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'Here Are Your Gods!': Faithful Discipleship in Idolatrous Times

Christopher J.H. Wright

4.45 · Rating details · 62 ratings · 20 reviews

How should Christians be faithful disciples in the political turbulence of Trump and Brexit?

Christopher J H Wright unpacks the Biblical theme of idolatry and connects it to discipleship in today’s world. As Christians, we desperately need to name and expose the false gods and idols that we are tempted to bow down to – ‘Here are your gods!’

The Bible challenges the idols of ...more

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Paperback, 176 pages

Published September 29th 2020 by IVP

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Nov 21, 2020 Michael Philliber rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have a love-hate relationship with some books. I find them feeding my understanding, bringing me to reflect, and arousing my prayers. But I argue and dispute with them most of the way through, sometimes shoving them aside for a time so I can cool off. This was one of those books. Christopher J. H. Wright, international ministries director of the Langham Partnership, Old Testament scholar, prolific author, and lecturer, has pulled together an in-depth examination on idolatry in his newly publis I have a love-hate relationship with some books. I find them feeding my understanding, bringing me to reflect, and arousing my prayers. But I argue and dispute with them most of the way through, sometimes shoving them aside for a time so I can cool off. This was one of those books. Christopher J. H. Wright, international ministries director of the Langham Partnership, Old Testament scholar, prolific author, and lecturer, has pulled together an in-depth examination on idolatry in his newly published, 176-page softback “Here Are Your Gods: Faithful Discipleship in Idolatrous Times”. Part of it will sound familiar to those who have read his chapter on idolatry in “The Mission of God”. But Wright takes that material, fleshes it out more fully and goes into places that get painfully close to home – thus my love-hate relationship with it. The volume is scholarly, but also approachable for all studiers of the Scriptures.

In the first part, Wright addresses what idolatry really is. He begins by unpacking, and then refuting, those academics who see the history of Israel as an evolving, developing growth from polytheism, to henotheism, to monotheism. Instead, he promotes that Israel’s monotheism was from ground-zero, and that Yahweh was not seen as in some generic glass of “god” but is The God. He further tackles the question about the reality or unreality of other gods. He concludes that they “are nothing in relation to Yahweh; they are something in relation to their worshippers” (7). The author develops what this means, by showing how most idols and gods were deified parts of creation, or sacralized works of human hands, or the divinized State, and on occasion, demonic powers. More often than not, we are the makers of our own gods, and history “is the graveyard of the gods” (31). Therefore, idolatry is the dethronement of Yahweh, and the enthronement of creation. Ofttimes, we regularly apotheosize the things that entice us, things we fear, things we trust and need (35-42). Thus, idolatry is radical self-harm (43). These first four chapters were very insightful, and his analysis deeply useful in challenging our own hearts. “It is God’s people who need the most warning against the dangers of idolatry and to be made aware of what they have been delivered from and should not go back to” (62).

I imagine that the second and third parts are where many will find the author going from preaching to meddling, and others will decry it as not going far enough. Wright takes on political idolatry, first by showing how God is not trapped within historical development, nor can God be identified with it (76). But rather, Yahweh orchestrates the rise and fall of nations, using other nations at critical moments. According to the author, the signs that a nation is approaching this critical moment of God’s judgment are when there is a legacy of historic and systemic violence, increasing poverty and inequality, dangerous forms of populism and nationalism, sexual confusion, family breakdown, ecological devastation, and war on truth (79-87). But what God desires for nations is modesty, integrity, and justice, from the leadership especially, but also in the led. Therefore, as he asserts, Yahweh will expose national idolatry, specifically the worship of prosperity, national pride, and self-exaltation. Then Wright announces, one major way God brings judgment on an idolatrous nation: “You get the government that mirrors the gods you worship” (108). In the final section of the book, the author lays out what Christians can and should do in an idolatrous environment. This section was the least satisfying to me.

