Introduction
Jordan Peterson’s We Who Wrestle with God delves into the theological, philosophical, and psychological dimensions of biblical narratives, exploring God’s revelations throughout Old Testament history and their enduring relevance for personal and societal transformation. Peterson contends that stories, with their aim and character, are necessary for understanding the complexity of the world, stating, “The world has to be filtered through the mechanism of story to become comprehensible… because the world is simply too complicated to attend to and to navigate within, in the absence of aim and character” (xxv). This summary highlights the key ideas in Peterson’s interpretation, emphasizing how the divine revelations in these biblical stories guide individuals toward personal growth, moral responsibility, and alignment with divine purpose.
Foreshadowing: The Still, Small Voice
Key Idea: God is the Spirit of the “Still, Small Voice”
Peterson interprets Elijah’s encounter with God in the “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19) as a profound revelation of our conscience, where God’s presence is found not in dramatic phenomena but in the quiet whisper that guides moral discernment. This moment, Peterson argues, marks a turning point for humanity, unveiling “the voice of conscience itself; the internal guide to what is right and wrong” (xxiv). Aligning with Aquinas’ view of conscience as participation in God’s eternal law, this divine whisper anchors human freedom while demanding moral responsibility, calling individuals to confront their shortcomings, repent, and align with eternal truths. Peterson likens this inner transformation to the metamorphosis of a butterfly, drawing on the Greek word psyche (meaning both “soul” and “butterfly”) to illustrate the radical growth of human maturity: “Human beings grow and develop as they mature—assuming they mature—in a manner nearly as radical as that of the winged insect” (xv). Elijah’s spiritual ascent to heaven parallels this process, symbolizing humanity’s struggle to transcend base instincts and embrace divine purpose. Through humility, repentance, and the courage to heed the “still, small voice” within, Peterson concludes, true freedom and spiritual renewal become possible.
Chapter 1: In the Beginning
Key Idea: God is the Spirit Who Transforms Chaos Into Order
In Genesis, God is depicted as the ultimate creative spirit who transforms chaos (tohu va bohu) into an ordered cosmos, establishing a divine archetype for humanity’s role as mediators between chaos and order. Peterson describes this foundational act as revealing God as “the spirit who faces chaos; who confronts the void, the deep; who voluntarily shapes what has not yet been realized, and navigates the ever-transforming horizon of the future” (2). Made in God’s image, humanity reflects this creative spirit through consciousness, shaping potential into meaningful realities and fulfilling the sacred mandate to “subdue” the earth (Genesis 1:28) as stewards of creation. Eve’s creation from Adam’s rib, represents the unknown to Adam, challenging him to adapt and evolve in relationship with her to bring about order from chaos. Peterson explains, “She represents and speaks for what is not yet known to Adam. Given his ignorance, willful and otherwise, she has plenty to work with” (22). This dynamic tension, akin to the Taoist balance of yin and yang, reveals that flourishing emerges through collaboration and the navigation of challenges. The imagery of Eden as a “walled garden” reinforces humanity’s calling to harmonize nature and culture, balancing beauty, security, and growth (41). Ultimately, Peterson underscores humanity’s divine purpose: to transform chaos into order through disciplined stewardship, creative relationships, and alignment with the divine archetype.
Chapter 2: Adam, Eve, Pride, Self-Consciousness, and the Fall
Key Idea: God is the Spirit Who Warns Against Prideful Overreach
In Genesis 2, God is revealed as the spirit who warns against prideful overreach, establishing sacred limits to protect humanity’s moral order and flourishing. Adam and Eve’s defiance of God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil embodies humanity’s universal temptation to prideful overreach. Eve’s sin, described by Peterson as a “narcissism of compassion” (57), manifests in her belief that even deadly poison could be “mothered” and redeemed by her boundless care. Adam’s transgression, in contrast, stems from his hubristic presumption that he could master and retool order without consequence, driven by the desire to impress Eve: “I can retool and rename order itself, indefinitely—all to impress Eve” (57). Expelled from Eden, humanity is estranged from divine harmony, with the flaming sword guarding Eden’s entrance symbolizing the sacrifice and purification needed for restoration. Peterson emphasizes that returning to divine order demands humility, self-restraint, and recognition of human limitations. Adam and Eve’s story illustrates that true freedom and flourishing are found not in defiant ambition but in reverence for sacred boundaries, which guide humanity toward renewal and alignment with eternal truth.
