I like Dr. Jordan Peterson.
He has changed my life and so many others throughout the years.
If you have not heard of him, here’s the first sentence of his biography (taken from his website): “Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.”
I’d like to respond to his video titled “Message to the Christian Churches.”
Although not a Christian, Peterson has completed in-depth studies and lectures on the bible. He takes the book from a philosophical point of view and relays truths about human nature.
Please read his biography and watch the video before continuing on. Go ahead, I’ll wait…
As a young man trying to find his place in the world, there’s a lot to consider.
As a Christian man, there’s even more to consider if I firmly believe in the word of God, I am not to be conformed to this world. Instead, I am to be transformed by the renewal of my mind:
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
~ Romans 12:2 NIV
On this point, it is definitely wise to seek council. How does a young man today not conform to the pattern of this world when there are many temptations waiting for him? What does he do when he is presented with so many options and paths to take? These are two of the many questions that plague the modern young man and I recommend that young men seek out council for these matters.
Ideally, I would seek this council inside the church. However, it has been my experience that many church leaders today do not give sufficient guidance as to how to live as a young Christian man. So, I did what any reasonable person would do, I sought answers both inside and outside the church.
To quote one of the characters from my favorite video game, “No answer in the teachings, answers lie outside. Must know both sides to find answer.” ~ Kimarhi Ronso.
One of the ways I sought council was through Peterson. Watching lecture after lecture, interview after interview and reading book after book has allowed me to see a perspective I haven’t seen before. And once he put out a message to the Christian church, I knew I had to watch and respond.
I’d like to share my thoughts here today on the message he sent out.
Peterson first states that young men today are being demoralized by modern society. I definitely agree with this and with what he states are the reasons this is occurring. Just take a look anywhere and you will find that young men are not encouraged, celebrated, or even seen by society.
That is of course until the country goes to war, then young men are encouraged to die. But I digress…
I recently wrote a blog post encouraging young men to pursue what God has made them to be (see Advice For The Christian Man). I wrote this piece as a direct response to what I’ve been experiencing, which is a lot of young men struggling to find answers to the many issues they face.
I will talk more about this further down but for now, let’s continue.
Male ambition, as defined by society in Peterson’s words, is “competitive and dominating, power-mad selfish, exploitative, raping, and pillaging.” Ambition can be seen as such, but what society believes it to be is simply not true.
Male ambition is what has made society as it is today – meaning the electricity flows, toilets flush, and roads are plowed. Not only this, but we have buildings that can withstand the elements, the Internet to read this post, and cars and planes to travel wherever and whenever we want.
Male ambition is not only good, it’s natural, and should be encouraged. Without male ambition, we would not have the infrastructure and pleasures we have today.
In my experience, the church has become quite feminine over the years. There have even been articles written about this (see The Feminization of Christianity) so I’m not the only one. Not only this but there’s even a book dedicated to the many reasons men are leaving the church (see Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow). I haven’t read the book, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they listed the feminization of the church as one of the reasons.
Some examples I see are the replacing of hymns with worship songs that encourage Jesus as more of a lover than a savior. Sermons focused more on Jesus’ love and forgiveness than his power, and the constant harking on issues that typically affect men more such as lust, while little attention is placed on issues that typically affect women more such as gossip. It’s these types of changes that over time, men start to realize that the church caters more to women than men.
And if the men haven’t come to this conclusion yet, they inevitably meet resistance when they step up to the plate. Some want to serve in the church and then are surprised when they are rejected for the position. Others are looking for their woman and then are met with rejection after rejection and they start to wonder if pursuing a Christian woman for marriage is even worth it.
According to Peterson, young men must pursue their mission, they “have a woman to find, a garden to walk in, family to nurture, an ark to build, a land to conquer, a ladder to heaven to build, and the utterly terrible catastrophe of life to face, stalwartly, in truth, devoted to love, and without fear.” So in the face of both a world and a church that continues to discourage young men, what are they to do?
Nobody is perfect, and if perfection was a requirement for these things, count me out. However, when these young men are rejected, there needs to be another opportunity for them to pursue. And if these young men are like I was, they may be tempted to give in to the pleasures of the world…
Peterson offers the following recommendation: invite the young men back:
“Say literally, to those young men: you are welcome here. If no one else wants what you have to offer, we do. We want to call you to the highest purpose of your life. We want your time and energy and your effort and your will, and your goodwill. We want to work with you to make things better. To produce life more abundant for you and for your wife and children and for your community and your country, and the world.”
I have to say that this statement resonates with me on many levels. First, it is a call to action. Second, it is a call to adventure. Third, it is a call to purpose and responsibility. With so many young men having not a clue how to live their lives, Peterson’s statement gives them a cause to live for.
However, even if it resonates with me, I have to take a step back and analyze what he is saying here. One can easily take his quote out of context and liken it to a call to action to join the military or even a political party. Reread the quote with this in mind and let me know if it fits…
Suffice to say that this message would resonate with any young man regardless of the context.
Peterson goes on with the recommendation, saying:
“…we have our problems in the Christian church….we’re, sometimes far too often, corrupt, and sometimes deeply so. We’re outdated, as are all institutions with their roots in the dead, but still often wise, past. Join us. We’ll help fix you up, and you can help fix us up. And together, we’ll aim, up.”
For those who are not Christian, I would like to point out that there’s a difference between the church as a building and the church as a people. According to the Bible, the church is the followers of Christ:
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
~ Romans 12:4-5 NIV
Peterson points out that the Christian church is often corrupt. This should be no surprise for the Christ followers among us as it is made up of imperfect people. However, if we as a body of believers acknowledge that the church is corrupt, it shows humility and implicitly asks for grace and forgiveness for being so. Not only this, but if we were then to go on to explain that we need help, and that young men can provide the help we require, this is something that I believe would benefit everyone involved.
Peterson then states the harsh reality we live in:
“[Men], who cares what you believe? Why is this about you? Do you even want it to be about you?“
As I explained previously, a lot of the issues that I have seen don’t stem from this, but instead from the lack of recognition for young men when they do step up and respond to the call to action. This is especially so for those of us who don’t fit the bill of the typical Christian man. So, when we do respond, we often get rejected and look elsewhere to fulfill our visceral desire to satisfy the call to action.
The final point Peterson makes is the following:
“Tell those who have never been in a church exactly what to do: how to dress, when to show up, who to contact, and most importantly, what they can do. Ask more, not less of those who you are inviting. Ask more of them than anyone ever has. Remind them who they are, in the deepest sense, and help them become that. You’re churches for God’s sake, Quit fighting for social justice. Quit saving the bloody planet. Attend to some souls. That’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s your holy duty. Do it. Now. Before it’s too late. The hour is nigh.”
There’s certainly a lot to unpack here, but I will try to make it brief.
In a world where almost anything goes, it may be a good idea to impose standards where it counts. Standards are there not only for protection but to further the cause, whatever that cause may be. It also seems good for the church to define itself. This way, it can be in the world, but not of it.
Young men certainly have many issues facing them today. Some seek out assistance while others seem to have assistance come to them. In the case of the Dr. Jordan Peterson phenomenon, it seems that many young men are starving for direction and purpose.
The Christian men among us are facing even more issues as we are called to things other than what the world has to offer us. Unfortunately, there is not much encouraging us through the narrow gate. Instead, we are often met with resistance and unsatisfactory answers from the very people we love.
So, what do we do?
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
~ Proverbs 3:5
I encourage young men to continue fighting the good fight and pursue everything that God has called them to be. By doing so, you will face much resistance but will be exactly where you need to be.
And if you find yourself in need of this encouragement, I’m here for you.
~ John