I found “Here Are Your Gods” a richly beneficial read at so many levels. Wright’s exploration into idolatry, what it is, and the way it works into societies and social networks was enlightening. Even the portions I hated reading caused me to engage – even if argumentatively – the material and spend time questioning. Questioning not only the author, but my own heart, and our present geopolitical and national condition. I am haunted by his statement that “you get the government that mirrors the gods you worship.” Good God have mercy on us!

“Here Are Your Gods” should be in the hands of every pastor and Christian leader. It should be taken up, read, argued with, and prayed through by every Christian who dares to peruse its pages. It will challenge you, disappoint social activists and revolutionaries, anger nationalists, repulse the self-satisfied, but it will not leave you unchanged. I recommend the book.

My thanks to IVP Academic. I requested a copy of the book used in this review, and they sent it gladly, making no stipulations on me. Therefore, this evaluation was made freely, without any duress or hostage-taking.
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Nov 13, 2020 Tim Callicutt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-books, church-theology

This is timely book. It is perhaps the most incisive critique of Christianity's engagement with the larger culture that I've seen. It's noteworthy that Wright is British. He comes from a culture where evangelicals are not quite as uniformly married to the trappings of political power as here in the U.S. As an outsider (at least in the American context), he is a potent prophet in the midst of tenuous time for American evangelicalism - a moment where the moral integrity of the movement finds itsel ...more

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Oct 26, 2020 James Tetley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-books

Chris Wright's excellent analysis of the place of idols in the Bible and contemporary culture. His analysis of the of what constitutes idols as 4 categories (Things that entice you, things you need, things that you trust, things that you fear) was helpful.

Also his analysis of Paul's 4 fold teaching regarding idols, theological, evangelistic, pastoral and prophetic showed how different responses may be required depending on the situation was helpful.

His call on believers to examine their own ido ...more

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Dec 26, 2020 Diane Gabriel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you have to read one book in 2021. Make it this one- it will bear fruit in our practical lives- which affect our voting habits, our honest appraisal of our self-interests, and our honest peer into the lives we are living (practically. Not idealized) as Christians in the west (America and UK)

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Aug 04, 2020 Thomas Creedy rated it it was amazing

Stunning.

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Oct 16, 2020 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"One of the horrendous blasphemies of the modern West has been the ease of using the name of God in association with national aggrandization." So writes Christopher Wright in his illuminating and uncomfortable book "Here Are Your Gods." Anytime someone begins to name idols, be they personal or cultural, if you don't get a little uncomfortable, you're probably blind to your own idols because we all have them, not the least of which is "using the name of God in association with national aggrandiza "One of the horrendous blasphemies of the modern West has been the ease of using the name of God in association with national aggrandization." So writes Christopher Wright in his illuminating and uncomfortable book "Here Are Your Gods." Anytime someone begins to name idols, be they personal or cultural, if you don't get a little uncomfortable, you're probably blind to your own idols because we all have them, not the least of which is "using the name of God in association with national aggrandization."

Mr. Wright was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and attends All Souls Church, Langham Place (I've had the privilege of attending services there, great church), but is very well acquainted with the culture of the United States and indeed brings an outsiders perspective which is all too often lacking—or ignored—by those who swim in the cultural waters of the States but seem blind to their danger. Here is a good example of Mr. Wright's frank observation as an outsider: "To outside observers like me, the gun is surely in the Olympian superleague of American gods. It reigns over all its opponents and defeats every attempt to restrict its sovereignty. The gun-god exacts the most horrific sacrifices of human lifeblood—child sacrifice no less—and shrugs off every wave of revulsion that follows such events."

Ouch! Rarely are you going to hear an American theologian write in such terms, more less a pastor preach in such a way, but surely the outsiders have a better perception of our idols and gods, than we do, especially when it comes to guns. I've heard all the arguments (I used to live in gun country), but it takes a particular blindness not to see the frightening damage that guns have done again and again in our country, and the American solution is to buy more and more guns! It's a form of insanity. I've been to Japan and you can walk the streets there past midnight and feel perfectly safe. Try doing that in your average American city. This is the legacy of the gun-gods that we Americans worship. Surely Mr. Wright is more perceptive than we are here.