Chapter 3: Cain, Abel, and Sacrifice
Key Idea: God is the Spirit Who Warns Against Resentment
Abel’s offering of his firstborn sheep, made with sincerity and devotion, embodies proper sacrifice—aligned with the highest good and marked by humility and upward striving. In contrast, Cain’s half-hearted offering reflects a misalignment with moral order, revealing a lack of commitment and sincerity. When God rejects Cain’s sacrifice, He warns Cain that he will be accepted if he does what is right, but that sin, likened to a predator, lies in wait if he refuses to improve (Gen. 4:7). Peterson stresses that Cain’s downfall arises not from his initial failure but from his refusal to learn and atone. Instead of repenting, Cain succumbs to envy and rage, forging “a voluntary and blackly creative relationship with the temptation crouching in predatory form at his doorstep” (121). His murder of Abel is not just fratricide but a symbolic destruction of the ideal he cannot attain. Alienated from God, others, and himself, Cain becomes a wandering figure of despair, leaving a legacy of resentment and violence that corrupts future generations. Peterson concludes that proper sacrifice, like Abel’s, fosters harmony, transformation, and alignment with divine will, while improper sacrifice, exemplified by Cain, leads to chaos, alienation, and self-imposed suffering. God, as the spirit who warns against resentment, calls humanity to confront failure with humility, embrace sacrificial discipline, and strive for transcendence and redemption.
Chapter 4: Noah: God as the Call to Prepare
Key Idea: God is the Spirit Who Warns Against Moral Disaster
Peterson portrays God in the story of Noah as the spirit who warns against moral disaster and calls humanity to prepare for impending chaos. By Noah’s time, humanity had descended into pervasive corruption, with “every imagination of the thoughts of [man’s] heart… only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The flood, Peterson argues, is not a vindictive act but the natural consequence of rejecting divine and moral order: “The wages of sin are real and consequential” (160). God’s warning to Noah serves as a call to action, urging humility, wisdom, and preparation. As a descendant of Seth, Noah embodies the righteous tradition that opposes the chaos of his contemporaries, and his alignment with moral truth enables him to act as a preserver of life. Noah’s active faith, symbolized by the construction of the ark, demonstrates that “true belief is… the ultimate relationship, not the mere description of some state of affairs” (171). His actions—both practical and symbolic—show how adherence to truth and order enables survival and renewal even in the face of overwhelming turmoil. After the flood, Noah’s sacrifice reestablishes humanity’s covenant with God, consecrating the new world to an upward moral aim and rejecting the destructive spirit of Cain. However, the contrasting responses of Noah’s sons reveal the ongoing battle between respect for tradition and rebellion. Ham’s mockery of Noah’s vulnerability reflects a Luciferian arrogance that invites chaos, while Shem and Japheth’s reverence for their father preserves the moral legacy essential for societal flourishing. God’s warning against moral disaster underscores the necessity of humility, preparation, and adherence to the sacred order. As Peterson concludes, humanity must choose between chaos and growth, as “the future is the place of all potential predators. It is also the place of all potential growth” (189).
Chapter 5: The Tower of Babel: God Versus Tyranny and Pride
Key Idea: God is the Spirit Who Warns Against Prideful Ambition
Peterson interprets the Tower of Babel as a stark warning against prideful ambition, where humanity’s attempt to rival God through self-centered power and control results in chaos and collapse. The builders’ construction of a tower to the heavens reflects their hubris and rejection of divine order, embodying what Peterson calls a “fatal presumption” driven by the Luciferian spirit of rebellion: “In their pride, they claimed divinity and overstepped the bounds that kept them properly ensconced within the true cosmic and metaphysical order” (196). Their overreach mirrors earlier biblical examples of defiance, such as Cain’s rebellion and Ham’s irreverence, culminating in societal disintegration as Babel’s collapse and the confusion of languages illustrate the consequences of abandoning transcendent unity. Peterson emphasizes that intellect and creativity, while reflecting the divine Logos, must remain grounded in ethical principles, as unmoored ambition leads to fragmentation and tyranny: “The misguided and fatally presumptuous builders of the catastrophically unstable tower sought to obtain power over their environment… for narrowly self-centered reasons” (197). Modern parallels abound, where rejecting foundational moral and psychological frameworks fosters division and alienation. God, as the spirit who warns against prideful ambition, reminds humanity that true progress requires humility and alignment with sacred truths; without this reverence, human aspirations inevitably spiral into ruin: “The evil and prideful eternally drown in a plethora of chaos or find themselves crushed by the forces of tyranny” (238).
