Ancestor Worship Versus Idolatry Comparison
Ancestor worship, often categorized as a form of hero worship, is considered a type of idolatry in biblical and theological traditions [1]. Idolatry is broadly defined as the worship or divine honor paid to any created object or being rather than to God [1, 2]. The prohibition against idolatry is a foundational command in the Old Testament, explicitly stated in the Decalogue: "You shall have no other gods before me" and "You shall not make for yourself a carved image" (Exodus 20:2-5; Deuteronomy 5:7-9) [3].
The concept of idolatry encompasses various practices, including fetishism (worship of natural objects), nature worship (worship of celestial bodies), and hero worship, which includes the veneration of deceased ancestors [1]. The apostle Paul describes the origin of idolatry as a turning away from God, leading to ignorance and moral corruption, where people exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:21-25) [1].
From a theological perspective, idolatry is not only the worship of false gods but also the worship of the true God through an image or created representation [4, 11]. Tertullian, an early Church Father, emphasized that God prohibits both the making of an idol and its worship, seeing the former as a prerequisite for the latter [7]. He also noted that all idolatry is ultimately "for man's sake," implying a human-centered motivation behind such practices [9].
The distinction between ancestor worship and idolatry is often blurred because ancestor worship, by its nature, attributes divine or semi-divine qualities to deceased individuals, making them objects of veneration that should be reserved for God alone [1]. Charles Hodge argues that when saints or ancestors are believed to possess divine attributes, such as knowing thoughts or unexpressed desires, they effectively become "gods whom the people worship" [5]. This practice is seen as analogous to the polytheism found in heathen religions, where imaginary beings or imaginary powers are made objects of worship [5].
The Jewish tradition, as reflected in the Babylonian Talmud, views idol worship as a severe transgression, with specific legal ramifications, including the destruction of property in an idolatrous city and the punishment of death by stoning for the idolater [8, 12, 13]. The early Church also saw the decline of idol worship and oracles as a direct consequence of the incarnation of Christ, signifying the triumph of the true God over false deities [10]. John Calvin further elaborated that the creation of images leads to adoration, as people begin to imagine they behold divinity in these images, eventually becoming engrossed and brutish in their worship [6].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Idolatry — Image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Rom. 1:21-25: men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption (1:28). The forms of idolatry are, (1.) Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc. (2.) Nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers of nature. (3.) Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors, or of heroes. In Scripture, idolatry is regarded as of heathen origin, and as being imported among the Hebrews through contact with ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Worship — Homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being (Ex. 34:14; Isa. 2:8). Such worship was refused by Peter (Acts 10:25, 26) and by an angel (Rev. 22:8, 9).”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Idolatry — Forbidden -- Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7. Consists in Bowing down to images. -- Ex 20:5; De 5:9. Worshipping images. -- Isa 44:17; Da 3:5,10,15. Sacrificing to images. -- Ps 106:38; Ac 7:41. Worshipping other gods. -- De 30:17; Ps 81:9. Swearing by other gods. -- Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7. Walking after other gods. -- De 8:19. Speaking in the name of other gods. -- De 18:20. Looking to other gods. -- Ho 3:1. Serving other gods. -- De 7:4; Jer 5:19. Fearing other gods. -- 2Ki 17:35. Sacrificing to other gods. -- Ex 22:20. Worshipping the true God by an image, & c. -- Ex 32:”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Idolatry — strictly speaking denotes the worship of deity in a visible form, whether the images to which homage is paid are symbolical representations of the true God or of the false divinities which have been made the objects of worship in his stead. I. History of idolatry among the Jews.