Unpacking the Sacred: Thoughts on 'We Who Wrestle with God

What happens when a renowned psychologist turns his analytical mind toward ancient biblical stories? Jordan Peterson's ambitious book "We Who Wrestle With God" has sparked fascinating conversations across churches, book clubs, and universities. His fresh psychological perspective on foundational narratives from Genesis, Exodus, and Jonah creates a unique opportunity to revisit Scripture with new eyes.

As we explore Peterson's interpretation of stories like Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Abraham's calling, and Jonah's rebellion, we discover both profound insights and significant theological gaps. Peterson excels at making ancient wisdom feel urgently relevant to modern struggles - finding purpose in chaos, confronting our shadows, and wrestling honestly with the divine. His passion for Scripture is contagious, potentially rekindling curiosity about biblical wisdom in an increasingly secular age.

However, Peterson's framework often views God more as a psychological ideal than the living Creator revealed in Scripture. His emphasis on individual heroism and self-improvement sometimes overshadows the Bible's central themes of grace, redemption through Christ, and covenant community. This creates a fascinating tension for believers navigating his work.

Whether you're a longtime Christian seeking fresh perspectives on familiar stories, a spiritual seeker curious about biblical wisdom, or simply someone who enjoys thoughtful cultural engagement, this episode offers balanced insights on Peterson's contribution to spiritual conversation. Join us as we wrestle together with these profound questions, holding Peterson's psychological lens up against Scripture's redemptive light. The journey of faith includes room for questions, and sometimes our wrestling itself becomes an act of worship.

I would love to hear from you!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Compass Chronicles podcast.
Where faith meets fandom, lifegets real and every step of your
journey reveals a deeperpurpose.
I'm your host, javier, and I'mso glad you're here Around here.
We believe that faith isn'tjust something we tuck into
Sunday mornings.
It's alive in every corner ofour lives.
Whether you're navigating thelatest fandom obsessions,
wrestling with real-worldchallenges or chasing after a

(00:20):
deeper understanding of God'scalling, this is the place where
it all comes together.
Each episode, we dive intostories, ideas and conversations
that inspire us to keep movingforward with hearts wide open
and a spirit ready to grow.
So, whether you're tuning induring your morning commute,
unwinding after a long day orjust looking for a fresh spark
of encouragement, welcome to thejourney.
Let's navigate faith, fandomand real life together.

(00:43):
Today, we're launching a newseries where we will be diving
into books that sparkfaith-filled reflection and
might just inspire your nextread.
We're starting with we whoWrestle With God Perceptions of
the Divine by Dr Jordan BPeterson, a bold,
thought-provoking book that'sgot everyone talking, from
churches to book clubs.
It's a deep dive into the Biblestories, human nature and how
we encounter God.
For those of us walking withChrist, it's both a treasure and

(01:06):
a challenge, and I can't waitto unpack it with you.
Peterson, a psychologist andauthor, loves blending
psychology and philosophy totackle life's big questions.
Who are we?
What's our purpose?
In this book he explores OldTestament stories from the book
of Genesis, the book of Exodusand the book of Jonah, focusing
on what he calls perceptions ofthe divine as believers.
This is exciting and offersfresh angles on scripture, but

(01:29):
it's also tricky, since hisideas don't always align with
traditional Christian theology.
Today we'll sift through hisinsights, hold them up to God's
word and see what they mean forour faith.
This 500 plus page book ispacked with ideas, some profound
, some puzzling and many thatlinger.
My goal is to guide you throughit from a Christian perspective
, exploring how it deepens ourwalk with Jesus and speaks to

(01:50):
today's world.
Let's start with the book's bigidea.
Peterson sees biblical storieslike Adam and Eve's fall, cain
and Abel's conflict or Moses'journey as timeless narratives
that shape how we make sense oflife.
He says stories help usnavigate a complex world.
As Christians we get this.
The Bible is God's redemptivestory, guiding us from creation
to eternity.
The book of Psalm, chapter 119,verse 105, says your word is a

