jordan peterson book tour

• Latest Latest
• The West The West
• Sports Sports
• Opinion Opinion
• Magazine Magazine

Wrestling with God and Jordan Peterson

Under fire in canada, peterson kicked off a 51-city tour sunday. here’s what to expect if you’re going to one of his shows.

By Jennifer Graham

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Outside the marquee at the Providence Performing Arts Center, a handful of grinning young men paused to take selfies, their faces positioned next to the image of the man they have come here to see.

But there is no rock star inside, rather a Canadian psychologist in his sixth decade who will, when he takes the stage 45 minutes after show time, deliver a rambling lecture that touches on Fyodor Dostoevsky, David Hume, Richard Dawkins, post-modernism, privilege, victimhood and, most importantly, “the biblical corpus” of the Jewish and Christian traditions, which the lecturer believes offers the deepest and most relevant stories for the questions of human existence.

Welcome to Jordan Peterson’s “ We Who Wrestle With God ” tour, which kicked off at 7:30 Sunday night in a sold-out auditorium in downtown Providence. (Peterson comes to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City March 5.) Part concert, part lecture, part family banter, the evening is not easily classified.

In Providence, the event started with 20 minutes of music by classical guitarist David Cotter (who also toured with Peterson last year), then moved to a monologue by Peterson’s wife about family conflict and pain caused by the recent death of her father. Tammy Peterson herself has been in the news lately, because of publicity about her conversion to Roman Catholicism.

It was 8:15 before Jordan Peterson strode in, wearing gray slacks and a multi-colored dreamcoat that would have made Joseph and his brothers envious. The crowd, many of whom had paid up to $100 for tickets, gave Peterson a standing ovation before he said anything.

Peterson talked without notes for nearly an hour and a half, never directly addressing any of the topics, such as gender identity, that have made him a lightning rod for controversy on social media and so angered his peers in Canada that they want to strip him of his professional license.

In fact, there was no evidence of controversy at all, save for the security officers stationed in front of the stage.

What does Jordan Peterson say in his new show?

Peterson has said the tour would be a discussion of ideas coming in a forthcoming book, entitled “We Who Wrestle With God,” for which a publication date has not been announced. But Sunday’s presentation seemed more a brainstorming session than an outline, with Peterson meandering from biblical discourse (an overhead screen projected passages from the first chapter of Genesis) to reflections on why human beings are so connected with movies. (They are not mere entertainment, as most people say, but expressions of a “hierarchy of values” that we relate to on deeper levels. And he only made it halfway through “Barbie,” he said, to laughter.)

Continuing with Genesis, Peterson described the story of Cain and Abel as “20 of the most tightly written sentences ever penned” that comprise the template for every modern story in the “eternal battle of good versus evil.”

“That’s your story, whether you know it or not,” Peterson said.

The story of Cain and Abel hinges on the question of what sacrifice most pleased God, or “to what end should sacrifice be devoted,” he said. Sacrifice in the context is a synonym for work, he added. “You will wrestle with this your whole life.”

Evoking themes from his popular books “Twelve Rules for Life” and “Beyond Order,” Peterson asked the audience, “What confronts you when you wake up?”and argued that our task is to manage the chaos, seeking “adventure infused with love” while knowing there is no adventure without trouble. Every well-ordered life should be marked by “constant turns for the better,” he said; a life continually marked by such turns will eventually resemble something like heaven.

Is Jordan Peterson a Christian?

Despite his wife’s decision to join the Roman Catholic Church, Peterson is not affiliated with any particular faith. He has said he supported Tammy Peterson’s decision, which he has called a “logical, appropriate and inspired next step” in her spiritual journey. He often speaks of biblical stories in terms of myth, which he calls “a form of truth that surpasses the merely literal.” But pacing the stage in Providence, he at times sounded like a believer, quoting scripture and mocking atheists who “don’t believe in angels or devils” but seem just fine with aliens.

“There is no one who thinks of God more than a committed atheist,” he later said.

The audience was invited to submit questions to Peterson, but in a Q&A session (after his second standing ovation), he only answered three:

What does he think is behind antisemitism seen on university campuses after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel? (“Well, Satan, obviously,” he began.)

How do you know if you’re wrestling with God or with yourself? (If you’re thinking about yourself and being miserable, you’re wrestling with yourself, he said.)

And, given that so much of his work involves the “ideal masculine” what does he see as the “ideal feminine”?

For that question, Peterson referenced Michelangelo’s “Pietà.” the sculpture of Mary holding the body of Christ that is in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. For women, Peterson said, that image represents a woman’s “highest offering to God” — child and self.

