaging in sexual activity it becomes the surface idol.

But the deep idol is the why. Why would someone pursue sex at a level of addiction that costs relationships, oftentimes resources and sometimes even jobs? One possible explanation would be control, the ego stroke that comes from being able to ‘get that girl (or guy) whenever you want. Another would be to gain self-value and worth. The reasoning would run something like ‘If I can sleep with this person, then I must be worth something.’ Money works in much the same way. If I can earn x amount of dollars I will be secure, I will be in control. See how the value idol could play here as well? If I become a millionaire then I must be worth something.

Keller maintains that its these deeper motivations that have to be addressed if we’re ever to pursue Christ fully.Indeed, these idols must be flushed out and replaced with Christ because Christ is the only thing that can ever address these legislate needs fully. Money, work, sex will all fail you eventually. You don’t have to go far to find examples of people who gained everything they wanted in this world and remained miserable. Focus your attention on what can truly satisfy. Keller makes this case in a compelling fashion, definitely worth a read.