What Religion Is Jordan Peterson: What Jordan Peterson Truly Believes About Religion

Jordan Peterson is a clinical psychologist and professor who rose to fame in recent years for his controversial views on religion, politics, society, and culture. His religious beliefs have often been a topic of debate and speculation among his fans and critics alike. So what religion does Jordan Peterson actually follow? The answer is complicated, as Peterson draws inspiration from multiple religious and philosophical traditions while resisting easy categorization.

Peterson’s Upbringing and Early Influences

Jordan Peterson was born in 1962 and raised in Fairview, Canada, a small town in northern Alberta. His parents were school teachers who raised him in the Protestant Christian tradition. In his earlier years, Peterson attended a Methodist church. He was also influenced by his maternal grandmother, who introduced him to Christian mysteries and helped shape his religious imagination.

As a teenager, Peterson abandoned Christianity. He did not see sufficient evidence to support the historical doctrines of Christianity, such as the bodily resurrection of Jesus. He considered himself an atheist for much of his young adult life. However, he remained fascinated by religion, psychology, philosophy, and the question of meaning. Some of his early influences, before rising to prominence, include philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Early Influences on Jordan Peterson’s Religious Views

  • Protestant upbringing in rural Canada
  • Attendance at a Methodist church as a child
  • Influence of his maternal grandmother on his religious imagination
  • Abandonment of Christianity as a teenager
  • Exploration of philosophy, psychology, religion, and meaning
  • Draws early inspiration from Nietzsche, Jung, and Solzhenitsyn

The Influence of Carl Jung’s Psychology

One vital influence on Jordan Peterson’s religious views is the psychoanalytic theory of Carl Jung. Jung broke with his mentor Sigmund Freud and developed the concept of the “collective unconscious,” archetypes that exist deep in the psyche, and individuation, which is the process of integrating the conscious and the unconscious mind.

Jung critiqued modernity’s over-reliance on scientism and reason and maintained that the loss of religious myths and rituals left a void in people. Peterson draws extensively on Jung’s ideas when discussing religious and mythical archetypes that provide meaning. He sees profound psychological and metaphorical truths captured in biblical stories that offer guidance on how to live.

Jungian Influences on Peterson

  • Belief in a “collective unconscious” and shared archetypes
  • Critique of over-reliance on scientism and reason in modernity
  • View that loss of religious myths has left a void in people
  • Use of archetypes and religious myths as metaphors for guiding how to live

Influence from Mircea Eliade – The “Sacred” and “Mythological Thinking”

The Romanian historian of religion Mircea Eliade has also profoundly shaped Peterson’s perspective. Eliade made a distinction between the “sacred” and the “profane.” In Eliade’s view, modern people have lost touch with the “sacred” dimension that gives religious myths their power and provides a transcendent meaning and purpose to existence.

Peterson embraces Eliade’s notion of “mythological thinking” – the idea that mythic narratives, metaphorical truths, and stories of the sacred and divine open people up to heightened meaning and purpose. Peterson sees profound value in religious traditions, rituals, texts, and stories, even while not necessarily literally believing their factual claims.

Eliade’s Influence on Peterson

  • Notion of the “sacred” versus the “profane”
  • Belief that moderns have lost touch with the sacred dimension
  • Embrace of “mythological thinking” – finding meaning in religious myths
  • Appreciation of traditions, rituals, texts, stories of the sacred for purpose
  • Value in religious meaning while not always literally believing claims

The Influence of Existentialism and Nietzsche

As a young man wrestling with the question of meaning in the absence of traditional faith, Jordan Peterson found inspiration in existentialist philosophy. Thinkers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Søren Kierkegaard, and Fyodor Dostoevsky influenced his perspective.

From existentialism, Peterson takes the idea that for life to have meaning, individuals must determine their own subjective purpose and live authentically. He also embraces themes like facing suffering with courage and faith in one’s self. Nietzsche in particular inspired Peterson’s iconoclastic spirit and emphasis on the “death of God” requiring the individual to create their own values and meaning.

Existentialist Influences

  • Belief that life’s meaning comes from subjective, individual purpose
  • Embracing suffering and living with courage and authenticity
  • Nietzsche’s “death of God” requiring self-created values
  • Focus on iconoclastic thinking and criticism of mass culture

Jordan Peterson’s Religious Influences – A Summary

  • Christian upbringing and early church attendance
  • Jungian psychology – archetypes, collective unconscious
  • Eliade – the sacred versus the profane
  • Existentialism – subjective meaning, self-created values
  • Appreciation of religious myths and traditions while not necessarily literally believing all

Jordan Peterson’s Pragmatic Perspective on Truth and God

Given these influences, what does Jordan Peterson actually think about the fundamental questions of God, faith, and the truth of religion? His perspective is nuanced, open-ended, and focused on functionality rather than dogma. Peterson has said:

“I act as if God exists…I’m afraid He does exist.”

