Jordan Peterson: The Bible is a collection of ‘world-ordering’ ideas

CNA Staff, Dec 6, 2024 / 10:25 am

Renowned Canadian psychology professor Jordan Peterson on Thursday described the Bible as a collection of “world-ordering,” “civilization-engendering” ideas — a source of profound wisdom, psychological insight, and moral guidance that he said ought to point readers to Jesus Christ. 

“There’s an idea that Christians know well: that the biblical stories, as they’re aggregated, edited, and sequenced, are pointing to something. And what they’re pointing to, of course, is the passion of Christ,” Peterson said during the Dec. 5 episode of EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.” 

Peterson, a countercultural influencer and author who is promoting his new book “We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine,” has often focused in his work on what he sees as a human need for meaning-making, which he says is regularly expressed through religious belief.

He has in recent years expressed appreciation and respect for aspects of Christianity and Catholicism, such as the sacrament of confession and the Church’s tradition of moral and spiritual discipline, while stopping short of announcing a desire to convert to the faith.

In the past, Peterson has opined that Catholicism “is as sane as people can get” and hosts a popular series of online lectures on the Bible, a book he described to Arroyo as “a collection of stories, each of which provides a different characterization of God, or you could say a different definition.”

“While there’s many definitions of God in the biblical library, they do conclude that there’s an underlying unity which is finally expressed in the figure of Christ, which I also think … seems appropriate,” he told Arroyo.

There’s more to come

In his new book, Peterson examines several stories of the Old Testament, contending that these scriptural texts offer profound insights into the human condition, the nature of good and evil, and the relationship between humanity and God. Referring to the Bible as a “library,” Peterson said he originally wrote a book “three times” as long and said there’s “another book coming that includes the story of Job and the story of the Passion.”

Peterson said he has “spent most of [his] life trying to understand the origins of evil,” a search he said necessarily raises questions about the reality of God. 

“You see, once you admit to the reality of evil, you’re backed into a corner theologically. Because if evil exists, then its opposite exists, right? And then if good exists, well, then the question ‘What constitutes the highest form of good?’ is an obvious follow up,” he told Arroyo. 

Christianity proposes, as opposed to the pagan worship of nature, for example, a relationship with the divine that is “personal and much more psychological,” he said.

“[T]here’s a spirit at work at the beginning of time, now and forever, that contends with chaotic possibility and engenders the order that’s ‘good.’ And then the secondary proposition is that what it means to be man and woman alike is to bear the image of that process. And … I think both of those things are correct.”

Citing St. John Henry Newman’s view of conscience as a powerful argument for the existence of God, Peterson also noted that popular myths and stories, such as Pinocchio or Harry Potter, are compelling to people because they “fill a void … left by the partial demise of Christianity.” 

He also described God as a “tricky character” who appears in unexpected ways throughout human experience.

“God has died many times in human history and been reborn many, many times. And you see that in the Exodus story, when Moses disappears, the voice of the prophet and the people fall into hedonistic golden calf worship, it’s exactly the same thing. There’s no removing, there’s no eradicating the central unity that characterizes the human spirit without eradicating the human itself,” he asserted. 

‘A joy to behold’

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Peterson’s wife, Tammy, converted to Catholicism earlier this year after a recovery from a rare form of kidney cancer that many considered miraculous. Tammy said she found solace and healing during her ordeal through prayer, particularly the rosary, aided by a friend’s daily guidance.

While Tammy’s journey affected Peterson deeply, and he has expressed openness to the idea that her healing was miraculous, Peterson demurred when asked if the experience had strengthened his own faith. He went on to say that his wife’s healing “hasn’t been so much something that transformed me as it has been something that’s been a joy to behold, let’s say.”

“One of the things that was remarkable about the way that she conducted herself while she was ill, and mortally ill as far as we were all concerned … she conducted herself in an exemplary manner. And that was the miracle,” Peterson told Arroyo. 

“I mean, she did survive her cancer, which is something very difficult to account for. But the miracle, I would say more precisely, was in the equanimity that was manifested.”

Tammy’s newfound Catholic faith has “been nothing but good for her. And it’s a wonderful thing to see. And so now, has that increased my faith in God? Well, like I said, it was already there to a large degree,” Peterson said. 

“Everything I do is an act of faith. Now, whether I’m doing it perfectly or not, that’s a whole different question,” he told Arroyo. 

Arroyo’s entire interview with Peterson can be seen below.

Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.