The Risk of Idolatry

Idolatry is any thought, word, or action that treats a material or earthly object or idea as if it were a god. This includes worshipping or treating a human being with extreme devotion. Historically the concern was that people would treat paintings & statues of Jesus as if Jesus were actually in them. Today we have a broader sense that people can idolize anything: money, status, education, political positions, ideologies, celebrities, pastors, etc. In other words, we have realized that idolatry is a behavior, not something that is inherent in an object itself.



For the purposes of looking at Christian art and using this app, this means two things. First, it means that you have the power to keep yourself from treating a piece of art as something that contains God. Art can point to God but can never be God. Second, you can use the practice of remembering that the art is not God to stop yourself if you are becoming excessively devoted to anything or anyone who is not God. If you find yourself tending toward idolatry of anything or anyone, you are encouraged to reflect on what it is about that object, idea, or person that is attractive and seek that trait in God instead.