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Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters
The New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God and The Songs of Jesus and a nationally renowned minister, Timothy Keller exposes the error of making good things “ultimate” in this book, and shows readers a new path toward a hope that lasts.
Success, true love, and the life you’ve always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. The recent economic meltdown has cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful. But the truth is that we made lesser gods of these good things—gods that can’t give us what we really need. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings—and now is the perfect time to meet him again, or for the first time.
The Bible tells us that the human heart is an “idol-factory,” taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message will cement Keller’s reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time—for both the faithful and the skeptical.
Success, true love, and the life you’ve always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. The recent economic meltdown has cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful. But the truth is that we made lesser gods of these good things—gods that can’t give us what we really need. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings—and now is the perfect time to meet him again, or for the first time.
The Bible tells us that the human heart is an “idol-factory,” taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message will cement Keller’s reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time—for both the faithful and the skeptical.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2009
About the author
Timothy J. Keller
409 books5,262 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,125 reviews
December 29, 2016
Hard hitting, and grace-filled, this book was a perfect book to set the tone for 2017!
Here are a few of the gems I found:
“An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. If we look to some created thing to give us the meaning, hope, and happiness that only God himself can give, it will eventually fail to deliver and break our hearts. To practice idolatry is to be a slave.”
“God saw Abraham’s sacrifice and said, “Now I know that you love me, because you did not withhold your only son from me.” But how much more can we look at his sacrifice on the Cross, and say to God, “Now, we know that you love us. For you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love, from us.” When the magnitude of what he did dawns on us, it makes it possible finally to rest our hearts in him rather than in anything else.”
“If you marry someone expecting them to be like a god, it is only inevitable that they will disappoint you. It's not that you should try to love your spouse less, but rather that you should know and love God more.”
“Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin.”
“Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake… Making an idol out of doctrinal accuracy, ministry success, or moral rectitude leads to constant internal conflict, arrogance and self-righteousness, and oppression of those whose views differ.”
Here are a few of the gems I found:
“An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. If we look to some created thing to give us the meaning, hope, and happiness that only God himself can give, it will eventually fail to deliver and break our hearts. To practice idolatry is to be a slave.”
“God saw Abraham’s sacrifice and said, “Now I know that you love me, because you did not withhold your only son from me.” But how much more can we look at his sacrifice on the Cross, and say to God, “Now, we know that you love us. For you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love, from us.” When the magnitude of what he did dawns on us, it makes it possible finally to rest our hearts in him rather than in anything else.”
“If you marry someone expecting them to be like a god, it is only inevitable that they will disappoint you. It's not that you should try to love your spouse less, but rather that you should know and love God more.”
“Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin.”
“Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake… Making an idol out of doctrinal accuracy, ministry success, or moral rectitude leads to constant internal conflict, arrogance and self-righteousness, and oppression of those whose views differ.”
July 23, 2023
Even better than I remembered.
October 20, 2020
Quando o Tim Keller escreveu algo ruim? O livro é MUITO BOM, como os outros dele. Esse é cortante, profundo, às vezes dolorido, mas também reconfortante.
June 22, 2010
Tim Keller does an excellent job of exposing the idols of money, sex and power and the many various forms that they take today. The first chapter alone is worth twice what I paid for the book. Keller is an able expositor and pastoral "applier" of God's Word.
For the majority of this book Keller is very careful to draw his insights and applications directly *out of* the biblical narratives (exegesis.) But a few times he falls prey to the preacher's ever-present temptation of "eisegesis" (reading *into* the text.) A couple of examples will suffice:
- According to Keller, Jacob was an ancient-day "sex-addict" and infatuated with Rachel for almost entirely unbiblical reasons.
- According to Keller, one of the reasons that Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh was that he was afraid of ministerial failure.
Unfortunately, Keller's take on Jacob significantly mars the typeoloy of Jacob as a Christ-figure and the intensity of his love for his bride (the Church.) And although "fear of ministerial failure" is indeed an idol to be reckoned with, the Bible clearly teaches that Jonah's greatest fear was "ministerial success" in Nineveh.
On the whole I heartily agree with Keller's pastoral conclusions and applications, even when I don't agree with how he arrived at them.
Conclusio: Buy this book. Read it. Forsake the idols it reveals and cling to Jesus as the only one worthy of your adoration and trust.
