Jordan B. Peterson, We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine (affiliate link) New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2024. 544 pages.
Jordan Peterson exercises a prominent role as a thought leader in today’s culture. As a clinical psychologist, he is clearly brilliant. As a Canadian academic, he originally held an evolutionary worldview. In recent years, he appears to have moved closer to a belief in God. In this book, he addresses the Judeo-Christian faith from a psychological perspective and concludes that such a belief is clearly good for both psychological and cultural health. The lingering question at the end of this major tome is whether he presents Christianity as fact or merely as meeting a psychological need.
I have read several of Peterson’s books. This one is particularly dense. He is clearly brilliant, but the writing in this book is denser than in some of his other works. I had to re-read several sentences to ensure I understood his point. At times, he could have expressed himself more simply. A small example is when he refers to “the biblical corpus” rather than saying “the Bible.” One critique of this book is that, due to its academic bent, it is less accessible than some of his other bestsellers.
Peterson notes that “We cannot help but see the world through a story” (11). He adds, “For better or worse, the story is the thing—and for better or worse, the story on which our western psyches and cultures are now somewhat fragilely founded—however fragile they’ve become—is most fundamentally the story told in the library that makes up the biblical corpus, the compilation of drama that sits at the base of our culture and through which we look at the world. This is the story on which Western culture is predicated” (xxxi). Peterson argues that Christianity provides the foundation for western culture. He clearly believes Christianity has been useful. The question is whether he recognizes it to be true.
Peterson looks at Scripture through the lens of psychology. I found this approach to be interesting and insightful, if not always orthodox. Early on he explains the basis for the book’s title: “At every moment of consciousness, we are fated to wrestle with God” (xxx). Peterson uses the concept of “consciousness” to develop his approach to the divine. He notes that “It is the breadth of possibility that consciousness confronts and processes when it apprehends the world and determines to act on it” (3).
At times, Peterson makes statements that call into question his convictions about the divine. He states, “At what point must it be admitted that a ‘necessary fiction’ is true precisely in proportion to its necessity? Is it not the case that what is most deeply necessary to our survival is the very essence of ‘true’?” (6). He seems to indicate that Christianity is a useful fiction, that it “works” regardless of whether it is true. He adds, “Do we believe? When we falter in that commitment, catastrophe looms” (10). He seems to believe, but in what?
He makes some interesting comments when discussing Adam and Eve. He suggests that “To subdue is, therefore, not to control and command but to put everything in its proper place” (10). Interestingly, Peterson suggests that Adam and Eve succumbed in areas that represent chronic weaknesses of their sex. He notes, “. . .the great drama of Adam and Eve in the garden also characterizes the fundamental pattern of error to which both sexes are prone. Every temperamental proclivity has its advantages and its temptations” (24). He highlights Eve’s misguided compassion for others and Adam’s prideful need to demonstrate his capacity.
Concerning the image of God, Peterson notes, “It means that the human spirit exists, in its essence, on the border between order and chaos, that it serves as a mediator of becoming and being; that it shapes the manner in which reality manifests itself when what is old and outdated reality is crying out for redemption and renovation” (27). In speaking of the logos—God’s Spirit—relating to humanity, he notes, “This is a stunning idea, a revolutionary idea, a civilization-engendering idea—an idea that is the precondition for optimized psychological and social order alike. It is from that presumption of our implicit individual value—to say it again—that we derive our infinite set of natural rights (and, let us not forget, as we are so prone to, natural responsibilities)” (32).
Peterson makes the interesting observation that “All the crucial decisions of life are made on principle, not in consequence of sufficient evidence . . . Whenever we face the truly unknown, however, we are obliged to move forward with faith. The alternative is grim indeed” (40). As a scientist, this confession is telling.
Some of Peterson’s exegesis is questionable. At times, he refers to events in the book of Exodus in what seems to be the incorrect order. He notes that the biblical text does not identify the serpent in the garden with Satan (59). That’s true, though the book of Revelation does. He also comments that “There is a Christian conceit that suffering itself is a consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve” (64). At first glance, this statement appears to be unorthodox. But he goes on to identify the consequences of their sin that does lead to suffering in our day.
After Adam and Eve eat of the fruit, Peterson notes that “They have taken unto themselves the burden of unearned wisdom” (67). He asks, “How much of our suffering emerges because we are not humble enough to learn? Because we insist tyrannically that what we already know is sufficient and absolute?” (72).
I liked his definition of a shepherd. He states that a shepherd “. . . is an image of the mightiest hero, albeit in ordinary guise, armed with little but faith and courage, successfully confronting the worst in nature and man while devoting his service to the least and most vulnerable” (108).
Speaking of Cain, Peterson suggests that “Cain rejects . . . all of that personal responsibility—attempting instead to shape the entire world in the image of his inadequacy” (131). The concept of shaping the world to match our inadequacy is a telling commentary on much of what occurs in society today.
Peterson suggests that “There is no shortage of modern atheists who, despite their disbelief, remain perfectly willing, like Cain—and unlike Abel and Job—to shake their fist at God” (132). Clearly, Peterson is not an atheist. Whether he knows God personally is another story. He states, “Who, then, is God? The spirit within us that is eternally confident in our victory” (137).
I liked his statement that “It is a great error to judge someone (worse, to hold them in contempt) solely on their behavior at their weakest moment” (186). He later writes, “Can a man capable of great things also be capable of great faults? No man at all would be great otherwise” (256).
Peterson is famous for discussing dragons. He notes that “When a dragon appears, there is treasure to be found somewhere” (337). He observes that the cross of Christ “is the ultimate dragon” (450). He also notes, “When a society becomes tyrannical and turns to evil, it will leave all of its treasures on the table” (337). It is an interesting thought that a society begins to devalue what matters when it loses its appreciation for truth.
Peterson claims that “The good man has nothing to hide; he has already genuinely sacrificed his narrow and hedonistic self-interest to the transcendent good” (440). Sadly, he argues, “There is no pit of hell so deep, that something more bottomless could not yet be revealed—brought about by some faithless, treacherous, and craven act and omission” (446).
Peterson states that “Those who insist that hell does not exist are either willfully blind, or so fortunate and protected by a benevolent fate that they have not visited that dread domain long enough to learn the terrible lessons that are learned there” (475).
I liked this question Peterson poses: “How much of a hole has your failure to realize the best within you left in the world?” (483).
Peterson concludes the book by stating,
“God is dead?
No.
Deus Renatus est.”
Clearly, Peterson recognizes that a belief in God is crucial for psychological and cultural wellbeing. Truths promulgated by the Judeo-Christian faith lead to healthy individuals and societies. From a pragmatic perspective, Christianity “works.” Peterson seems to believe that fact is not as important as symbols and belief. But for a true Christian, Christianity is based on fact, not merely a symbol.
Peterson is highly intelligent, and he is on an earnest journey for truth. I found this book to be more challenging than his last few. This read is not for the faint of heart! Nevertheless, if you want to explore difficult questions about important matters in life, then this book might be for you.
Rating: 3
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