Saturday, March 20, 2010

Book Review: "Counterfeit Gods"


Title: Counterfeit Gods
Sub-title: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters
Author: Timothy Keller
Publisher: Dutton
Book Type: Christian Living
Page Length: 177 (210)
Chapters: Intro, Seven chapters, Notes, Acknowledgments
SRP: $19.95
Suggested Audience: Anyone struggling with the idolatry of money, power, and sex.

Strengths: It’s not incredibly long and it doesn’t skimp over necessities to maintain its brevity. This book addresses the American idols at the top of the idolatry list. Sex, Money and Power are all exposed as the counterfeit gods they are. The big three topple underneath the weight of Christ’s supremacy and Keller displays this clearly with his words in this book. This book hits hard and hits quick and you won’t want to put it down if you have any desire to kill sin and be rid of counterfeit gods that threaten to grab your attention away from Jesus.

Weaknesses: It’s a little pricey. It’s worth $20 but I’d recommend finding it on Amazon.

My thoughts: I finish Keller books pretty quickly, not because they are easy to read or really chipper and nice—he writes as if he was high-kicking his readers in the face with love, grace and harsh, residual truth. He is a great writer and communicator. I never feel comfortable when I read a Keller book and this one is no different. He addresses issues of my heart and he loves us as readers well enough to tell us the truth and display the grace of Jesus and his supremacy over stuff and idols.

Notable quotes:
“If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol.”
“There is only one way to change at the heart level and that is through faith in the gospel.”
“He had just learned that this God is not an extension of culture, but a transformer of culture, not a controllable but a Sovereign Lord.”
“Rejoicing and repentance must go together. Repentance without rejoicing will lead to despair. Rejoicing without repentance is shallow and will only provide passing inspiration instead of deep change.”
“You cannot get relief simply by figuring out your idols intellectually. You have to actually get the peace that Jesus gives, and that only comes as you worship.”

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