American Idols

When the people of Israel entered the promised land, they found themselves surrounded by people groups who believed in multiple gods and worshiped using unholy practices (such as child sacrifice). It’s no coincidence that the first of the commandments God gave to Moses was “to have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3). When you are immersed in pagan culture, it can be easy to adopt unconsciously the practices of your neighbors. That culture becomes the water you swim in—something so pervasive that it becomes invisible even as it is highly influential. 

The prohibitions in Scripture against idolatry may appear odd in the twenty-first century. The prophet Isaiah’s mockery of those who worship human-crafted idols seems unnecessary to us: “Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” (Isa. 44:19). After all, when was the last time Americans slaughtered a bull and offered its meat in homage to a lifeless gold-plated totem before us? We would never be so foolish!

Or would we? Christians in America can easily become so immersed in secular culture that its weighty influence becomes invisible. Idolatry is not so much about the carved block of wood as where our loyalties lie. The One God of Israel demanded complete and unswerving loyalty from his people not because Yahweh was despotic or insecure, but because God created all that exists and had chosen to bless the people of Israel—and ultimately the world through Israel (Gen. 12:3). There simply is no one greater, no one more worthy of our worship and loyalty. 

The apostle Paul emphatically made this claim to the Colossians, who were tempted to add other requirements to their worship of Christ; false teachers were trying to convince them that Christ was not enough. But Paul pointed out that there is no one greater: “all the fullness of God” was pleased to dwell in Christ (Col. 1:19)—what more could be added? As a result of this truth, he further challenged the Colossians to align their behavior with the Gospel: “If with Christ you died to the elemental principles of the world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world?” (2:20). In saying this, Paul declared that Christians can—if they are not careful—succumb to the influences of the world. Similarly, Stephen E. Fowl points out:

…it is never any believer’s immediate intention to engage in idolatry. Rather, idolatry is the result of a number of small incremental moves: a set of seemingly benign or even prudent decisions; a set of habits and dispositions—often acquired through subtle participation in a wider culture; a set of influential friendships. All of these work in complex combinations gradually to direct our attention slowly and almost imperceptibly away from the one true God towards that which is not God (Idolatry, 2019, pp. 3-4). 

This sobering thought forces us to ask how we are being subtly swayed by our surrounding culture to act contrary to the Gospel. Where do the influences of American culture most challenge our loyalty to the Triune God? (My apologies to our readers from contexts outside the U.S. for limiting the scope of this article; some of what follows may apply to you as well, while other challenges may be more prominent in your own context.) The following cultural currents create riptides that can pull believers unwittingly toward idolatry.

Individualism 

America’s fierce mentality of individualism has been a staple since before the Revolutionary War. Our culture does not require that the son of a farmer become a farmer or the daughter of a baker become a baker. Rather, we believe we are masters of our own destinies. The land of opportunity allows a person to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make their own path in the world. This is, of course, a broad generalization, and many might argue that those who find themselves on the lower rungs of our society do not have the same opportunities (as Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “It’s a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his bootstraps”). Yet in our television shows, newscasts, movies, and social media, we constantly lift up rags-to-riches stories of the self-made hero (such as “Rocky”). This rampant individualism has affected nearly every aspect of our lives, from where we live (e.g., going “off grid”) to our sexual practices to isolationist political policies. We don’t give anyone the authority to tell us what to do.

But Scripture portrays a vastly different picture. The cultures out of which the biblical texts arose—the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world—emphasized the need for community connections. Much of one’s identity was determined by others: the family in which you were born, the reputation of your city, ethnic and gender stereotypes, and the socio-economic class into which you were born all determined your place in society. You didn’t have much say in the matter. While it might be tempting to argue that the ancient context is not normative for us today, we need to remember that just because the ancient culture was different from our own does not necessarily mean it is wrong or outdated. We must carefully discern which aspects of the ancient context may be closer than our own to God’s will. E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien give a good example of this when they describe a common Western view of today’s church as a voluntary association in which we feel free to leave any time it no longer meets our wants or needs. They declare:

This is not biblical Christianity. Scripture is clear that when we become Christians, we become—permanently and spiritually—a part of the church. We become part of the family of God, with all the responsibilities and expectations that word connotes in the non-Western world. We don’t choose who else is a Christian with us. But we are committed to them, bound to them by the Spirit. And we are not free to dissociate our identities from them—mainly because once we are all in Christ, our own individual identities are no longer of primary importance. Paul used the metaphor of a body to emphasize that all the parts belong to and depend on one another… (Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, 2012, pp. 107-108). 

Today’s church must take seriously this biblical emphasis on community and ask whether our activities encourage the development of deep spiritual relationships between our members. While we must preach the Word and praise God in our worship services, we must also develop relationships within the body of Christ so that we can support one another, hold one another accountable, and testify together to the goodness of God. John Wesley described entire sanctification as perfect love of God and neighbor, but how can we love our neighbor if we never invest in the life of the person sitting next to us in the pew?

Consumerism 

Because the American economy is based on the buying and selling of goods, we are constantly inundated with messages telling us we need more of everything: beauty products, home goods, lawncare tools, exciting fashions, up-to-date cell phones, and on and on. What we have is never enough—something better is always on the horizon, something we simply must have. 

Of course, we do need to buy some items on a regular basis—whether food, clothing, or other necessities. Super sales such as Amazon Prime Days or “steals and deals” segments on morning television shows can help us to be frugal, but they also tempt us to purchase more than we really need. As Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung points out, “The difficulty comes when we try to discern what counts as adequate provision and what counts as excess” (Glittering Vices, 2nd ed., 2020, p. 118). The more we listen to the siren song of consumerism, the more stuff we think we need. This leads to the sin of avarice. DeYoung notes that “our greedy tendency to trust in wealth for happiness and security undercuts our trust in God. Like the other vices rooted in pride, greed expresses the do-it-yourself method of finding happiness, instead of the contentedness of receiving the good things that God gives us and gratefully depending on his provision” (114). Avarice can warp our theology in other directions as well, turning us toward prosperity theology: we assume that a good God will give us all the desires of our hearts—despite Jesus’s declaration that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him (Matt. 16:24).