Chapter 6: Abraham: God as Spirited Call to Adventure
Key Idea: God is the Spirit Who Calls Us to Adventure
Peterson presents the story of Abraham as a profound example of God as the spirit who calls humanity to venture beyond comfort and confront the unknown, “requiring those who welcome its presence to go all in, to risk everything” (313). Abraham’s journey begins with a divine command to leave his homeland, signifying that human development requires risk, responsibility, and alignment with the highest good. This call, Peterson emphasizes, is transformative, demanding not only external action but also a redefinition of identity, symbolized by the renaming of Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah. Such changes, he notes, represent the archetypal human experience of growth through sacrifice and renewal: “Small changes do not make us different people, but changes of sufficient magnitude can burst upon us like a rebirth” (281). Abraham’s life exemplifies the courage to align with divine principles, as seen in his separation from Lot and rejection of Sodom’s moral decay, which underscore the necessity of choosing justice and truth amidst chaos. His willingness to sacrifice Isaac reflects the ultimate act of faith, acknowledging that “all things, no matter how valuable, must be offered up to God” (307). This surrender aligns Abraham with the redemptive arc that foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice, illustrating humanity’s path to divine purpose through faith and obedience. Conversely, the narrative warns of the societal ruin exemplified by Sodom, where inhospitality and moral decay result from rejecting divine principles. Abraham’s fidelity establishes him as an archetype of the heroic ascent toward the highest good, demonstrating that responding to God’s call transforms individuals and creates a legacy of moral integrity and divine blessing for future generations.
Chapter 7: Moses I: God as Dreadful Spirit of Freedom
Key Idea: God is the Dreadful Spirit of Freedom
Peterson describes God in Moses’ story as the dreadful spirit that liberates by compelling individuals and societies to confront tyranny and chaos. The Israelites’ oppression in Egypt exemplifies the destructive nature of unchecked centralized power, with Pharaoh’s decree to kill Hebrew infants embodying tyranny’s fear of losing control. Moses’ survival and eventual calling signify the shift from human dependence to divine allegiance, culminating in the burning bush encounter where God reveals Himself as “I am who I am,” the eternal force driving freedom and purpose. This moment challenges Moses to shed his former identity and lead his people through the wilderness. True freedom, Peterson emphasizes, is not merely escape from oppression but a life aligned with divine will: “Redemption is found through continual voluntary exposure to that which is threatening” (339). The plagues dismantle Pharaoh’s false order, symbolizing God’s rejection of systems that defy sacred truths. In the wilderness, God’s guidance as a pillar of cloud and fire teaches the Israelites to transcend slavish habits, embrace responsibility, and prepare for the Promised Land. The Ten Commandments formalize this transformation, providing a framework for societal harmony and personal integrity. Peterson concludes that God, as the spirit of freedom, calls humanity to sacrifice, self-discipline, and alignment with truth: “To prioritize is to sacrifice, and to sacrifice properly is to atone” (400), enabling liberation through courage and commitment to the sacred.
Chapter 8: Moses II: Hedonism and Infantile Temptation
Key Idea: God is the Dreadful Spirit of Redemption
Peterson portrays God in Moses’ story as the dreadful spirit of redemption, confronting humanity with its sin and the painful path to renewal. The golden calf incident reveals the Israelites’ regression into hedonism and materialism, driven by impatience and fear. Peterson describes the idol as “the gods of immediate gratification and worship of the narrow self” (407), embodying chaos and rebellion against divine order. Moses’ violent intervention and God’s partial withdrawal underline the consequences of sin: alienation from moral clarity and divine presence. “When sin is practiced, the good recedes. Vision is obscured” (408), Peterson notes, emphasizing the cost of abandoning higher ideals. This theme deepens in Numbers 21, where the Israelites’ rebellion unleashes fiery serpents—symbols of the chaos they have created. Yet, God provides a redemptive path through the bronze serpent, requiring them to confront their fears and sins directly. Peterson draws a parallel to Christ’s crucifixion: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14–15), transforming suffering into salvation. Redemption, Peterson asserts, demands “voluntary confrontation with what is most frightening and repellent,” a process that fosters maturity and alignment with divine order (448). Through trials, God prepares the Israelites—and humanity—to embrace responsibility, confront chaos, and emerge renewed, ready for the ideals awaiting beyond suffering.