(02:13):
lamp, for my feet, a light on mypath.
But Peterson leans on psychology, often framing God as a symbol
of our highest ideals, not theliving God who acts in history.
That's where we start wrestling, not just with God but with His
lens.
The book unpacks key OldTestament stories, mining them
for psychological lessons.
Take Adam and Eve in the bookof Genesis, chapter 3.
He sees their fall as ametaphor for self-awareness and

(02:36):
the burden of choice, with theserpent symbolizing chaos.
It's a fresh take and it echoesthe truth that sin has
consequences.
The book of Romans, chapter 6,verse 23, puts it clearly, for
the wages of sin is death, butthe gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Yet Peterson skips theredemptive promise in the book
of Genesis, chapter 3, verse 15,where God says the woman's

(02:56):
offspring will crush theserpent's head, a promise
fulfilled in Christ.
Or consider Cain and Abel in thebook of Genesis, chapter 4.
Peterson frames Cain's murderas resentment and rebellion
against goodness, tying it tomodern struggles.
It's compelling aligning withthe book of James, chapter 4,
verses 1 to 2.
What causes fights and quarrelsamong you?
Don't they come from yourdesires, that battle within you?

(03:17):
You desire but do not have.
So you kill, but he missesGod's mercy.
In the book of Genesis, chapter4, verse 15, where Cain is
spared, this points to grace, asthe book of Titus, chapter 2,
verse 11, declares.
This pattern repeats.
His insights are deep but focuson individual effort, missing

(03:38):
the Bible's bigger story ofsalvation through Christ.
The book of John, chapter 1,verse 14, says the Word became
flesh and made his dwellingamong us.
The Old Testament isn't justlessons, it's a roadmap to Jesus
.
Now let's talk about Peterson'sview of God, which might stir
both awe and unease.
He calls God the still smallvoice of conscience guiding us
to purpose, as in his take onAbraham in the book of Genesis,

(04:00):
chapter 12.
There's truth here.
God speaks softly for the bookof 1 Kings, chapter 19, verse 12
, and gives us a calling, as thebook of Jeremiah, chapter 29,
verse 11, says For I know theplans I have for you, plans to
prosper you and not to harm you.
But as God feels like a humanideal, not the holy Creator who
demands worship, per the book ofExodus, chapter 20, verse 2.

(04:20):
I am the Lord, your God, whobrought you out of Egypt, out of
the land of slavery.
For believers, this is a gap.
The God of Scripture is real,delivering Israel and raising
Jesus, as the book of 1Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 4
, affirms.
Peterson's ambiguity is God abeing or a myth leaves a
spiritual gap.
Yet his passion for Scriptureis contagious.
He dives into stories likeNoah's flood in the book of

(04:43):
Genesis, chapter 7, or the Towerof Babel in the book of Genesis
, chapter 11, with reverence,making them feel alive.
It challenges us.
Do we read God's word with thesame hunger?
The book's writing can be tough, complex and filled with heavy
terms like logos that may feeldaunting at times.
If you're curious, try theaudiobook.
His lively narration brings thetext to life with energy and
conviction.

(05:03):
Let's go deeper into thespiritual side of we who wrestle
with God.
Peterson frames faith as astruggle, drawing from Jacob's
wrestling with God in the bookof Genesis, chapter 32, verses
24 to 30.
He sees prayer as wrestlingwith the divine, actively
engaging with life's bigquestions.
This resonates with the book ofRomans, chapter 12, verse 2.
Do not conform to the patternof this world, but be

(05:24):
transformed by the renewing ofyour mind.
Wrestling with God, whetherthrough prayer or grappling with
scripture, can shape us,drawing us closer to his truth.
But Peterson's lens is oftenindividualistic, focusing on
personal heroism.
Take his view of Abraham's callin the book of Genesis, chapter
12.
He sees it as a solitaryjourney toward responsibility,
which is partly true.
God calls us to step out infaith, as the book of Hebrews,

