Writing in the late 1980s, Herbert Schlossberg provides an in-depth analysis of current trends in American culture in his book Idols for Destruction: The Concept of Christian Faith and American Culture. Many scholars have examined Western civilization and concluded that we are in its declining years. Some use analogies with space: ascent, zenith and fall; others use biological analogies: birth, maturity and death. Schlossberg refuses to see all cultures as following these patterns, but rather attempts to use the concept of judgment, based on the biblical example of the prophets: "With their silver and their gold they made idols for their own destruction" ( Hosea 8:4). If the idols are destroyed and we return to worshiping the true God, we can expect God's blessing. However, if we continue on the path of idolatry, our culture will certainly be judged just like many cultures that came before us. Summary The book is divided into chapters covering the idols of history, humanity, money, nature, power and religion. He then hesitantly offers a prediction of whether current trends hold, and instructions for the Christian community on whether or not those trends hold. Idols of history are defined as ideologies that look to the institutions of history for salvation. These include improvements for humanity due to evolution or the inevitable march of progress of the Enlightenment. Most commonly, they include Marxism and Western social engineering. The basic assumption of all these ideas is that history itself determines what is good, and anyone who disagrees must step aside. All these ideologies have an underlying problem in that they do not allow for any transcendent standard of right and wrong, so they cannot explain a critique of current trends. T...... middle of paper ...... call an American Christian who needs to hear his message. Many seminar students will also need a dictionary on hand as they read it. Idolatry today is not as obvious as dancing with prostitutes around an Asherah, and Christians need clear descriptions of what to avoid. The challenge for Christian leaders reading this book is to simplify the content so they can teach their people what a modern idol looks like. Overall, this book is an exceptional example of criticism of our culture with a solid understanding of the philosophies of the time. Our culture is full of idols that need to be destroyed. Twenty years have only made the idols more pronounced. This book should be required reading in Christian secondary education across the country. Works Cited Schlossberg, Herbert. Idols for Destruction: The Conflict between Christian Faith and American Culture. Weaton: Crossway, 1990.