For the majority of this book Keller is very careful to draw his insights and applications directly *out of* the biblical narratives (exegesis.) But a few times he falls prey to the preacher's ever-present temptation of "eisegesis" (reading *into* the text.) A couple of examples will suffice:
- According to Keller, Jacob was an ancient-day "sex-addict" and infatuated with Rachel for almost entirely unbiblical reasons.
- According to Keller, one of the reasons that Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh was that he was afraid of ministerial failure.
Unfortunately, Keller's take on Jacob significantly mars the typeoloy of Jacob as a Christ-figure and the intensity of his love for his bride (the Church.) And although "fear of ministerial failure" is indeed an idol to be reckoned with, the Bible clearly teaches that Jonah's greatest fear was "ministerial success" in Nineveh.
On the whole I heartily agree with Keller's pastoral conclusions and applications, even when I don't agree with how he arrived at them.
Conclusio: Buy this book. Read it. Forsake the idols it reveals and cling to Jesus as the only one worthy of your adoration and trust.
March 24, 2017
This has to be my favorite Timothy Keller book that I've read to date, and easily one of my all time favorites! The ways in which he unpacks numerous of the idols and counterfeit gods that rule our lives through the use of real life stories as well as examples in Scripture reveals the real heart of the issue with each of those. The end of each chapter also does an awesome job of relating each of those idols to Jesus, showing how He is always the thing we need in those unique spaces in our hearts. The idols cannot simply be removed, they must be replaced and only Jesus truly fulfills.
December 21, 2021
I was undone and built back up through this book.
June 2, 2023
I think this is a must read for those who follow Christ. Thankful for the life of Tim Keller and the way he has taught me and shaped my understanding of the Gospel.
“If we think of our soul as a house, he said, “idols are set up in every room, in every faculty.” We prefer our own wisdom to God’s wisdom, our own desires to God’s will, and our own reputation to God’s honor.”
“If we think of our soul as a house, he said, “idols are set up in every room, in every faculty.” We prefer our own wisdom to God’s wisdom, our own desires to God’s will, and our own reputation to God’s honor.”
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May 7, 2024In light of recent events, I would recommend this book to BOTH Drake and Kendrick.
No, but seriously, Tim Keller is really just the best. He is so intelligent and always forces his audience to look at familiar Bible passages and consider them in new ways. I loved how he used different figures in the Bible to help paint examples of following different idols, and he directly tied how the character and work of Jesus fulfilled all of the desires they were trying to attain with the idols. I think it takes a rare type of genius to bring such wisdom without making it dense and unaccessible for the average reader while also leaving them walking away with a sense of hope.
No, but seriously, Tim Keller is really just the best. He is so intelligent and always forces his audience to look at familiar Bible passages and consider them in new ways. I loved how he used different figures in the Bible to help paint examples of following different idols, and he directly tied how the character and work of Jesus fulfilled all of the desires they were trying to attain with the idols. I think it takes a rare type of genius to bring such wisdom without making it dense and unaccessible for the average reader while also leaving them walking away with a sense of hope.
September 12, 2024
Do you struggle with idolatry? Read this book! Do you think you *don’t* struggle with idolatry? Read this book! You, like me, will quickly discover that your heart is as Timothy Keller aptly puts it “an idol making factory.” This was such a great look at how idolatry really is the root of all our sins. I loved the examples he provided in taking a look at different Biblical stories and diagnosing the idolatry at the heart. Jacob’s fiasco with his two wives? Idolatry! Jonah’s refusal to desire Ninevah’s repentance? Idolatry!
Loved how the book finished out with Jesus as the better Jonah who delights in the salvation of His enemies and showed how the gospel is the solution to our idolatry issues. “The gospel asks: what is operating in the place or Jesus Christ as your real functional salvation and savior? What are you looking to in order to justify yourself? Whatever it is is a counterfeit god.”
One of my favorite parts was this super applicable approach to letting our idols go and trusting God by saying “I see that you may be calling me to live my life without something I never thought I could live without. But if I have You, I have the only wealth, health, love, honor, and security I really need and cannot lose.” Amen! God is the best and only true source of all of these things and what a joy to lean into that reality! May He continue to help me surrender my idols and worship Him alone.
