I am a fan of Jordan Peterson. I’ve read his 12 Rules and listened to many of his youtube videos. A quick glance through his material and any rational human being will conclude that this man has made an art out of common sense. There are hundreds of young men who once had no purpose in life and after reading his book or watching his youtube videos are now finding a reason to get out of bed, putting the gaming and the energy drinks away and conquering their little world. The whole thing is rather inspiring.
Yes, it is true, Peterson does not love Jesus. In biblical terms, he hates Jesus. At the same time, he acknowledges his open dependence on the Judeo-Christian tradition for morality and meaning. He believes in human depravity. He observes this plainly when he writes:
“I don’t think that you have any insight whatsoever into your capacity for good until you have some well-developed insight into your capacity for evil.”
Further, Peterson treats language like a beautiful work of art. He doesn’t waste his words. He treats them carefully like a mother her newborn. Christians can learn a bit about language and rhetoric listening to Peterson argue and make a case. But in the end, the compelling case for Peterson is not that he speaks well or treats common sense with respect, it’s that he blatantly borrows a view of reality from our Christian revelation. That’s the compelling part. My prayer is for God to intervene in his life and thunder into him the Logos of God and make him a consistent apologist for the true faith.