For Peterson, religious stories and concepts serve an important purpose whether or not they can be empirically proven. His pragmatism leads him to embrace the functional value of religion without necessarily making supernatural claims of absolute truth. As he said in one interview:

“It doesn’t matter to me whether Christ was born of a virgin or not. It’s the metaphorical significance that has meaning, not the facts.”

Peterson is focused on religious narratives as profound guides for ethics, meaning, and purpose – not statements of scientific facts to believe or disbelieve. He leaves questions of literal truth open to mystery and individual faith while finding functional value in “acting as if” God exists.

Jordan Peterson’s Pragmatic Perspective

  • Focused on functionality of religion rather than dogma
  • Embraces religious concepts for purpose even if unproven
  • Values metaphorical significance more than factual claims
  • Leaves literal truth open to individual faith and mystery
  • “Acts as if God exists” for practical importance

Peterson’s Practice of Christianity and Interest in Other Religions

Given his pragmatic approach, does Jordan Peterson actually identify himself as a Christian or practice any religion? He still retains an affinity for Christianity and an interest in Christian ethics, stories, and metaphors. However, he does not strictly identify himself as a Christian today. He shows an intellectual fascination with many religious traditions.

Peterson and his family sporadically attend Anglican church services in recent years. He has also participated in indigenous North American religion cleansing rituals. He finds meaning in various practices and rituals as tools for purpose and mental clarity without necessarily believing all metaphysical claims.

In his books and lectures, Peterson quotes texts from Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and more. He draws life guidance from these sources, seeing profound psychological truths reflected in their myths and teachings. Peterson is open to wisdom wherever it is found, while retaining an emotional connection to the Christianity of his upbringing.

Jordan Peterson’s Religious Practice

  • Sporadic church attendance but does not strictly identify as Christian
  • Participates in various practices like indigenous rituals
  • Finds functional value in rituals and practices regardless of belief
  • Quotes and draws ethical lessons from many religious sources
  • Retains affinity for Christianity of his upbringing

Criticism of Jordan Peterson’s Unorthodox Perspective

Jordan Peterson’s unconventional philosophical approach to religion has drawn criticism from some conservative Christians as well as from atheists and skeptics. Some Christians argue he overly psychologizes biblical stories, draining them of divine truth in favor of secular utility. Atheists accuse him of a wishy-washy, pick-and-choose approach to religion.

However, Peterson openly acknowledges he is an unconventional thinker who does not neatly fit categories of belief or non-belief. As he told one interviewer:

“I don’t really identify as an atheist or a believer. I’m a pragmatist and I’m enough of a dramatist to be interested in story, mythology and the metaphorical substrate of religious stories.”

While this frustrates some secular and religious people alike, it resonates with many who struggle to find meaning and purpose in a complex, technologized world without absolute answers. Peterson gives them tools without the certainty of dogma.

Criticisms of Peterson’s Religious Perspective

  • Christians argue he overly psychologizes biblical stories
  • Atheists accuse him of wishy-washy pick-and-choose religion
  • Does not claim to fit neatly into categories of belief or non-belief

Conclusion

In the end, neatly defining Jordan Peterson’s religion is a difficult task. His views do not fit cleanly into predefined boxes or categories. He draws inspiration from Christianity, mythology, philosophy, psychology, and diverse religious traditions. Yet he resists literalism or supernatural dogma. Ultimately, Peterson’s perspective is pragmatic and metaphorical.

He sees profound meaning and guidance within religious myths, stories, and biblical archetypes while leaving room for mystery around metaphysical claims of truth. Peterson values religion and spirituality as tools for purpose, ethics, and a fully-realized life. For him, pragmatic functionality matters more than institutions, doctrines, or scientific evidence when it comes to faith.

While unconventional, this resonates with many modern spiritual seekers. Peterson provides meaning to those disillusioned with dogma but still seeking timeless wisdom. His message confirms that an examined life of purpose requires grappling with the big questions – even in a scientific age that often rejects the metaphysical. Peterson gives people tools to navigate these waters, recognizing the limits of human knowledge.

FAQ About Jordan Peterson’s Religion

What church does Jordan Peterson attend?

Peterson sporadically attends Anglican church services but does not strictly identify as Anglican or Christian.

Does Jordan Peterson believe in God?

He acts as if God exists and finds functional meaning in biblical metaphors, but does not make literal claims about God’s existence.

Is Jordan Peterson an atheist?

No, Peterson rejects the label of atheist. He shows an intellectual interest in many religious traditions.

Why do some Christians criticize Jordan Peterson?

Some argue he overly psychologizes biblical stories instead of accepting their divine truth. His pragmatic approach differs from fundamentalist perspectives.

Does Jordan Peterson follow Jungian psychology?

Yes, Jung’s ideas like archetypes, the collective unconscious, and mythological thinking deeply influence Peterson’s religious views.

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