More good quotes:
“If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol.”
“The living God who revealed Himself both at Mount Sinai and on the cross is the only lord who, if you find Him, can truly fulfill you, and if you fail Him, can truly forgive you.”
“Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God Himself and His grace.”
“The default mode of the human heart is to seek to control God and others through our moral performance. Because we have lived virtuous lives, we feel that God, and the people we meet, owe us respect and support. Though we may give lip service to Jesus as our example and inspiration, we’re still looking to ourselves and our own moral striving for salvation.”
“Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate our sin.”
Loved how the book finished out with Jesus as the better Jonah who delights in the salvation of His enemies and showed how the gospel is the solution to our idolatry issues. “The gospel asks: what is operating in the place or Jesus Christ as your real functional salvation and savior? What are you looking to in order to justify yourself? Whatever it is is a counterfeit god.”
One of my favorite parts was this super applicable approach to letting our idols go and trusting God by saying “I see that you may be calling me to live my life without something I never thought I could live without. But if I have You, I have the only wealth, health, love, honor, and security I really need and cannot lose.” Amen! God is the best and only true source of all of these things and what a joy to lean into that reality! May He continue to help me surrender my idols and worship Him alone.
More good quotes:
“If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol.”
“The living God who revealed Himself both at Mount Sinai and on the cross is the only lord who, if you find Him, can truly fulfill you, and if you fail Him, can truly forgive you.”
“Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God Himself and His grace.”
“The default mode of the human heart is to seek to control God and others through our moral performance. Because we have lived virtuous lives, we feel that God, and the people we meet, owe us respect and support. Though we may give lip service to Jesus as our example and inspiration, we’re still looking to ourselves and our own moral striving for salvation.”
“Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate our sin.”
August 23, 2024
So solid. I love when themes overlap across my life - there were so many things Keller wrote about here that have come up recently in sermons and other reading. Feel both convicted and encouraged at the end of this one.
July 2, 2024
Tim Keller's always awesome:)
October 19, 2023
So helpful and insightful. My opinion is that every Christian should read this at least once in their life.
August 5, 2013
Keller speaks on idolatry, and the power that this sin commands in a world obsessed with materialism, selfish gain, celebrity and greed. Essentially, idolatry is at the root of all sin, as we choose to worship something more than God - to put something ahead of God. Keller makes his point (idolatry sux if you call yourself a christian!) and takes the next 2/3rds of the book outlining different types of idolatry with a few anecdotes segmented throughout. But then things get good towards the end. Keller starts talking about sin as a concept, how to notice you are idolatrous, then how to deal with it.
I read on through quick pages of mediocrity to land on some great ideas and thoughts about resisting sin (replace it with God). I learned that the will is weak, yet God makes all things possible, and by seeking Him the temptation is gone. Powerful technique which is so damn true in my life right now. I wish I knew this months ago when I struggled with bouts of guilt and desperation as I tried to will myself through temptation. Replace it with God. Praise be to Him.
-"become increasingly enslaved and addicted to it...we must have it, and therefore it drives us to break rules we once honoured, to harm others and even ourselves in order to get it." Intro
-"you don't realise Jesus is all you need until is all you have." p19
-"making an idol out of work may mean that you work until you ruin your health." p23
-"the family has become the nursery where the craving for success is first cultivated." p79
-"she suffered and forgave not knowing how much God would use her sacrifice." p91
-"when we believe in what he accomplished for us with our minds, and when we are moved by what he did for us in our hearts." p94
-"rather than accept our finitude and dependence on God, we desperately seek ways to assure ourselves that we still have power over our own lives." p101
-"the reason he wanted to be in christian ministry was not because he was attracted to serving God and others, but to the power if knowing he was right, that he had the truth." p112
-"if you had been born in a yurt in outer Mongolia, instead of where you were, it wouldn't have mattered how hard you worked or used your talents - you would have ended up poor and powerless." p116
-"what do you have which you did not receive?" p117
-"our cultural idols are... breakdown of the family, rampant materialism, careerism, and the idolization of romantic love, physical beauty and profit." p130
- mentions the spiritual 'fruit' - love, joy, patience, humility, courage, gentleness
-"because we have lived virtuous lives we feel that God (and the people we meet) owe us respect and support" p132
-"storms here on earth can take away many things, even my physical life, but not my Life" p152
-"idols cannot simply be removed. They must be replaced." p155 "what we need is a living encounter with God"
-"every human being, then, needs blessing. We all need assurance if our unique value from some outside source. The love and admiration of those you most love and admire is above all rewards. We are all looking for this deep admiration, looking for it from our parents, our spouse and our peers." p158
-"the general answer is "because we are weak and sinful", but the specific answer in any actual circumstance is that there is something you feel you 'must' have to be happy, something that is more important to your heart than God himself." p166
-"your religion is what you do with your solitude (archbishop William Temple) - in other words, the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention." p168
-"it entails joyful worship, a sense of God's reality in prayer. Jesus must become more beautiful to your imagination, more attractive to your heart, than your idol." p172 "rejoicing and repentance must go together."
