Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters »

Timothy Keller opened Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in 1989, and now ministers to more than 9,000 regular Sunday attendees, plus the members of fifty "church plants" nationwide. He is also the author of The Prodigal God and the New York Times bestseller The Reason for God.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God and The Prodigal God and a nationally renowned minister, Timothy Keller exposes the error of making good things “ultimate” in his latest book, and shows readers a new path toward a hope that lasts. Success, true love, and the life you’ve always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. The recent economic meltdown has cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful. But the truth is that we made lesser gods of these good things —gods that can’t give us what we really need. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings— and now is the perfect time to meet him again, or for the first time. The Bible tells us that the human heart is an “idol- factory,” taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message will cement Keller’s reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time—for both the faithful and the skeptical.

Introduction The Idol Factory

1 All You've Ever Wanted 1

2 Love Is Not All You Need 22

3 Money Changes Everything 48

4 The Seduction of Success 72

5 The Power and the Glory 97

6 The Hidden Idols in Our Lives 126

7 The End of Counterfeit Gods 154

Epilogue: Finding and Replacing Your Idols 165

Notes 178

Bibliography 206

Acknowledgments 209