Here is another example: "The worship of Baal is alive and well in Western culture—with our idolizing of sex and money. As the Canaanites (and Israel after them) worshiped fertility in its broadest sense, so we worship its modern equivalents. We must have an abundance of everything. Consumerism as an ideology feeds the economy, which in turn depends on creating insatiable consumer demand and unpayable consumer debt."

Again, ouch! Who among us can claim that they've never fallen prey to consumerism? Never bought something they really didn't need, just happened to want a lot.

As perhaps has become obvious, Mr. Wright is not afraid to name names, or call out gods and idols and hold them up in front of us, which is what makes the book disturbing, no one likes to have their idols pointed out, yet point Mr. Wright does. However, his purpose is not to throw stones, but to call us to become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in a time when idols and false gods hold more and more sway over even faithful Christians. This will require laying down our gods and purposing to follow only the true God. Mr. Wright calls us to do this.

Mr. Wright is also harsh on the syncretism that somehow wraps God up in the national flag as if the two were the same thing: "Those who defend this god seem characteristically to be devoted worshipers of the god of national greatness also, symbolized by the flag. Frequently both (guns and patriotism, along with the Second Amendment) are harnessed to the name of God, in a form of syncretism that I find virtually blasphemous." Anyone who has been paying attention to the political landscape in America will have noticed the easy syncretism that allows Christians to act as if the 2nd Amendment—the right to keep and bear arms—were a sort of God-given, inalienable right. It is not.

There is much more to the book and Mr. Wright is actually much more positive than I've made him out to be. Yes, he calls out our idols and gods, but he also calls us to faithfulness to God alone, and lays out the biblical framework for discipleship in an age in which idols seem to reign supreme. It is possible and worth pursuing, and Mr. Wright gives us a solid foundation to do so.

Nevertheless, he does write like an Old Testament prophet and I will leave the final word to him: "Indeed, I believe that one reason for the slow but accelerating collapse of Western civilization is the profoundly syncretistic and idolatrous nature of Western Christianity, combined with the idolatry of the culture that surrounds us. We, God’s people, like Israel of old, are in uncritical collusion with the false gods of our ambient cultures."

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Sep 04, 2020 Jesvin Jose rated it it was amazing

Monotheism and mission are two key themes in the Bible. There is only one true, living God as revealed in the Bible and this God is on mission, working out His sovereign purposes throughout history. Christopher Wright in this very insightful book, fleshes out the teaching of the Bible on monotheism and mission, showing us our personal and cultural idols that grip our hearts and the society in which we live in. This book is a convicting read!

Wright begins with a Biblical analysis of the true God Monotheism and mission are two key themes in the Bible. There is only one true, living God as revealed in the Bible and this God is on mission, working out His sovereign purposes throughout history. Christopher Wright in this very insightful book, fleshes out the teaching of the Bible on monotheism and mission, showing us our personal and cultural idols that grip our hearts and the society in which we live in. This book is a convicting read!

Wright begins with a Biblical analysis of the true God (Yahweh) and the other gods throughout history. He shows us that even though the idols and the gods they represent do exist in culture, “they do not have the divine existence that the one living God alone possesses.” Idolatry indeed brings so much disorder and dysfunction in all our relationships, and even in God’s created order. He also points out that the idols and the gods they represent are nothing but human constructs, which we try to jealously and aggressively defend to our own peril. He writes very insightfully, “In our own jealous protectiveness of the gods we create for ourselves, we parody the true jealousy that is the prerogative of the only true God whom we did not create.”

