December 8, 2024 / Dr. Jordan Peterson

Hey, Calvary Fremont –

If Jordan Peterson were a Christian pastor, he would be labeled the most insidious false teacher of our day. Every YouTube discernment ministry would daily loop up their Peterson sound bytes and then fire away. But Dr. Peterson is a secular psychologist with a great interest in understanding the existential truth of Biblical stories and sayings, and is seen by many as something of an ally in the battle for truth. He sees the Bible as myth – kind of the same way we view Aesop’s Fables – stories that didn’t really happen, yet they convey existential truth. That is, they convey wisdom and insight into living that is relevant and applicable to any person in any age. They reveal the human condition through stories that didn’t really happen, but that really make sense in explaining human nature. I’m sure that Dr. Peterson would argue that the Biblical stories are more significant than Aesop’s Fables in that there is a historical core to them, yet his worldview must strip them of any miraculous elements they contain while at the same time mining them for their truth value.

For example, the Bible tells us that Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Elijah – all these and so many others – heard the voice of God speak to them directly and with specificity. Peterson tells us that what they actually heard was the voice of conscience. The higher self is calling the lower self to a higher life. Yet while stripping away the supernatural and the miraculous, he is careful to maintain the transcendent in these stories. The transcendent is that which is beyond or above the range of normal or merely physical human experience. Dr. Peterson is not a Christian, nor is he an atheist – he is a theist. He believes there is a God, but Who He is and where He is and how He interfaces with human beings – who knows?

As a psychologist, he is more concerned with anthropology, than theology. Anthropology is the study of man whereas theology is the study of God. As a psychologist, his concern is literally the study of the soul. Psyche is the Greek word for ‘soul’.

He is not a liberal progressive pastor telling us that we can’t trust our Bibles in that they are filled with contradictions and silly and outdated moral codes. He is a secular psychologist who is passionate about studying the Bible for what it can tell us about the human condition. The New Atheists were quite passionate and aggressive at the beginning of the 21st century in telling us that everything bad in our culture comes from the Bible and that Bible believers are whack jobs. Peterson comes along and scolds them and says, “No, no, no – you’ve got it all wrong. The Bible is the foundation of a stable and prosperous order. Bible believers are probably the most well-adjusted people on our planet!” Many people are looking at the Bible with a newfound curiosity and many are looking into the Bible with a newfound respect. The liberal progressive pastor is turning people away from the Bible. The secular psychologist is turning people toward the Bible.

In fact, Bible sales in America increased by 22% through the end of October 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. Bible sales are up 41% since 2019. No, Jordan Peterson is not solely responsible for this. It seems like Gen Z is driving these sales. Gen Z are those born between 1997 and 2012 and are the first true digital generation. In my day, we learned that drugs, sex, and rock ‘n roll didn’t deliver what they promised. Gen Z is discovering that Woke is falling asleep, that excessive gaming is excessive, and that the New Atheism is like the Old Atheism with an attitude – it really is quite thin. And Gen Z are huge fans of Dr. Jordan Peterson. And Dr. Peterson is a huge fan of the Bible. And the Bible is a huge fan of Jesus Christ.

So, what is the Church to think about Dr. Jordan Peterson? What do you think?

Be blessed and stay healthy and follow Jesus – Pastor Tim