These temptations are complicated by the individualism noted above. If I’ve worked hard to get what’s mine, then why shouldn’t I enjoy a little luxury? Why should I share my wealth with others who haven’t worked as hard as me to get where I am? But John Wesley, in his sermon “The Use of Money,” warns against such temptations, urging believers not to spend their money on “idle expenses.” He exhorts believers never to spend their money “merely to gratify the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life.” Rather, Wesley urges believers to gain all they can, save all they can, and give all they can. 

Yet the more one is used to consuming, the more challenging the call to “give all you can” becomes. DeYoung notes that greed “corrodes the virtue of generosity and leads us to ignore the claims of justice” (114). She recalls that Thomas Aquinas believed “the point of owning stuff is to use it for the sake of serving” (116). Similarly, Wesley points out the good uses of money. In the hands of God’s children, he says, money “is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked” (“The Use of Money”). Wesley urges believers to ask four questions before making a purchase: 1) whether they are acting as a steward of the Lord’s goods in making this purchase; 2) whether the purchase is made in obedience to the commands of Scripture; 3) whether the expense can be offered “as a sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ”; and 4) whether this purchase will result in a reward at the resurrection. Put more simply, we should ask whether our spending habits bring more honor to us or to God. 

Celebrity 

The question of who we honor confronts America’s fascination with celebrities. Some Taylor Swift fans have paid upwards of $3,000 for a concert ticket; Super Bowl fans, however, have paid even more—at one point, tickets averaged $7,800. But the monetary cost does not compare to the investment of time and attention dedicated to these celebrities. Learning the lyrics of every song or the stats for every football player requires turning one’s attention away from other endeavors and relationships. Believers should consider how their relationship with God would grow if they spent as much time in Scripture, prayer, and spiritual accountability groups as they do binge-watching their favorite shows or sports. If our relationship with God is stale, it may be because we are focusing our energies in places that do not ultimately bring life.

Our obsession with celebrity also affects our life goals. A recent study found that 57 percent of those in Gen Z (i.e., those born between 1997 and 2012) want to become social media influencers. The highly curated images of social media stars create a desire to have the same popularity, power, and influence. While a yearning to inspire others to pursue a greater good may be a virtue, it is all too easy to desire simply to be seen. DeYoung describes “the excessive and disordered desire for recognition and approval from others” as the sin of vainglory (42). The danger occurs “when we fail to refer glory to God for the true goods he has given us”; we thus become “both unjust and ungrateful, because we are so busy seeking to manifest our own goodness that we deny or ignore its fundamental cause and source” (52).

The temptation to vainglory often sprouts among pastors. The godly desire to grow a church for the Kingdom can subtly shift to a sinful desire to grow a church for the sake of recognition—or for the opportunity to move to a larger church. Ultimately, DeYoung reminds us that we can avoid this idolatry of self by giving up our place in the center of attention: “We must admit that from beginning to end, ‘it’s not about me’” (53). John the Baptist demonstrated this ability admirably. Despite his popularity as a wilderness prophet, John saw Jesus and declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). 

Political Power

John the Baptist’s attitude is uncommon in American culture. Especially when we turn to the current political scene, we discover politicians on both the right and the left scrambling to gain power by any means necessary. And Christians have jumped on this bandwagon. Rather than seeking to serve others as Christ did—through humility and self-sacrifice (Phil. 2:5-11)—many believers seek to dominate others through the power of the state. It’s one thing to work through democratic channels to gain public support for laws based on Christian ethics (such as protecting the unborn or those with disabilities), but it becomes a different matter entirely when Christian politicians (and politicians they endorse) suppress dissenting voices through belittling rhetoric, misinformation, and bullying tactics. N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird point out that Christianity can be “used to justify unchristian policies and actions related to wars, immigration, income inequality, healthcare and a myriad other issues. Remember that even the devil can quote Scripture and try to rub it in the face of Jesus” (Jesus and the Powers, 2024, pg. 132).

In the political realm, believers are called to demonstrate their life in Christ no less than in any other aspect of their lives. The call for believers to embody the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23)—does not stop at the door of the state house. To discard this fruit and instead drink the bitter gall of political manipulation demonstrates a distrust in the One who has all power and authority. As Wright and Bird remind us, “Jesus refused those who wanted to ‘make him king’ by force just as much as he refused to become king by calling upon ‘twelve legions of angels.’ Jesus needs no army, arms or armoured cavalry to bring about the kingdom of God.” (136). 

Conclusion

Stephen Fowl describes Israel’s crafting of the golden calf as an attempt to create a God who is more open to manipulation. The idol’s “oracles and instructions” would be under the control of the priests, whereas the Lord makes covenant promises to those who must follow him: “These promises invite the Israelites to follow a God who acts in powerful, terrifying ways; whose actions cannot always be predicted and anticipated, whose timing does not always match up with the hopes of the people, yet whose love is always steadfast. The making of the calf is a way of domesticating a rather untamed LORD” (15). Today, when we prioritize individualism over community, consumerism over self-denial, celebrity over humility, and power over service, we demonstrate a similar desire to wrestle control from God and become our own idols. May it never be.

Suzanne Nicholson is Professor of New Testament at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. She is an Elder in the Global Methodist Church and serves as Assistant Lead Editor of Firebrand.