Wright then shows us that God is on mission to restore the disorder and dysfunction of His whole creation. Our mission is to participate in this mission of God, working with God in exposing the idols of society, thus liberating people from the “destructive delusions they foster.” Again, he insightfully points out four things we tend to manufacture our idols from: things that entice us, things we fear, things we trust and things we need. He also helpfully presents three accusations that the Bible lays out against idolatry:

1. Idols deprive God of His proper glory
2. Idols distort the image of God in human beings
3. Idols are profoundly disappointing

Wright suggests that our responses in confronting idolatry can differ in various contexts. For example, our methods when engaging directly with idol worshipers can be different from our tactics when offering theological teaching to seasoned believers. Wright looks specifically at four different contexts where our approach can vary: theological argument, evangelistic engagement, pastoral guidance, and prophetic warning. I thoroughly enjoyed Wright’s wise and skillful methodology in exposing idolatry in Chapter 4.

Another insightful chapter was chapter 7 where Wright shows us three dimensions of God-centered living: living by the story of God (being Bible people), committed to the mission of God (being gospel people), and submitting to the reign of God (being Kingdom people). I also found his summary of the five marks of the church’s mission very helpful. Those marks are evangelism, teaching, compassion, justice and stewardship of creation, which he then compresses into three focal areas where believers need to engage: church, society and creation. We are to build the church (through evangelism and teaching), we are to serve society (through compassion and justice) and we are to steward creation (through godly use of God-given resources). He also wisely points out that each of these focal points flows from the fact that Jesus is Lord of the church, the nations and the entire creation. I thought this chapter was brilliant and showed me Wright’s deep and practical insights into the key themes of Scripture.

There is incredible wisdom in each of these chapters. Wright is skillful like a surgeon in exposing the myriad ills of the human heart. He is bold in showing us the cultural idols of the day, even pointing out how Christians have willingly bowed down to them. Wright provides a provocative critique of idolatry and winsomely points us to the mission of God, in which we are lovingly called to participate. Overall, this book helped me see my own heart idols and the cultural idols to which I am often willing to bow down to. For these reasons, I am happy to commend this book to all. 5/5 stars.

*I received this complimentary book from SPCK/NetGalley, but was not required to write a favorable review.* ...more

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Nov 10, 2020 Aaron Lee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Are idols still an immediate hindrance to discipleship today? Have politics become so important that they have become our idols? In “Here are Your Gods,” Christopher Wright helps us have faithful discipleship in idolatrous times.

Monotheism and Mission

In just over 150 pages, Wright walks us through a theology of idolatry. He examines the “gods” of the Bible, and explains how monotheism and mission is a massive Biblical teaching. He categorizes idols and gods as objects within the visible creation Are idols still an immediate hindrance to discipleship today? Have politics become so important that they have become our idols? In “Here are Your Gods,” Christopher Wright helps us have faithful discipleship in idolatrous times.

Monotheism and Mission

In just over 150 pages, Wright walks us through a theology of idolatry. He examines the “gods” of the Bible, and explains how monotheism and mission is a massive Biblical teaching. He categorizes idols and gods as objects within the visible creation, demons, and the product of human hands.

Without hesitation, he shows how modern idols may be things that entice us, things we fear, things we trust, and things we need. These false gods will fail us, and Christians are to join God in the missional battle against idolatry for the goal of the glory of God.

Political Idolatry

For the purpose of Wright’s book and giving the background of our modern context, this theology of idolatry prominently plays out in the realm of politics. I was most interested to see how God sets his story across generations, in the setting of the rise and fall of nations. I was moved to see the sovereignty of God and the primacy of his Kingdom.

In regards to politics, the idols of prosperity, national pride, and self-exaltation are specifically identified by Wright. And when the world gives in to these idols, God’s judgment looms overhead.

Salt and Light

So the Christian must be living by the story of God, by his mission, and submitting to his reign. It was especially helpful to me how Wright framed how we must think – we are not living in the world’s story, but we are living out God’s story that he has written in his Word.

In the closing pages, Wright reminds us to be salt and light. And with a book on idolatry, it is fitting that he would exhort us to the regular worship of God alone. Fixing our gaze on God will help us combat cynicism and confront a downcast soul. The truths of the Gospel ring true in 2020. And our God is a consuming fire.

I received a media copy of “Here Are Your Gods” and this is my honest review. ...more

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Feb 11, 2021 Kenson Gonzalez rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When you read the title of this book you might think that it is the typical book where idolatry is approached in a superficial way and somewhat distant from our reality, however, Prof. Wright does a splendid job in this work.

