I will describe each book and then rank its level of difficulty on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult. Level 1 is the category for a book you could give to any friend or family member. Level 5 is the category for a book that might be required in a PhD seminar.

Here are ten books I recommend for people who wish to understand the idolatrous nature of Marxism and its corrosive effects on individuals and societies. Although Marx intended to liberate society and alleviate its suffering, his ideological framework unfortunately and necessarily suppresses society, induces poverty, and supplants religion. Marxism is not primarily an economic theory. It is primarily a surrogate religion. And it is creeping into the worldview of many Americans, including American Christians.

I will describe each book and then rank its level of difficulty on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult. Level 1 is the category for a book you could give to any friend or family member. Level 5 is the category for a book that might be required in a PhD seminar.

1. Karl Marx, Selected Writings. The first and best resource for understanding Marxism’s nature as a surrogate religion is Marx himself. In Selected Writings, the reader will find a number of Marx’s essays. Some are full-length. Others are excerpted. At a minimum, I recommend reading Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, The Communist Manifesto, and Capital. Readers with a taste for idolatry will find Marx’s essays to be rich and sumptuous fare. Level 3.5.
2. The Catholic Church’s “Instruction on Certain Aspects of the ‘Theology of Liberation’.” This slim little booklet is substantive but very easy to read. It argues that Marxism is corrupt to its core, such that Christians must start from Christian principles rather than from Marxist doctrines as we seek justice and help the poor. For a brief article about this booklet, click here. Level 1.5.
3. Raymond Aron, The Opium of the Intellectuals. French philosopher Aron reveals how Marx’s ideology functions as a surrogate religion for many intellectuals. Indeed, Marxism is custom-built to displace Christianity; many irreligious and nominally Christian intellectuals embrace it as superior to historic Christian orthodoxy. Marxism provides a global interpretation of history, a hierarchy of values, and a code of conduct. It locates a supreme evil (material inequality), a means of salvation (social action), and a doctrine of the end times (Communist utopia). For a brief article about the book, click here. Level 4.

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