What is anthropolatry?

Anthropolatry is the worship or deification of humans. The term is derived from the Greek words anthropos (“man”) and latreia (“worship”). Anthropolatry is closely related to apotheosis, which elevates a person (such as a Roman emperor) to divine status. A modern form of anthropolatry is found in the veneration of popes, pastors, political leaders, and celebrities. Whether ancient or modern, anthropolatry is unbiblical and should be rejected.

Historical Roots of Anthropolatry

In ancient Egypt, pharaohs were considered mediators between God and humanity; in ancient Rome, emperors were deified. These traditions created centralized power and demanded absolute devotion from the rulers’ subjects.

Anthropolatry can also manifest in ideologies that elevate human reason, achievement, or identity. For example, the Enlightenment in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries replaced God’s authority with secular humanism and scientific and technological progress. Friedrich Nietzsche, a nineteenth-century German philosopher, wrote, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. . . . Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?” (The Gay Science, § 125, 1882).

Biblical Warnings Against Anthropolatry

The Bible condemns anthropolatry because it violates the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3, ESV). Human self-worship is sinful, misguided, and an affront to God.

In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas rejected anthropolatry that was directed at them. After Paul healed a man in Lystra, the crowd assumed Paul and Barnabas were gods and tried to offer sacrifices to them. Paul and Barnabas stopped them and said, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God” (Acts 14:15, ESV). This response maintains the proper distinction between the Creator and creation and affirms that worship belongs to God alone.

Romans 1:25 describes how people “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen” (ESV). Sinful humanity esteems the visible above the invisible, and the result is idolatry.

The Dangers of Anthropolatry

Anthropolatry is dangerous. First, it distorts our relationship with God. We are to trust in God, but anthropolatry would have us rely on ourselves and others like us. Pride and self-sufficiency are sinful. Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (ESV).

Second, anthropolatry results in moral decadence. When human authority replaces God’s authority, subjective morality prevails, leading to chaos. That’s the reason the period between Joshua and the monarchy in Israel was such a chaotic time: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25, ESV). History is replete with examples of what happens when humans dispense with God’s Word and follow their own authority.

Third, anthropolatry undermines the gospel. The gospel centers on Christ, who is fully God and fully man. Human self-worship denies God’s grace in Christ and promotes the false idea that humans can achieve perfection or transcendence apart from God. Ephesians 2:8–9 counters that idea: “By grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (ESV).

A Biblical Response to Anthropolatry

Embracing a biblical worldview is the antidote to anthropolatry. God alone is worthy of our praise and worship: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods” (Psalm 96:4, ESV). Believers must resist the urge to idolize human leaders or achievements, no matter how great.

We must remember our place within God’s creation. Although we are created in God’s image, we are not objects of worship. We are God’s image bearers who should steward creation rather than worship it (Genesis 1:27).

We must also guard our hearts against subtle forms of anthropolatry to ensure God remains our ultimate focus: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2, ESV).

Finally, believers must proclaim the gospel faithfully by pointing people to Christ, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, ESV).