Self-Idolatry and Scapegoating

From the foundation of the world, human civilization has borne the mark of Cain—the one who, in a spirit of envy and competition, slew his brother and went on to build the first city with its weapons of war, commerce and trade. Enslaved by the desire to have what belongs to its neighbor and to “be as god,” fallen humanity, like its archetypal predecessor Cain, remains trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of increasing violence as it searches for someone to blame for its failure to obtain its desires.

Following in the footsteps of the apostle James, Self-Idolatry and Scapegoating pursues the question, “Where do wars and fights come from among you?” This searching survey examines key scriptural passages in an effort to uncover the mysterious spiritual forces and “elementary principles” lurking behind our everyday decisions—motives that lie at the root of entire political and economic systems of power and greed that have claimed millions of human lives over the past century alone.