To believers who have noticed a disconcerting distortion of Christianity's ideals of love and charity, Daniel Mahoney's "The Idol of Our Age: How the Religion of Humanity Subverts Christianity" may be a godsend.
The book, which was published last December, addresses the problem of secular humanitarianism and its effect on the Church's thinking about divine mercy and Christian charity. "The Idol of Our Age" has been widely reviewed, somewhat–though not entirely–to the author's surprise. In an interview, Mahoney said the book has resonated with Christians in Catholic, orthodox, and Evangelical circles who were aware of the problem he diagnoses but hadn't put a name to it.
"I sensed that there was real discontent in thoughtful orthodox-minded Christian circles about this increasing conflation of the Christian religion with a humanitarian political agenda, reducing Christianity to simply a project to promote left-wing social justice and pacifism, and, I think, a deeply problematic interpretation of the Gospels," Mahoney said.
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