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Title: Counterfeit Gods

Author: Timothy Keller

Publisher: Penguin

Year: 2009

Reviewed by David Vonk

Counterfeit Gods, by the late Timothy Keller, is a must-read for any Christian (and dare I say a must-read for anyone, Christian or not). It isa book about idolatry. Keller writes forthrightly about how idolatry is a problem in every human heart, and how the ultimate solution is to be found in one Saviour, Jesus. That summary makes the issue of idolatry sound open-and-shut, but Keller shows that idolatry is a sin that is complex, devious, and potentially life-destroying.

Counterfeit Gods is grounded in biblical teaching, with each of the core chapters being miniature sermons, focused on a particular biblical passage that demonstrates the danger of a particular idol. Keller’s writing style is lucid and careful, and his biblical exposition is clear and easy to understand. The book is well-structured and there is a deliberate and thoughtfully crafted shape to the narrative that Keller writes. Most importantly, biblical truth and the powerful message of the gospel ring clear and true from the pages. Repeatedly, as the reader falls into despondency by the realisation of sin or the fear of committing idolatry, Keller shines the light of the gospel. In every chapter, Keller brings the reader back to Jesus.

What is idolatry? It can be defined most simply by the first of the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3 NIV). What are these gods? The second command begins: “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them…” (Exodus 20:4-5a). Keller makes it clear: “anything in life can serve as an idol, a God-alternative, a counterfeit god.”

Idols become idols when we elevate something from ordinary to ultimate. So often, these idols were once good things, but we have made them into our reason for being. Counterfeit Gods contains numerous anecdotal examples of people who have variously made idols out of success, money, family, love, and power – only to experience failure, poverty, isolation, hatred, and weakness. Frequently the examples are pertinent and confronting. Keller makes it clear that idolatry is not just something that happened to someone else – idolatry is a problem of sin and the fallen nature of every human being. Itis not written for some imagined unsavoury idolatry-having group that we frown upon from a distance – it is a book for you and me.

The crux of Keller’s argument in Counterfeit Gods is that idolatry is not merely a sin. It is why we sin.He puts forth a challenging – and truthful – statement:

… [Martin Luther] argued, the fundamental motivation behind lawbreaking is idolatry. We never break the other commandments without breaking the first one. Why do we fail to love or keep promises or live unselfishly? Of course, 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. We would not lie unless we first had made something—human approval, reputation, power over others, financial advantage—more important and valuable to our hearts than the grace and favor of God. The secret to change is to identify and dismantle the counterfeit gods of your heart.

Idolatry is, as Keller puts it, the sin around which all other sins orbit. To defeat sin, we must prayerfully fight idolatry. Keller phrases it mildly as a “secret to change”, but in the Bible it is a command.

Depending on one’s opinions as to how a Christian book by a Christian author ought to be written, this is where Keller’s mode of writing perhaps falters – in an effort to cater towards the Christian and the non-believer alike, he avoids directly commanding. Counterfeit Gods is decidedly teaching, not preaching. To that effect, some readers may be put off by Keller’s lack of direct exhortation. A strength can also become a weakness.

That does not prevent Counterfeit Gods from being an effective and insightful book. Keller’s gentleness ought to be commended. He convicts instead of condemning; he talks instead of shouting; and he comforts rather than discourages. Upon finishing reading Counterfeit Gods, one feels readily encouraged and equipped to fight idolatry, anchored in the gospel.

The late Timothy Keller has left a valuable legacy and shown a model of humble Christlikeness to the church today – and his Counterfeit Gods is a valuable book for any Christian.