Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life

False gods are everywhere, and even those who hold a staunch religious faith worship them. So says Scalia, best known on the Internet for her popular religion blog, The Anchoress. While there may not be any literal golden calves as in Moses' time, a plethora of obstacles stand today between believers and God. These can disrupt the spiritual life and slowly guide people on paths toward despair, unhealthy solitude, and desolation. Among the laundry list of idols include technology, desires for wealth, casual sex, and a warped sense of patriotism. Everyone, according to the author, can be tricked to contort that which is good into something that saps the spirit and breeds cynicism. Scalia does not write as though she is above her readers%E2%80%94she knows she wrestles with the same idols as everyone else. Her thoughtful and often witty anecdotes pepper her analysis and serve to lighten a very serious topic. This is a welcome invitation to self-reflection that many spiritual seekers will find edifying. (Apr.)