(05:47):
chapter 11, verse 8, notes.
By faith, abraham, when calledto go to a place he would later
receive as his inheritance,obeyed and went.
Yet the Bible story is communal, rooted in God's covenant with
his people.
The book of Exodus, chapter 19,verse 5, says If you obey me
fully and keep my covenant, thenout of all nations you will be
my treasured possession.
Peterson's focus on theindividual misses this

(06:09):
collective redemption fulfilledin Christ.
As the book of 1 Corinthians,chapter 10, verses 1 to 4,
connects Israel's journey toJesus, his take on Moses in the
book of Exodus is similar.
He highlights Moses' leadershipas a model of confronting chaos
which inspires.
The book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 24 to 26, praises Moses'
faith.
By faith, moses, when he hadgrown up, refused to be known as

(06:30):
the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
But Peterson doesn't fullyengage the redemptive arc.
God's deliverance of Israelpoints to Christ's salvation.
For the book of Galatians,chapter 3, verse 13, christ
redeemed us from the curse ofthe law by becoming a curse for
us.
Peterson's pastoral appealshines here, especially for
those feeling lost in a chaoticworld.
He speaks to a generationhungry for meaning, urging them

(06:52):
to wrestle with God's truth.
This echoes the book of Hosea,chapter 12, verse 4, where Jacob
wept and begged for God's favor, but his view of redemption is
limited, focusing onself-improvement over grace.
The book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8 to 9, is clear.
For it is by grace.
You have been saved, throughfaith, and this is not from
yourselves.
It is the gift of God, not byworks, so that no one can boast.

(07:15):
For Christians, this grace isthe heart of the gospel,
transforming our wrestling intoworship.
His chapter on Jonah is ahighlight.
Peterson sees Jonah's rebellionand restoration as a call to
face our purpose, even when it'stough.
The book of Jonah, chapter 2,verse 9, says Salvation comes
from the Lord, a truth Petersontouches but doesn't fully
embrace For believers.
Jonah's story points to Christ,as the book of Matthew, chapter

(07:37):
12, verse 40, notes.
As Jonah was three days andthree nights in the belly of a
huge fish, so the Son of manwill be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
This spiritual wrestling isvaluable.
It pushes us to engageScripture deeply, but Peterson's
framework risks missing theBible's unified story.
The book of Luke, chapter 24,verse 27, says Every story from

(08:02):
Genesis to Jonah finds itsclimax in Christ.
Now let's reflect on the book'sbroader impact.
In today's world, where biblicalliteracy is fading, peterson's
passion for Scripture is awake-up call, sparking curiosity
in a secular age.
He makes stories like Abraham'ssacrifice or Jonah's journey
feel urgent, addressing modernchallenges like materialism and
despair.
This aligns with the book ofJohn, chapter 6, verse 35, where

(08:25):
Jesus says Peterson's workinvites seekers to explore
scripture, creating anopportunity for the church to
share the gospel.
His cultural critiques, though,need caution.
He sometimes links biblicalsymbols, like the serpent in
Genesis, to modern ideologieswhich can feel forced.
The book of 1 John, chapter 4,verse 1, urges us Dear friends,

(08:48):
do not believe every spirit, buttest the spirits to see whether
they are from God.
As believers, we must read withdiscernment, grounding
ourselves in God's word, notcultural battles.
The book of 2 Timothy, chapter3, verse 16 to 17, reminds us
All scripture is God-breathedand is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting andtraining in righteousness, so
that the servant of God may bethoroughly equipped for every

(09:09):
good work.
Practically, the book's lengthand density can be daunting.
Focus on the Abraham and Jonahchapters for the most accessible
insights and try the audiobook.
Peterson's narration addspassion.
Read with a Bible open, lettingthe book of 2 Corinthians, 4,
verse 6, guide you.
For God who said let lightshine out of darkness, made His
light shine in our hearts togive us the light of the

(09:30):
knowledge of God's glorydisplayed in the face of Christ.
So is this book for you.
If you love big ideas, it'llstretch your view of scripture,
even if you don't agree withevery point.
If you're exploring faith, it'sa great spark.
But lean on the Bible forclarity.
For the book of Colossians,chapter 1, verse 13 to 14.
He has rescued us from thedominion of darkness and brought

(09:51):
us into the kingdom of the sonhe loves.
For leaders, it's a reminder ofhow much people crave, meaning
a hunger the gospel fulfills.
Ultimately, we who wrestle withGod challenges us to approach
scripture with fresh eyes and aseeking heart.
It's not perfect, but it's aconversation starter.
The book of Acts, chapter 17,verse 11, praises the Baryons
for examining the scripturesevery day to see if what Paul
said was true.

