Introduction: I have read Peterson’s books. I tend–by disposition–to be a word-centered person. Emotionalism is fraught with perils, and so much of contemporarary discussion is reduced to emotionalism, talking points, and repeated bromides, and there is often little depth to the conversations. But Peterson is being used by God to speak to multiple generations in our day. He is bringing ideas forward that come right out of the Bible. And he’s referencing books by Dostoyevsky and plays by Shakespeare and philosophy from Plato and Nietzsche. He is invoking arguments from theology and especially from his presuppositions in evolutionary psychology. But he is at least bringing ideas to the table for people to wrestle with; for that I am grateful. To state what is glaringly obvious, we are living in an age of folly, an age of absurdity, straight up clown world. Kids are being indoctrinated about pronouns and gender fluidity, but they can’t think critically. They are not trained in logic. They emote now, since they don’t know how to actually think. But at least they have TikTok videos.

What I am about to say I do not say without having given it a lot of thought: I think God–the true God–is after Jordan. I don’t think Jordan is a Christian yet. But I do think that Christ is haunting Jordan. Jordan is a Nicodemus. Jordan is a centurion. Jordan is one in Acts 17 who would come back for a second talk from Paul, in other words. Jordan wants truth; he’s just not sure he can crucify his intellectual pride to follow truth when he sees that following truth demands taking up one’s cross and following the Crucified.

Books: Like I said earlier, I have read all of Jordan’s books. They are good, easy to read, and actionable. It is clear why they sold millions. Folks are hungry. And folks see–by the millions–that secularism is the death of hope and truth. So … read Jordan’s books. But then–I beg you–read the Bible. If you are “not a reader” (perish the phrase!), at least read these biblical books: Genesis, Exodus, John, Romans, and 2 Timothy. Those will give you the very minimal storyline of God, Man, Fall, Redeemer, and Church/Christians).

Final thoughts:

I disagree with Jordan’s presuppositions on macroevolution, and some of Jung’s archetypes. But here’s where I commend Jordan: He has the integrity, I think, to pursue truth. Wherever it leads. And that will lead–as it always does–to the way, truth, and the life–and that is not just a theological term, but a person. And He has spoken. And His Word is true and good and beautiful and redemptive.