I want to briefly mention what you can find in this book and what benefit you can get from reading it.

This book is composed of eight chapters divided into three parts, the first part shows us what the Scripture says about God and the gods, how this is seen particularly in th ...more

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Oct 30, 2020 Coyle added it · review of another edition

"We live in an age that has built an idol out of politics. You don’t need to be a Political Scientist to see this fact. We divide ourselves into political factions and then demonize the other side, forgetting that the point of division is not the line of truth established by the Gospel but is instead a line between two parties entirely entrenched in the fallen and temporary concerns of the state. This division becomes more important to us than any other concerns, to the point where we feel more ...more

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Feb 23, 2021 Carter Hemphill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual-development

The book starts with a deep dive into the concept of idols in the Old Testament. I think the average reader may be put off by the academic nature of those first few chapters. Still, those chapters provide a solid foundation for which the author later examines today's political and cultural environment in the UK and the United States. I imagine that some readers will disagree with his political views, but I think the author highlights the moral and social failures that both Republican and Democra ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Matt Berry rated it liked it · review of another edition

A good portion of this book is a reprint of “The Mission of God” by the same author. Highly academic, I found it difficult to stay engaged and apply to my individual life. The tagline “faithful discipleship in idolatrous times,“ Felt a bit misleading. Discipleship to me denotes practical application, insight in guidance for the common and ordinary. While the author did make a few mentions to modern day political events, I left feeling over educated without clear direction on how to apply this to ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Chris Wermeskerch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Well, that was hard to put down. A stunning and blistering indictment of idolatry, especially in the form of nationalism. How should Christians fight against political idolatry in our own lives, denounce the evils of national idolatry that hurts minority communities, and fight against the evil that dominates our culture? By proper worship. This book is extraordinarily helpful and recommended, even as we leave the Trump era and see idolatry shift its public appearance.

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Dec 31, 2020 Jimmy McKee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A short, power-packed exposé in many ways of the idols of our time are at work in the West in the national/political scene. Solid helpful biblical analysis of idolatry to start, followed by contemporary commentary. This feels like a word written with a fire of discontent and a burden for the church to “come out from among them” (2 Cor 6:17).
I personally loved it. Now to live it. Lord, help us.

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Oct 07, 2020 David rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christianity, church, new-testament, ot, politics

Christopher J. H. Wright is truly a remarkable writer always considering two horizons in interpretation of the text and its application. He offers a beautifully nuanced understanding of the relationship between the biblical text, people of God and politics.

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Feb 04, 2021 Ashish Mathew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wright has an unrelenting vision of worshipping God and thoughtfully exegetes the idols (both then and now) that compete with that worship. Powerful and potent. This is a book that I’ll be returning to retrieve that vision of God and that understanding of idolatry. Really well written!

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Jan 29, 2021 Austyn Harris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great read. Very sound biblical insight into idolatry and how if manifests not just personally in our own lives but on a large scale due to our communal living. I found the last two chapters to be very helpful, refreshing and practical on how to navigate this moving forward.

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Jan 16, 2021 Sherman White rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved this book. It is only 140ish pages and was a good framework for idolatry in the Bible with a summary of the Biblical history, modern, and the Christians role to be faithful in unfaithful times!

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Feb 10, 2021 Ken Hall rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Well written. Much to chew on. We don't usually think today of living in idolatrous times, as in times long past. Our idols are more abstracted from actual things in society and culture.
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Feb 25, 2021 Tim Peterson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Most of this information was not new to me, but it did explain things well. The author did a good job of referencing scripture throughout the book to ground his thoughts in scripture.

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About Christopher J.H. Wright

Christopher J.H. Wright

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Christopher J.H. Wright, (born 1947) is a Anglican clergyman and an Old Testament scholar. He is currently the director of Langham Partnership International. He was the principal of All Nations Christian College. He is an honorary member of the All Souls Church, Langham Place in London, UK.