--The first undoubted allusion to idolatry or idolatrous customs in the Bible is in the account of Rachel's stealing her father's teraphim. (Genesis 31:19) During their long residence in Egypt the Israelites defiled themselves with the idols of the land, and it was long before the ta”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 43: from all parts of the earth at the same time; that they know our thoughts and unexpressed desires. This is to assume that they possess divine attributes. In fact. therefore, the saints are the gods whom the people worship, whom they trust, and who are the objects of the religious affections. The polytheism of the Church of Rome is in many respects analogous to that of heathen Rome. In both cases we find gods 285 many and lords many. In both cases either imaginary beings are the objects of worship, or imaginary powers and attributes are as”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 27: God was visibly depicted to their eyes. 9. After such a figment is formed, adoration forthwith ensues: for when once men imagined that they beheld God in images, they also worshipped him as being there. At length their eyes and minds becoming wholly engrossed by them, they began to grow more and 98 more brutish, gazing and wondering as if some divinity were actually before them. It hence appears that men do not fall away to the worship of images until they have imbibed some idea of a grosser description: not that they actually beli”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. IV.--IDOLS NOT TO BE MADE, MUCH LESS WORSHIPPED. IDOLS AND IDOLMAKERS IN THE SAME CATEGORY. (part 1): God prohibits an idol as much to be made as to be worshipped. In so far as the making what may be worshipped is the prior act, so far is the prohibition to make (if the worship is unlawful) the prior prohibition. For this cause--the eradicating, namely, of the material of idolatry--the divine law proclaims, "Thou shall make no idol;"(12) and by conjoining, "Nor a similitude of the things which are in the heaven, and which are in the earth, and which are in the sea”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 40b.3: What are the differences? The case of an idolatrous city is not similar to those two, i.e., idol worship and conspiring witnesses, because for the others their money escapes their fate. Although the court executes those transgressors, their money is not confiscated. By contrast, in the case of an idolatrous city, not only are the residents executed, all of their property is destroyed. Idol worship is not similar to those two, as the other two transgressions are judged by the sword, while the punishment for idol worship is death by stoning. The case of conspi”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. XV.--CONCERNING FESTIVALS IN HONOUR OF EMPERORS, VICTORIES, AND THE LIKE. EXAMPLES OF THE THREE CHILDREN AND DANIEL. (part 1): But "let your works shine," saith He;(8) but now all our shops and gates shine! You will now-a-days find more doors of heathens without lamps and laurel-wreaths than of Christians. What does the case seem to be with regard to that species (of ceremony) also? If it is an idol's honour, without doubt an idol's honour is idolatry. If it is for a man's sake, let us again consider that all idolatry is for man's sake;(9) let us again consider th”
- CCEL (Patristic) “Athanasius of Alexandria, Select Works and Letters, section 143: §46. Discredit, from the date of the Incarnation, of idol-cultus, oracles, mythologies, demoniacal energy, magic, and Gentile philosophy. And whereas the old cults were strictly local and independent, the worship of Christ is catholic and uniform. When did men begin to desert the worshipping of idols, save since God, the true Word of God, has come among men? Or when have the oracles among the Greeks, and everywhere, ceased and become empty, save when the Saviour has manifested Himself upon earth? 2. Or when did those who are call”
- Deuteronomy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Deuteronomy 4:16: Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image--The things are here specified of which God prohibited any image or representation to be made for the purposes of worship; and, from the variety of details entered into, an idea may be formed of the extensive prevalence of idolatry in that age. In whatever way idolatry originated, whether from an intention to worship the true God through those things which seemed to afford the strongest evidences of His power, or whether a divine principle was supposed to reside in the things themselves, ther”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Meilah 44b.36:2: The baraita continues: One might have thought that the comparison between misuse and idol worship teaches that one is liable for misuse even if he damaged the consecrated item but did not derive benefit from it, as that is the halakha with regard to idol worship, where one changes worship of God to idol worship without deriving benefit. Or, in light of the comparison between misuse and suspected adultery, it might have been thought that one would be liable for misuse if he derived benefit from the consecrated item but did not damage it, just as the adulteres”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Meilah 18b.2: The baraita continues: One might have thought that the comparison between misuse and idol worship teaches that one is liable for misuse even if he damaged the consecrated item but did not derive benefit from it, as that is the halakha with regard to idol worship, where one changes worship of God to idol worship without deriving benefit. Or, in light of the comparison between misuse and suspected adultery, it might have been thought that one would be liable for misuse if he derived benefit from the consecrated item but did not damage it, just as the adulteress d”