-"but when we rejoice over God's sacrificial, suffering love for us - seeing what it cost him to save us from sin - we learn to hate the sin for what it is. We see what the sin cost God... Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin." p172
-"rejoicing is a way or praising God until the heart is sweetened and rested, and until it relaxes its grip on anything else it thinks that it needs." p173
-"it is worship that is the final way to replace the idols of your heart - private prayer, corporate worship, and meditation." p175
I read on through quick pages of mediocrity to land on some great ideas and thoughts about resisting sin (replace it with God). I learned that the will is weak, yet God makes all things possible, and by seeking Him the temptation is gone. Powerful technique which is so damn true in my life right now. I wish I knew this months ago when I struggled with bouts of guilt and desperation as I tried to will myself through temptation. Replace it with God. Praise be to Him.
-"become increasingly enslaved and addicted to it...we must have it, and therefore it drives us to break rules we once honoured, to harm others and even ourselves in order to get it." Intro
-"you don't realise Jesus is all you need until is all you have." p19
-"making an idol out of work may mean that you work until you ruin your health." p23
-"the family has become the nursery where the craving for success is first cultivated." p79
-"she suffered and forgave not knowing how much God would use her sacrifice." p91
-"when we believe in what he accomplished for us with our minds, and when we are moved by what he did for us in our hearts." p94
-"rather than accept our finitude and dependence on God, we desperately seek ways to assure ourselves that we still have power over our own lives." p101
-"the reason he wanted to be in christian ministry was not because he was attracted to serving God and others, but to the power if knowing he was right, that he had the truth." p112
-"if you had been born in a yurt in outer Mongolia, instead of where you were, it wouldn't have mattered how hard you worked or used your talents - you would have ended up poor and powerless." p116
-"what do you have which you did not receive?" p117
-"our cultural idols are... breakdown of the family, rampant materialism, careerism, and the idolization of romantic love, physical beauty and profit." p130
- mentions the spiritual 'fruit' - love, joy, patience, humility, courage, gentleness
-"because we have lived virtuous lives we feel that God (and the people we meet) owe us respect and support" p132
-"storms here on earth can take away many things, even my physical life, but not my Life" p152
-"idols cannot simply be removed. They must be replaced." p155 "what we need is a living encounter with God"
-"every human being, then, needs blessing. We all need assurance if our unique value from some outside source. The love and admiration of those you most love and admire is above all rewards. We are all looking for this deep admiration, looking for it from our parents, our spouse and our peers." p158
-"the general answer is "because we are weak and sinful", but the specific answer in any actual circumstance is that there is something you feel you 'must' have to be happy, something that is more important to your heart than God himself." p166
-"your religion is what you do with your solitude (archbishop William Temple) - in other words, the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention." p168
-"it entails joyful worship, a sense of God's reality in prayer. Jesus must become more beautiful to your imagination, more attractive to your heart, than your idol." p172 "rejoicing and repentance must go together."
