Discussion: The God of Jordan Peterson

Sep 11th, 2022

Brian Holdsworth with Fr Hugh Mackenzie - Screenshot ICN/JS

Jordan Peterson begins his speaking tour of the UK this week. Ahead of this visit - we're posting the video of a recent discussion between Fr Hugh MacKenzie PhL, MSc, a chaplain at Westminster Cathedral and St John and St Elizabeth's Hospital, who taught philosophy at Alan Hall for seven years, and Brian Holdsworth, Canadian Catholic writer and speaker, on his Youtube channel.

Brian Holdsworth writes: "Dr Jordan Peterson's remarkable intellectual aptitude for philosophical inquiry puts many academically accredited philosophers to shame. In spite of his lack of formal training, he gets very far on his own and shows a profound appreciation for the directions one could go.

"Many believing Christians look to him for a sophisticated and intellectually satisfying presentation of our creed without knowing how and in what ways he departs company with that tradition which has its own and robust explanation for the nature of reality, as well as God.

"In this conversation, Fr Hugh and I explore the successes he has achieved in inspiring his audience to be willing to sacrifice apparent goods for a more virtuous life as well as Peterson's conception of God and how it contrasts with the doctrines of the creed and of the Church."

Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5r1PFl7_F0

Viewing notes:

00:00 - Intro to Fr Hugh

01:12 - Why are we interested in Dr. Jordan Peterson

08:19 - Video Sponsor

09:19 - How Peterson's Phenomenology seems to help people to turn to morality and faith

15:10 - Peterson's approach to myth, story, and ultimate reality goes too far.

17:23 - Peterson doesn't believe in a Personal God.

22:17 - Peterson's block to becoming a theist: He can't get beyond the human.

26:11 - Explanation of what Peterson believes about God and revelation

32:00 - Peterson's objective morality as rooting a new argument for God.

35:54 - Cosmological proofs compared to moral and intelligibility arguments for God