Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 2

Herbert Schlossberg. 1990. Idols for Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture. Wheaton: Crossway Books. (Goto Part 1)

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Psalm 115 provides an important clue as to why idolatry is so pernicious: “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (Ps 115:8 ESV) When we then think of idolatry in terms of priorities, placing anything other than God as our first priority means that we are formed in the image of god (the priority) that we worship.

Our first priority is a measure of everything else. The pernicious effect of idolatry arises because when that idol breaks, all our priorities must change, which creates an existential crisis. This is why workaholics are prone to depression and suicide when they lose their jobs because they have lost both a means of support and their god. Both must be replaced.  Replacing one is hard; replacing two at the same time deprives life of meaning. This is why idol worship is pernicious—it threatens us at our core.

In part one of this review I will give an overview of Schlossberg’s work. In part two, I sketch out his descriptions of idolatry.

Introduction

Herbert Schlossberg’s book, Idols for Destruction, is organized into eight chapters:

Idols of History (11-38=27 pages)Idols of Humanity (39-87=48)Idols of Mammon (88-139=51)Idols of Nature (140-176=36)Idols of Power (177-231=54)Idols of Religion (232-259=27)Consequences and Expectations (260-297=37)The New Community (298-336=38; vii-xi)

Let me discuss the lengthiest three chapters: idols of power, mammon, and humanity. Schlossberg defines idolatry as: “Any substitute of what is created for the creator.” (6)

 Power: The Leviathan

Schlossberg begins his discourse of power with the history of the nation-state, which he describes as an alliance between the middle class and the king (177). The unrestrained power of the state is such that patriotism oftentimes appears as a contender with God for worship on earth and the state oftentimes sets itself up as the only savior from disaster (178-180). The recent corona virus pandemic is only the most recent example of this sort of idolatrous state pretension.

Schlossberg makes much of the ability of the state to transfer wealth from one person to another, presumably to advance equality (181). The real manifestation of state power is ability to shape and mold its citizens through taxation and public education so that the family and churches are impotent to resist its influence (214-217).

The breakdown of the separation of church and state that we have seen in this generation makes it obvious that the culture wars that we used to talk about are over and state intrusion into the life of the church grows with each passing year.

Mammon

Jesus coined a new word for covetness (mammon) when he said: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”(Luke 16:13 KJV; Matt 6:24 KJV). The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible transliterates the Greek word, mammon, which may also be translated as the god of money. The Apostle Paul preferred to refer to covetness as the love of money (1 Tim 6:10) While covetness is a vice that causes relational difficulties, mammon is also idolatry and a violation of the spirit of the commandment, not to steal (89).

Schlossberg relates covetness to the sin of alchemy, the desire to cheat someone by converting worthless metal into gold (90). The modern equivalent is counterfeiting or, in the case of nations, shaving of coins (93) or inflating the currency (91-102). This chapter reads like an economics text discussing inflation and redistribution issues at great length.

Humanism and Humanitarianism

Schlossberg makes a clear point about the idolatrous nature of humanism. The temptation that drove original sin in the Garden of Eden wasn’t about fruit. It was the chance to become like God (39).  We read: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5) Idolatry is at the heart of original sin.

Exalting human perfection is an art form in the modern church. The next time you hear an organ prelude, ask yourself a simple question: Who is being exalted? Is it God or is it the organist?

Schlossberg writes: “Humanist anthropology does not need law because it has a high view of man’s moral stature.” (47). Is this because we are saved by grace or because we have no need for salvation? The Apostle Paul appears aware of this problem when he writes: “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Rom 3:31)

Schlossberg sees humanitarianism often as veiled materialism within social ministry. He writes: “Being poor is the greatest of evil, in humanitarian thinking, because having material possessions is the greatest good.”(67) Schlossberg unpacks the problems posed by materialism for social ministry at great length, but the single biggest problem is that while Christians value human life because we are created in the image of God (an intrinsic value), the humanist focuses on more pragmatic market values that go up and down (82).

Assessment

Herbert Schlossberg’s book, Idols for Destruction, outlines the pervasive influence of idolatry on the church and society. Schlossberg writes with an encyclopedic knowledge of the literature. He takes each case of idolatry, explains the first century context, and relates it to a modern context. Although he is an historian, his economic understanding of idolatry runs deep. His book is of interest to committed Christians, clergy, and scholars interested in understanding the cultural debates

Footnotes

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Schlossberg Unpacks Idolatry, Part 2Also see:Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.netPublisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter: https://bit.ly/HNY__2022

 

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