-"but when we rejoice over God's sacrificial, suffering love for us - seeing what it cost him to save us from sin - we learn to hate the sin for what it is. We see what the sin cost God... Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin." p172
-"rejoicing is a way or praising God until the heart is sweetened and rested, and until it relaxes its grip on anything else it thinks that it needs." p173
-"it is worship that is the final way to replace the idols of your heart - private prayer, corporate worship, and meditation." p175
October 18, 2013
Counterfeit Gods is my introduction to Timothy Keller, guess I'm late to the game, but based on what I read, I plan on reading more of his works. This is an excellent book, one of the most convicting I've read in a while, with a much needed message for our modern culture and society. When many of us think of the word "idol", we either think of teen pop stars or people worshipping before a golden calf and other statues. However, Keller shows the reader what false gods look like in this day and age, the subtle ways they present themselves, and the ways they can take over our lives and become destructive forces. Keller skillfully explains what these idols are, through the well known stories of Abraham and Isaac and Jonah and less familiar stories of Leah, Naaman, and Nebuchadnezzar. It seems like we don't often associate these stories with being about idol worship, so some readers might be concerned with whether or not the author is reading too much into the text. I felt that it was a refreshing look, and liked how it connected these stories to readers' lives. Many of us pay lip service and say that we follow Christ and worship God, but often in our day to day lives, our hearts are divided. But then, when our hopes and dreams, our world comes crashing down before us, the idols in our lives are revealed to us- whether it be falsely believing that true love will satisfy all our needs in life, thinking that the accumulation of money will definitely provide security, or finding our identity solely through our status or accomplishments. When things don't work out, the disappointment can be brutal and incredibly difficult to overcome. This is what happens when we put all our hopes into counterfeit gods. Keller exhorts his readers that we must be relentless in rooting out the idols in our lives, look deep into ourselves to find the reasons why we are so enamored with them, and replace them with true, biblical, and spiritual worship and cling to the one hope worth having, our faith in the work of Jesus Christ. This book is not completely perfect, the majority of it focuses on identifying idols, so much so that the last chapter on replacing idols can seem like an afterthought, but I would still highly recommend it to others.
February 22, 2010
As with Keller’s previous two books, this one is very good. In fact, it may be his best yet, which is high praise from a big-time Keller fan like me!
In “Counterfeit Gods”, Keller delivers a timely message regarding idolatry in our culture, and in our own lives. He very quickly dispels the common image of an idol as a carved statue that is literally worshiped (though this does still happen and he does address it). Instead, he writes that most idols are, in fact, good things, such as spouses and children. The problem comes when we take a “good thing” and elevate it to an “ultimate thing”, giving it a higher place in our lives than God.
Keller devotes a chapter each to different categories of personal idols (Love/Sex, Money/Greed, Success, and Power/Control) and their modern manifestations. Next he explores “the hidden idols in our lives”. These are the idols of our culture and society (profit, politics, religion, etc). Finally, he digs even deeper to expose what he calls “deep idols”, which are the underlying motivations that drive our “surface idols”, and which are harder to uncover. For instance, a woman with a “deep idol” of approval may eliminate the “surface idol” of a succession of abusive relationships, only to seek approval through the clothes she wears. Rather than simply removing idols, then, we must replace them by giving God the glory He is due, making Him our highest object of praise and acknowledging Him as the fulfillment of every longing.
Keller’s points are illustrated through the Biblical examples of Jonah, Nebuchadnezzer, Jacob, and several others. Because he is a master story-teller, Keller is able to write an engaging and convicting book that allows us to see these idols from an external perspective while simultaneously keeping our focus on the idols in our own lives.
In “Counterfeit Gods”, Keller delivers a timely message regarding idolatry in our culture, and in our own lives. He very quickly dispels the common image of an idol as a carved statue that is literally worshiped (though this does still happen and he does address it). Instead, he writes that most idols are, in fact, good things, such as spouses and children. The problem comes when we take a “good thing” and elevate it to an “ultimate thing”, giving it a higher place in our lives than God.
Keller devotes a chapter each to different categories of personal idols (Love/Sex, Money/Greed, Success, and Power/Control) and their modern manifestations. Next he explores “the hidden idols in our lives”. These are the idols of our culture and society (profit, politics, religion, etc). Finally, he digs even deeper to expose what he calls “deep idols”, which are the underlying motivations that drive our “surface idols”, and which are harder to uncover. For instance, a woman with a “deep idol” of approval may eliminate the “surface idol” of a succession of abusive relationships, only to seek approval through the clothes she wears. Rather than simply removing idols, then, we must replace them by giving God the glory He is due, making Him our highest object of praise and acknowledging Him as the fulfillment of every longing.
