The Discipline of Delusion

In the early years of the church, Christian parents could point to an idols' temple to remind themselves and their children of the dangers of idolatry. To what do we Christians point today? Our idolatry is subtler but no less deadly. Today we no longer worship graven images crafted by the hands of men, but humanistic ideas crafted by the minds of men.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the first idol and serves as the prototype for all subsequent idolatry. To this most naked expression of idolatry--our pursuit of autonomy through ideas and ideologies--the church has yielded herself, with devastating consequences. These modern secular ideologies have seduced the church into listening to our culture rather than the Bible. This has produced what Jeremiah called a "discipline of delusion." Among the belief systems that have deceived us are:

• Scientism
• Secularism
• Cultural Marxism

In The Discipline of Delusion, Jerry Bangert traces the evolution of our humanistic idolatry of ideas, its effect on the church, and how we, the church, can combat it.

Jerry Bangert, MD, has worked as a dermatologist and dermatopathologist for the last forty years. During that time he was mentored by Walt Henrichson. Now retired, he continues to lead Bible studies, disciple men, and speak at men's conferences. He lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife, with whom he has two children and two grandchildren.