Good thing Quote by Timothy Keller
“Idolatry happens when we take good things and make them ultimate things”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Reason for God (2008)
Idolatry is described as elevating good things to ultimate status, warning against misplaced worship.
In simple terms: Treating good things as ultimate is idolatry.
Key Takeaway
Guard against elevating anything above the divine.
Themes
religion
ethics
idolatry
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- sermons
- study groups
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
theology
moral philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “ultimate” mean to you?
- How can gratitude avoid idolatry?
A Different Perspective
Not all “good” things are harmful, context matters.
![“24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: [Alexis de] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a special salience today — because while we have gotten very good at deconstructing old stories (the religion that was the subject of my first chapter…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85a/timothy-keller-240_sad_24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the_25320.jpg)
