Does Idolatry Harm Your Neighbor? A Veblenian Approach to the Ethics of the Prophets.

This article examines the intertwined themes of anti-idolatry and social justice in biblical prophetic writings through the lens of Thorstein Veblen's philosophical economics. It argues that the prophets’ condemnation of idolatry is linked to their critique of social injustice because both involve the glorification of positional goods—goods valued for their scarcity and status rather than intrinsic worth—which are acquired through predatory exploitation. Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption and leisure explains how elite classes display wasteful wealth to signal dominance, a dynamic reflected in religious practices that honor deities through such waste, thereby reinforcing social oppression. The article uses selected texts from Isaiah, Amos, and Jeremiah to illustrate how idolatry, understood as the pursuit and worship of positional goods, correlates with economic exploitation and injustice. It further suggests that true worship, aligned with intrinsic goods shared communally, opposes this idolatrous valorization of status and waste.