Chapter 9: Jonah and the Eternal Abyss
Key Idea: God is the Dreadful Spirit Who Confronts Humanity with Responsibility
Peterson interprets Jonah’s story as a confrontation between humanity and the dreadful spirit of responsibility embodied by God. Jonah’s flight from God’s command to prophesy to Nineveh reflects humanity’s universal tendency to avoid moral duty and uncomfortable truths. “There is something of an eternal contest to shirk responsibility… to let someone else be the sacrificial voice in the wilderness,” Peterson writes (468). Jonah’s reluctance highlights the inner struggle to align with divine purpose, even at great personal cost. His descent into the belly of the fish symbolizes punishment and transformation, paralleling Christ’s harrowing of hell. Peterson explains, “Faith is the courage to determine to maintain stalwart and upward aim at the good, even in the midst of hell” (484). The storm threatening the sailors underscores the societal chaos unleashed by moral cowardice: “There is no difference between the silence of the good and the victory of the authoritarian and evil” (487). Jonah’s eventual willingness to sacrifice himself to calm the storm marks his redemption, demonstrating the transformative power of accepting responsibility. God, as the spirit who compels humanity to confront its fears, calls individuals to rise to their obligations, transforming chaos into order and weakness into strength. “Pick up your damn cross and bear it,” Peterson concludes, “or face the consequences” (482).
Conclusion
Peterson concludes that the world is not a static collection of facts or a realm governed solely by deterministic laws but a “domain of vast possibility” where meaning emerges through human participation. Created in the image of God and akin to the Logos, humanity mirrors the creative spirit of the cosmos, transforming raw reality into something “habitable, welcoming, stable, opportune, and productive” (495). This divine partnership entails profound responsibilities, calling for stewardship of creation and alignment with divine purpose. Peterson highlights the necessity of “upward-striving sacrificial transformation,” where individuals bear life’s burdens, speak truth, and “hoist the world, voluntarily, on our shoulders” (496). Rejecting this sacred task, as exemplified in the fall of Adam and Eve, leads to estrangement, toil, and alienation. Yet redemption is possible through repentance, responsibility, and alignment with the Logos, reclaiming meaning and pursuing the divine order. Peterson frames this call to responsibility and sacrifice not just as a religious duty but as the foundation of a meaningful and ordered existence, offering humanity its highest purpose and ultimate hope for redemption.What are your thoughts on the book? Which story resonated with you the most? Share your reflections in the comments below!
Prodigal Catholic 
Thank you Fr Richard for this wonderful summary. Thanks be to GOD 🙏 Mr Petersen must be inspired by the Holy Spirit, through the prayers of his wife and many Christian friends; to pen such insightful thoughts on GOD’s Word : “ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Luke 21:33 I can identify with Cain’s half hearted offering to GOD as I too lack sincerity and commitment in my offerings. The Israelites golden calf incident makes me reflect on the many occassions where i was impatient and fearful when my prayers were not answered and resorted to the “golden calf of Google”. And Jonah’s story struck a chord within me as I too tend to avoid moral duty, shirk responsibility and let someone else do the job. Praying for GOD’s grace to trust Him completely and asking Him to deliver me from all my fears and anxieties. Please pray for me and my husband (also Richard). My husband and myself are also praying for your Spiritual Protection, Physical and Emotional well being and your faithfulness to your vocation. Thank you Fr Richard 🙏 In GOD’s Love~ wendy
Jordan Peterson standing at the river Jordan
(By Wolfgang Simson)
Tens of millions observe or even follow with great interest the journey of Canadian psychologist Jordan B. Peterson in his quest for God. One of the reasons people listen to him is that, as a mental health care professional, lecturer and researcher he represents, in one person, the three professions that, in a list of 10 based on believability and trustworthiness, rank 1, 2 and 3 (Pastors ranks 8, journalists 9 and politicians 10).