(10:12):
Let's do the same, wrestlingwith God's word and letting it
lead us to Christ.
Alright, friends, before wewrap up, let me share my take on
we who Wrestle With God andwhether I'd recommend it for
Christians.
As a believer, I found this bookboth inspiring and frustrating.
Its passion for scripture is agift.
It dives into stories likeAbraham's faith, jonah's
rebellion and Moses' leadershipwith a hunger that challenges us

(10:33):
to read the Bible with fresheyes.
The way it makes ancient textsfeel alive for today's struggles
like finding purpose or facingchaos is powerful.
It's a reminder that God's wordspeaks to every generation, as
the book of Hebrews, chapter 4,verse 12, says.
For the word of God is aliveand active.
Sharper than any double-edgedsword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, jointsand marrow.

(10:54):
It judges the thoughts andattitudes of the heart.
But here's the rub.
The book's view of God as asymbol or ideal rather than the
living creator, left me wantingmore.
As Christians, we know God isreal.
He delivered Israel, raisedJesus and walks with us through
the Holy Spirit.
The book of John, chapter 17,verse 3, declares Now this is
eternal life that they know you,the only true God, and Jesus

(11:15):
Christ whom you have sent.
The book's focus on individualeffort over grace misses the
gospel's heart where Christ'ssacrifice saves us, per the book
of Romans, chapter 3, verse 23to 24.
For all have sinned and fallshort of the glory of God, and
all are justified freely by Hisgrace through the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus.
So do I recommend it?
Yes, but with a big caveat.

(11:36):
If you're a Christian who loveswrestling with ideas and can
read with discernment, this bookwill spark deep reflection and
push you back to Scripture.
Pair it with your Bible and asolid study group to unpack its
insights against God's truth.
The book of 2 Timothy, chapter2, verse 15, urges do your best
to present yourself to God asone approved, a worker who does
not need to be ashamed and whocorrectly handles the word of

(11:57):
truth.
But if you're new to faith orseeking clear theology, I'd
suggest starting with scriptureitself or a more gospel-centered
resource.
This book is a conversationstarter, not a roadmap to faith.
Before we close out today, Ijust want to say something to
anyone who might be listeningand feeling stuck, like you're
standing at a crossroads.
Maybe your past feels heavy,maybe your future feels
uncertain.

(12:18):
Maybe you're just tired andready for something real If
you've never made the decisionto follow Jesus, or if you've
been away for a while and you'refeeling that pull to come back.
You don't need anything fancy,you just need an open heart.
Right where you are, you cansimply say Jesus, I believe you
are the son of God, I believeyou died for my sins and rose
again so I could have new life.

(12:38):
I'm ready to turn from the oldand follow you.
Come into my life, lead me.
I give you my heart today, amen.
If you prayed that, welcomehome, seriously welcome.
Your story is just gettingstarted and I'm so excited for
what God's going to do throughyou.
If you're looking for some nextsteps or just need a little
encouragement as you walk thisnew journey, we've got free
resources waiting for you atwwwthecrossroadscollectiveorg

(13:01):
and if you ever want to reachout, share your story or ask
questions, you can always emailme at jm at
thecrossroadscollectiveorg.
You can always email me at jmat thecrosserscollectiveorg.
I would truly love to hear fromyou.
Thanks again for spending timewith me today.
This has been the CompassChronicles.
Until next time, keep yourcompass set on Christ and never
forget how deeply you are loved.
God bless, thank you.