Keller’s points are illustrated through the Biblical examples of Jonah, Nebuchadnezzer, Jacob, and several others. Because he is a master story-teller, Keller is able to write an engaging and convicting book that allows us to see these idols from an external perspective while simultaneously keeping our focus on the idols in our own lives.
August 24, 2023
Pure gold from Keller here. He truly was a prophet of the heart. God gave him a unique gifting to use the scriptures to open up human hearts and expose what’s really in them, and Counterfeit Gods is one of his sharpest scalpels. As a book, I would give it 4 or 4.5 stars. He’s written better books, but the concepts in this one are 5 stars. They changed my life before I ever actually read the book.
“What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”
“Archbishop William Temple once said, ‘Your religion is what you do with your solitude.’ In other words, the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention…Ask rather, what do you habitually think about to get joy and comfort in the privacy of your heart?”
“What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”
“Archbishop William Temple once said, ‘Your religion is what you do with your solitude.’ In other words, the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention…Ask rather, what do you habitually think about to get joy and comfort in the privacy of your heart?”
March 31, 2024
Will need to read again! So good.
April 14, 2024
Oh Tim. This was a good one. My favorite epilogue I’ve ever read.
“Idolatry is not just a failure to obey God, it is a setting of the whole heart on something besides God.”
“Idolatry is not just a failure to obey God, it is a setting of the whole heart on something besides God.”
July 13, 2022
Good book. Read in a day. Really like Tim Keller's writing style. He makes a lot of sense but isn't annoying about it. Must not forget what I have learnt from this book. Serious stuff.
June 19, 2023
A great book which highlights the different idols that imprison us. Using classic stories from Scripture, Tim Keller shows us how alike we are to our well known biblical characters and also reveals the path we must walk in order to turn from Counterfeit Gods and trust in the ultimate God.
Truly a fantastic read which certainly makes you reflect on your own life.
Truly a fantastic read which certainly makes you reflect on your own life.
February 10, 2024
Tremendously helpful and pastorally profound. But often lacking in careful exegesis. Keller psychoanalyzes the characters in biblical narratives in ways the narratives themselves often counter. But when he is on, he is really on.
February 9, 2019
Sendo uma das obras que mais ouvir falar do autor, achei que "Deuses falsos" não me surpreenderia. Me enganei. Fui bastante impactado por essa obra. Keller consegue ser profundo sem muita enrolação. É um livro direto ao assunto. Não "enche linguiça".
O caminho do livro segue a linha de que os ídolos são coisas boas e necessárias que nós transformamos em deuses. É importante prestar atenção nisso, pois, sobre essa visão, conseguimos ter uma perspectiva ampliada ao lermos as histórias de alguns personagens conhecidos da Escritura que o autor cita. Também é interessante como Keller consegue dar uma ótima visão da cultura idólatra de nossos dias ao citar notícias comuns, entrevistas e falas de artistas de sucesso, e usar desse material para trazer luz ao problema. Essas citações caem como luva nos temas de cada capítulo. Dentre os que mais me chamaram atenção, destaco os capítulos: Cap.2 sobre a "idolatria do compromisso" (ou da falta dele), Cap.4 sobre a idolatria da fama e sucesso, e o Cap.5 sobre "Poder e glória" onde fala sobre a idolatria política.
Quem já leu algum livro de Tim Keller sabe que ele não é tão elogiado atoa. Sem dúvida, essa obra confirma isso. "Deuses falsos" é um livro bastante atual, bastante confrontador e muito necessário.
O caminho do livro segue a linha de que os ídolos são coisas boas e necessárias que nós transformamos em deuses. É importante prestar atenção nisso, pois, sobre essa visão, conseguimos ter uma perspectiva ampliada ao lermos as histórias de alguns personagens conhecidos da Escritura que o autor cita. Também é interessante como Keller consegue dar uma ótima visão da cultura idólatra de nossos dias ao citar notícias comuns, entrevistas e falas de artistas de sucesso, e usar desse material para trazer luz ao problema. Essas citações caem como luva nos temas de cada capítulo. Dentre os que mais me chamaram atenção, destaco os capítulos: Cap.2 sobre a "idolatria do compromisso" (ou da falta dele), Cap.4 sobre a idolatria da fama e sucesso, e o Cap.5 sobre "Poder e glória" onde fala sobre a idolatria política.
