The Deification of Family and Marriage (re: Kyle Idleman book)
You can find copies of Idleman’s book “Gods At War” for sale online.
I have written in a critical fashion of Idleman before, as I am not a fan (pardon the pun) of his “Not A Fan” book, which unintentionally sets out to place yokes and a works-based mentality upon Christians. Read more about that here and here and here (“Radical Christianity”).
I have not read the “Gods At War” book myself but have seen Idleman interviewed about the book, and I caught one or two episodes of a Christian show based on his book.
While I disagree with his “Not a Fan” works- based type of approach to living Christian daily life, I do feel Idleman is correct that most American Christians have made a deity out of marriage and family.
In the book “Gods At War,” Idleman discusses how Christians can turn anything into an idol from jobs to entertainment, and he has one chapter in his book on “family.” He mentioned in an TV interview that some Christians are guilty of turning their spouse, their marriage, into idols.
You can read free previews from the chapter “The God of Family” in Idleman’s book on Amazon .com. Or, you might be able to read free excerpts on (Link): Google Books here. Try (Link): Chapter 12 God Of Family (this link should take you directly to chapter 12, but it looks like it’s taking you to the intro. You’ll have to scroll down or jump to Ch 12).
(Please click the “read more” link to read the rest of this post and to see a video interview with Idleman about this topic.)
You can see Idleman discuss the Christian tendency to idolize marriage and family in this video:
(Link): Life Today interview: Gods At War
Idelman interview Re God of War, idolizing spouses/marriage:
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Related posts this blog, Links:
(Index): Christians Making Marriage / Family / Parenting Into Idols
Have we made an idol of families? (copy)
Video about Family Focused Churches and how not to alienate singles or the childless
Cloud’s Critique of Family Integrated Churches
If the Family Is Central, Christ Isn’t
Family as “The” Backbone of Society? – It’s Not In The Bible
Christians and Churches Discriminate Against Unmarried People / Singles
Another Blog on Churches Making Family Into an Idol and Christian Dating Advice
Un Happy Mother’s Day – universal church continues to worship parenthood, family
Youth Fixation in Churches and how it alienates older Christians
Part 2, The Parable of the Neglected Unmarried – Single – Christian
Christian Pundit 