But a number of other elements add to his authenticity: First off, because he is not a Pastor who says: Come to Jesus, come to my church. Second, he speaks from a position of personal agony over a chaotic world and has the tears to prove it. Third, he reflects the disposition of billions of people who say: God yes, church (or organized religion) no. Some call themselves doners, post-Christians and seekers who will never darken the door of a church because they know what is not happening there. Lastly, he is not only outspoken about the fundamentalist wokeness of our days, but also about his own brokenness and limitations. In a world of cultic gurus, political machos and holier-than-thou preachers, he stands out as someone who means what he says and says what he means. Although, you may sometimes ask your favorite AI program to give you a radically condensed version of what he says or writes, cutting out the fluffy inuendo of a professor who often simply thinks out loud – probably just an occupational hazard, like we all have our own.
In November 2024, Peterson published a book called “We Who Wrestle With God.” It is the first of two books (the second has not yet been published) in which, so the New York Times, he “hopes to provide a framework for individuals to navigate the complexities of modern life drawing on the wisdom of timeless tales” – in other words, the Bible. Having become an instant # 1 Bestseller, the book is causing a significant wave of people starting to read or even re-engage with the Bible.
I think this is brilliant, and it is achieving what many churches, Christian leaders and evangelists struggle to see happen: people developing a significant new interest, search or even something Petersons calls wrestling with God. But nobody is perfect. Celebrating Petersons singlehanded achievements, I believe it would help many people not to criticize Peterson where he might, in a number of areas, completely miss the boat. “The boat” being the core theme of the Bible, the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached – yet, what came was the Church, CAWKI, Church-as-we-know-it, institutionalized Christianity, which has arguably become the single-most effective hindrance for people searching to connect with God.
I just finished reading Petersons new book. I like the honesty, compassion and intensity, the intellectual and philosophical depth, and the extracting of psychological insights from biblical stories in order to make them accessible to a wider audience. If people were to follow Peterson in his quest, they will probably end up with ten fundamental insights that could become their own stepping stones, a personal oasis in their spiritual journey from the desert of frustration, exhaustion, chaos and trauma to meaning, significance, purpose and hope. Petersons book provides a sort of intellectual resting place and a welcoming half-way house, as people are drifting from organized religion to “disorganized disbelief,” as a recent book by renowned journalist Bob Smietana describes. Still, believing in nothing – or everything – does not provide a stable foundation for life. And so, many find themselves in search- mode, migrating, driven mysteriously by a homesickness for a country they have never been. Like Abraham of old, who went out “searching for a better fatherland,” as Hebrews 10 says. Let me extract here the ten oases that Peterson provides in the quicksand of a life without a clear connection to God, or even lacking a functioning moral compass. However, I, and many others with me, have found this land at the end of the rainbow, what comes after church (CAWKI), to be the Kingdom of God. This is the Promised Land of today, the final destination for anyone seeking, like Abraham, that “better fatherland.” And once you settle in there, and become, as the Apostle Paul says, a Citizen of Heaven, all the puzzle pieces begin to fall into place. It also gives us not only “perspectives of the divine,” the subtitle of Peterson’s book, but offers a direct, intimate walk with God, the proximity of Jesus and the fascinating leadership of the Holy Spirit. From this viewpoint, we can both celebrate where Peterson is leading people to, and see the next step, the Kingdom answer for those that wish “to cross the Jordan” after a long time of searching in the desert. I will therefore point, in italics, to the next steps onwards from these initial oases in this journey, towards life as it should be, my shortest definition of what the Kingdom of God means for us today, once we have crossed the Jordan.
(First part of our article)
I havenever heard of or read Jordan Peterson until this title passed to me out if the blue. As a convert to the Catholic, not well read on our faith, but considerably more than the average Catholic, I ask God: when is Peterson going to join the Catholic Church?! This book sounds like a personal disertation to him coming to the Truth. I disagree on one point: Gid did not create order from chaos, He created out of Nothing. Asuming it came from chaos seems to me to assume chaos existed before God, and it did not. We are not a ying yang world. Other than that his insghts into male and female, main sins, relationship, and sexuality is brillant. His ebries touxh on the reason for God to cloth Adam and Eve in animal skin that has to shed blood in order to cloth their nakedness is mind-blowing. The Precious Blood of Jesus became all the more real and all the more necessary. The day after I read this, the Mass was ever more awesome!