Quem já leu algum livro de Tim Keller sabe que ele não é tão elogiado atoa. Sem dúvida, essa obra confirma isso. "Deuses falsos" é um livro bastante atual, bastante confrontador e muito necessário.
September 19, 2023
This book needs to be re-read every so often as a reminder to reject the temptation of putting our faith and trust in the things of this world. In this phase of life, it can be easy to get caught up in material, fleeting pursuits. Tim does a fantastic job of outlining this and pointing us back to the only One who can truly satisfy our insatiable desire for meaning.
September 21, 2023
*Nice to wake up from my 3-month goodreads coma after giving up on another massive book that was taking me too long and requiring too much concentration.
This is a book I’ve wanted to read for a while, and my high expectations were satisfied. Timothy Keller masterfully shines a spotlight on the main idolatries that permeate Western culture, using characteristic examples from Scripture to help explain each. I found this surprising, but helpful. Keller does not focus on the typical passages in Proverbs and the Gospels to clarify these idolatries but instead introduces the reader to Bible characters who embody such idolatries, including Abraham, Jacob, Leah, Naaman, Jonah and the classic wee little man Zacchaeus, to name some.
Keller helps the reader understand the difference between “surface” and “deep” idols. Surface being things such as money, sex and power but deep being things like security, honour, or man-pleasing, which require some extra examination and searching. We are all pretty hot on the surface idols, but I know personally that I am not great at stripping these back and looking at the foundation for that surface idol, which is usually something much more dangerous.
All in all, all man-made gods are counterfeit, so I was spurred on by Keller’s exhortation to seek the one true God and his glory and honour, and by doing so the purpose of life in this fallen world will become more clear.
Cheers again for TK, a legend of our time and even though he may have stopped writing, we must not stop reading.
This is a book I’ve wanted to read for a while, and my high expectations were satisfied. Timothy Keller masterfully shines a spotlight on the main idolatries that permeate Western culture, using characteristic examples from Scripture to help explain each. I found this surprising, but helpful. Keller does not focus on the typical passages in Proverbs and the Gospels to clarify these idolatries but instead introduces the reader to Bible characters who embody such idolatries, including Abraham, Jacob, Leah, Naaman, Jonah and the classic wee little man Zacchaeus, to name some.
Keller helps the reader understand the difference between “surface” and “deep” idols. Surface being things such as money, sex and power but deep being things like security, honour, or man-pleasing, which require some extra examination and searching. We are all pretty hot on the surface idols, but I know personally that I am not great at stripping these back and looking at the foundation for that surface idol, which is usually something much more dangerous.
All in all, all man-made gods are counterfeit, so I was spurred on by Keller’s exhortation to seek the one true God and his glory and honour, and by doing so the purpose of life in this fallen world will become more clear.
Cheers again for TK, a legend of our time and even though he may have stopped writing, we must not stop reading.
August 1, 2024
3.5 ⭐
La única forma que tendremos de librarnos de la destructora influencia de los dioses falsos es regresar al Dios verdadero. El Dios vivo, quien se reveló a sí mismo tanto en el monte Sinaí como en la Cruz, es el único Señor que, si lo encontramos, nos puede satisfacer realmente y, si le fallamos, nos puede perdonar realmente.
Un libro corto pero confrontador. Nos deja pensando en nuestra tendencia a buscar que otras cosas (incluso algunas de ellas buenas) ocupen el lugar de Dios. Luego de un capítulo de introducción al tema, Keller nos presenta ejemplos tanto bíblicos como del mundo actual de algunos dioses falsos comunes en la vida de las personas como el dinero, el amor, el éxito, etc. Finalmente, nos recuerda que la solución no es simplemente arrepentirse y a base de fuerza de voluntad querer vivir diferente. Debemos reemplazar nuestros ídolos por un deleite profundo en Dios.
Tenía muchas expectativas con este libro y, si bien Keller es excelente, no me maravilló tampoco en este caso. Aunque quizás tenga que ver con el hecho de que es un tema sobre el que vengo leyendo y meditando hace tiempo. Igualmente recomiendo el libro, especialmente por la forma de conectar estos dioses falsos con historias bíblicas que probablemente nos hayan pasado desapercibidas
La única forma que tendremos de librarnos de la destructora influencia de los dioses falsos es regresar al Dios verdadero. El Dios vivo, quien se reveló a sí mismo tanto en el monte Sinaí como en la Cruz, es el único Señor que, si lo encontramos, nos puede satisfacer realmente y, si le fallamos, nos puede perdonar realmente.
