What is idolatry in our day? The people of Israel were tempted to bow down to literal idols, and in many parts of the world, literal idols and effigies are still believed to hold enormous power. But in the post-Christian West, idolatry—though harder to define—is just as prevalent.

On this episode of Let's Talk, Jackie Hill Perry, Jasmine Holmes, and Melissa Kruger talk about how and why we are tempted to make idols. Although some may think we slip into idolatry when we want too much, Jackie says that, actually, “Idolatry is wanting too little.” When we make idols, she says, we're looking to something that has been created to deliver us. But we need to look higher, above what is created to our Creator.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Expulsive Power of a New Affection by Thomas Chalmers

Related Resources:

• Sin as Idolatry (essay)
• How to Expose the Idols in Your Life
• Juan Sanchez on Image, Identity, and Idolatry (podcast)