Around 2016, Canadian clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson gained fame thanks to the widespread success of his TED Talk and subsequent book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, in which he encourages readers to shape their destinies and enhance the world.
Later, Peterson released Beyond Discipline: Twelve Additional Guidelines for Living. This essay aims to aid readers in understanding the concepts in his books.
Specifically, we aim to illuminate Peterson’s interpretation of the Bible and the role of Jesus in his worldview for Christian readers.
This essay is not meant to question Peterson’s honesty or sincerity; he has never professed to be a Christian in any of his works.
We cannot concur with Peterson’s concepts on fundamental reality. However, we value his dedication to fostering discussions on divisiveness and his advocacy for free speech.
What Led Jordan Peterson to Embrace Jung?
Previously, in the book titled “Maps of Meaning”1, Peterson speaks about his childhood experience of being catechized in the church.
Peterson had inquiries, but the catechist leading the session needed to contemplate them more.
Peterson concluded Christianity was incompatible with Darwinism and dismissed it as irrational wishful thinking.
His agnostic parents and neighbors didn’t react when he ceased practicing his former religion.
Peterson underwent profound introspection during his university days, wherein he became conscious of his potential for violence and started having terrifying dreams.
After one too many drinks at a party, he returned home and created a blasphemous painting.
Peterson was deeply affected by what he experienced. The void he felt within was beyond his understanding.
Then he began studying Carl Jung, the pioneer of analytical psychology and believed he had found an explanation for his nightmares.
In particular, Peterson was struck by the following quote from Jung: “It must be acknowledged that the archetypal contents of the collective unconscious can often assume grotesque and horrible forms in dreams and fictions that can give even the most logical person terrifying nightmares and recurring nightmares.” This is a sophisticated way of saying that the experiences and stories of our ancestors influence us.
Jordan Peterson on Order and Chaos in Jungian Concepts
Peterson concurred with the core assumptions of the theory, although he found it to be oversimplified and unsustainable in certain areas.
In essence, mythology and religion are valuable resources for delving into the human psyche, and the exploration of universal archetypes can shed light on how our minds have evolved to grapple with the forces of order and chaos in the natural world.
Peterson asserted that there are three primary archetypes, which he designates
- the unknown or chaos
- the known or order
- the mediator between the two extremes.
Peterson argues that stories and myths instruct us to establish a system that is secure enough to withstand disruptions yet adaptable enough to accommodate change when needed.
And, according to Peterson, what does the interplay between order and chaos imply for us as individuals?
Meaning and fulfillment can be discovered in becoming the hero who brings order and harmony to one’s life, family, and community, even if one no longer believes in a deity outside of nature.
Finding significance in this tumultuous, unpredictable, and often violent world necessitates us to be responsible adults who confront significant burdens and contribute to society while ensuring we organize our rooms and lives first.
Jordan Peterson’s Outlook on the Bible?
To present his meta-myth of chaos and order to a Western audience greatly influenced by the Bible, Peterson frequently references Scripture and discusses Jesus, but not because he believes Jesus is God or that Scripture is God-breathed.
According to Peterson’s teachings, Jesus is not the resurrected Lord who offers eternal life through his death and resurrection.
Instead, Jesus is merely one of many legendary figures who assist us in striking a balance between anarchy and order.
Christians anticipate that Peterson will eventually adopt their perspective. However, having read Peterson’s most recent book, Beyond Order (2021), his current ideas do not significantly differ from those he conveyed in his earlier book, Maps of Meaning (1999).
This excerpt from Beyond Order demonstrates how he perceives Jesus and the Bible.
Final Thoughts
According to Jordan Peterson, we can gain the deepest understanding of ourselves by examining how Darwinian adaptation through the struggle for existence has shaped the human psyche to cope with chaos and order.
With this knowledge, we can better endure in this capricious and perilous environment.
In contrast, Christians believe that God fashioned a “very good” world from the start, and when he restores order to the universe, he will wipe away every tear from every eye.
Humanity’s rejection of God has led us to a world fraught with death, and the only way to overcome this darkness in ourselves and the world is through Jesus’s bodily resurrection and the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.
Peterson posits that the world is hazardous and chaotic, and all we can do is endeavor to make the most of our time here.
Christians believe that Jesus has conquered evil on their behalf. An all-good God who extends an invitation to spend eternity with him is where we find our true purpose in life.