Un libro corto pero confrontador. Nos deja pensando en nuestra tendencia a buscar que otras cosas (incluso algunas de ellas buenas) ocupen el lugar de Dios. Luego de un capítulo de introducción al tema, Keller nos presenta ejemplos tanto bíblicos como del mundo actual de algunos dioses falsos comunes en la vida de las personas como el dinero, el amor, el éxito, etc. Finalmente, nos recuerda que la solución no es simplemente arrepentirse y a base de fuerza de voluntad querer vivir diferente. Debemos reemplazar nuestros ídolos por un deleite profundo en Dios.
Tenía muchas expectativas con este libro y, si bien Keller es excelente, no me maravilló tampoco en este caso. Aunque quizás tenga que ver con el hecho de que es un tema sobre el que vengo leyendo y meditando hace tiempo. Igualmente recomiendo el libro, especialmente por la forma de conectar estos dioses falsos con historias bíblicas que probablemente nos hayan pasado desapercibidas
September 1, 2021
The conclusion of every chapter is that idols can't just be destroyed, they have to be replaced. If I can't find an overruling love for God, then when trying to rid myself of the love of money and the security, comforts and pleasure it buys, I will just replace it with something else (in my case probably success, power or control).
Keller's final chapter states that this love of God can be developed through spiritual disciplines: individual reading and meditation on Scripture, prayer and corporate worship. I don't think I'm fully convinced that is enough but I'm willing to give it a go.
For what it's worth, while reading the book I did set up some more ongoing donations to charities I like. But I think that might just be a behavioural change rather than a heart change, which I don't think was Keller's goal. I also ironically started reading this book instead of the Bible as I got towards the end. Definitely not his goal.
Keller's final chapter states that this love of God can be developed through spiritual disciplines: individual reading and meditation on Scripture, prayer and corporate worship. I don't think I'm fully convinced that is enough but I'm willing to give it a go.
For what it's worth, while reading the book I did set up some more ongoing donations to charities I like. But I think that might just be a behavioural change rather than a heart change, which I don't think was Keller's goal. I also ironically started reading this book instead of the Bible as I got towards the end. Definitely not his goal.
March 10, 2023
I'm a big fan of Keller's writing style and how he relies heavily on Scripture (especially the Old Testament whoop!!) to support His claims with an ever-continuous emphasis on Jesus' finished work on cross. Keller's recollection of Jacob and Jonah's stories were of particular interest to me as he elaborated on wrestling with God and the sign of Jonah mentioned in the Gospels.
Overall, this book provided a much-needed heart check. Every chapter made me look into my own motives /heart’s desires — where I've been able to start tackling deeper idols that I'm blinded to.
A good reminder to how only God can satisfy the hole in one's heart that career, success, money, and more could never fill.
Overall, this book provided a much-needed heart check. Every chapter made me look into my own motives /heart’s desires — where I've been able to start tackling deeper idols that I'm blinded to.
A good reminder to how only God can satisfy the hole in one's heart that career, success, money, and more could never fill.
February 5, 2024
Classic Keller. Just good.
Keller has a knack for helping you see familiar stories in a new light. In this book, Keller explains Jacob, Jonah, Zaccheaus, and Nebuchadnezzar by looking at their idols. It was convicting and thought provoking.
Keller has a knack for helping you see familiar stories in a new light. In this book, Keller explains Jacob, Jonah, Zaccheaus, and Nebuchadnezzar by looking at their idols. It was convicting and thought provoking.
May 9, 2022
Reading this and live no lies by John mark comer feels like the Lords kindness in my life. Tim Keller weaves together the problem of idolatry and the grace of God through scripture and our lives. So so good. Favorite chapter was on the idol of power and the example of Jonah.
September 14, 2023
A class book that exposed me bare. I’ve understood so much about the human heart’s easy tendency to idolise something that is not meant to be worshipped; and the immense grace of God who continually shows us that He is the only one worthy of our total devotion. Everyone should read this book!
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