In this book, the second edition of the second book of his classic trilogy, renowned Christian psychotherapist, Dr. David F. Allen, teaches us about the many false gods that are waiting to be raised up as deities within us. We learn how to identify them and how they must be shattered so that we ultimately find our way into the worship of the true God. The starting point in this journey is understanding this important truth: Life is wounded. This principle is the underlying explanation for our constant creation of false gods. Unmanageable, unbearable and seemingly inescapable pain is the reason we are forever shoving our faith aside and granting god-like status to both our pleasures and our problems. Life is wounded and in this book Dr. Allen helps the reader understand the inextricable connection between our pain and our false gods. These pseudo gods are false illusions of reality; they must ultimately shatter or be shattered. The shattering may be a result of illness, disappointment, death, or some other tragedy, or God himself might explode our box of illusions. The shattering of one’s pseudo gods is always painful, leaving a hole in one’s soul and an emptiness of heart. We become vulnerable to depression, suicide, or other self-destructive behaviors, e.g., drugs or alcohol. But at this point of extreme vulnerability, we can also be open to true faith in God. In a Christian context, the coming of Christ the Holy Son of God is the most powerful antidote to idolatry or pseudo gods.From the opening chapters on Life is Wounded and The Creation of a Pseudo God, Dr. Allen presents the reader with the false gods of modern culture: Narcissism: The God of Self-Image Conformity: The God of Fitting In Materialism: The Visible God The Sacredness of the Affect Anger: Addiction and Sexuality Extraordinary Illusions Facing the Wounded Self But the reader is not left in despair. Out of more than four decades as a psychiatrist and a lifetime of understanding human nature through the stories in the Holy Scriptures, Dr. Allen brings hope in: Broken Idols: Coping with Defeat and Facing Giants: Character Amidst Chaos Ultimately, with Dr. Allen as our guide, we are lead to God’s Forgiveness: The Healing Grace having made the journey From Wounds to Worship
