DON’T FOLLOW YOUR HEART:
Boldly Breaking the Ten
Commandments of Self-Worship
By Thaddeus J. Williams
Zondervan. 240 pages. £14.99
ISBN 978 0 310 154 464
As the tide of cultural pressure against Christian ethics and belief rises ever higher, so do the number of books published to help weary and confused believers seeking to honour Jesus in this difficult cultural moment.
Having read several such books, it was a pleasure to read Don’t Follow Your Heart and find it to be fresh, different, and a genuine standout among the crowd. Thaddeus J. Williams doesn’t simply discuss our complex world or speak of its dangers, rather he manages to expose the idols of our culture as blatant forms of self-worship which, he argues, ‘is the world’s fastest growing religion’.
Convincing analysis
Each chapter addresses one of the ‘ten commandments of self-worship’ (ideas such as following your heart, being true to yourself, looking within for answers) and exposes the idol of self-worship that lies at their heart. Williams effortlessly connects ideas to reality, providing a convincing analysis of culture based upon various references ranging from popular culture to complex philosophy. As I read, I really felt that our self-worship – in all its forms – is utterly absurd. In this way, the book wasn’t dry or even necessarily polemic; it was simply exposing idols that are plain to see, but ones we often wilfully ignore. Each chapter ends with powerful testimony from a ‘heretic against the cult of self-worship’, as well as a prayer and practical tips for how to rebel ourselves.
Though this book contains lots of references to Bible stories and ideas without much context, I’d still confidently give it to a non-Christian. Why? Because it’s hard to read this and not be moved to consider whether the underlying assumptions of our culture are about as stable as a house of cards. This could help break down plausibility structures, to help non-Christians see that following their heart in all its complexity is simply a different form of religious belief and practice. Equally valuable for the Christian, this book never points a sneering finger at the culture, but rather calls all of us to examine our hearts and ask where we’re guilty of bowing down to the idol of self.