“The woman who offers her child to God receives her child back. ... And every mother worth her salt knows that,” he said.

• Skip to content
• Accessibility
• Buy Tickets

Dr. Jordan Peterson

• Date Apr 21 , 2024
• Event Starts 7:30 PM
• Ticket Prices $45 - $125 (Additional Fees May Apply)
• On Sale On Sale Now
• Sunday, Apr 21 7:30 PM Buy Tickets

Event Details

Dr. Jordan B Peterson is bringing his "We Who Wrestle with God" tour to BOK Center on April 21st.

Dr. Jordan B Peterson is a best-selling author, psychologist, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, and co-founder of Peterson Academy. The Jordan B Peterson podcast frequently tops the charts in the Education category. He has written three books, Maps of Meaning, an academic work, presenting a new scientifically-grounded theory of religious and political belief, and the bestselling 12 Rules for Life, and Beyond Order, which have sold more than twelve million copies. With his wife, Tammy, Dr. Peterson's international lecture tour has sold out more than 400 venues, providing live insight into the structure of mythology and narrative to hundreds of thousands of people. For twenty years, he taught some of the most highly regarded courses at Harvard and the University of Toronto, while publishing more than a hundred well-cited scientific papers with his students and co-authors. Dr. Peterson's online programs, selfauthoring.com and understandmyself.com have helped tens of thousands of people inquire deeply into the structure of their personalities, develop a vision for their future, and sort out the details of their pasts. He maintained an active clinical and consulting practice during this period, helping individuals across the full spectrum of ability and temperament deal with the complexities of their lives and situations.. His online education platform petersonacademy.com, launching early 2024, aims to provide high-quality, enjoyable, affordable online education and social networking worldwide.

BOK Center Clear Bag Policy

BOK Center has implemented a clear bag policy for fans that limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into the venue. Fans are permitted to enter the facility with one clear bag per person that does not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″ or a one gallon clear plastic bag. Fans are also permitted one personal item per person such as small purses or clutches that aren’t clear and are no larger than 5″ x 8″.

Cashless Policy

BOK Center is a cashless venue. Please be advised that all points of sale for food & beverage and merchandise inside the arena no longer accept cash as payment and will instead only accept debit/credit cards.

Don’t have a debit/credit card? Head to the River Spirit Bar outside of section 107 to exchange cash for a gift card. 

Please note that our box office still accepts cash.

• Skip to content
• Accessibility
• Buy Tickets

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

We who wrestle with god tour.

• Date Mar 15 , 2024
• Event Starts 7:30 PM
• On Sale On Sale Now

Purchase Parking

• Chase Preferred Seating Available While Supplies Last

Event Details

Dr. jordan b. peterson announces we who wrestle with god tour with stops in 51 cities including a stop in atlanta at state farm arena on friday, march 15, 2024.

General Onsale Begins on Friday, December 15 at 10 AM Local Time

HERE and on Ticketmaster.com

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson , the infuential psychologist, author, and cultural commentator, today announced his We Who Wrestle With God Tour. The 51-city tour kicks off on February 4th at Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI, with stops across the U.S. including a stop in Atlanta at the award-winning State Farm Arena on Friday, March 15, 2024 in addition to Chicago, IL; Las Vegas, NV, and more before wrapping up in Wallingford, CT, at Toyota Oakdale Theatre on June 11th.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is a best-selling author, psychologist, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, and co-founder of Peterson Academy. The Jordan B Peterson podcast frequently tops the charts in the Education category. He has written three books, Maps of Meaning, an academic work, presenting a new scientifcally-grounded theory of religious and political belief, and the bestselling 12 Rules for Life, and Beyond Order, which have sold more than twelve million copies. With his wife, Tammy, Dr. Peterson's international lecture tour has sold out more than 400 venues, providing live insight into the structure of mythology and narrative to hundreds of thousands of people. For twenty years, he taught some of the most highly regarded courses at Harvard and the University of Toronto, while publishing more than a hundred well-cited scientifc papers with his students and co-authors. Dr. Peterson's online programs, selfauthoring.com and understandmyself.com have helped tens of thousands of people inquire deeply into the structure of their personalities, develop a vision for their future, and sort out the details of their pasts. He maintained an active clinical and consulting practice during this period, helping individuals across the full spectrum of ability and temperament deal with the complexities of their lives and situations.His online education platform petersonacademy.com, launching early 2024, aims to provide high-quality, enjoyable, afordable online education and social networking worldwide.

TICKETS : Presales will run throughout the week starting on Tuesday, December 12 ahead of the general onsale beginning on Friday, December 15 at 10 AM local time HERE . For tickets to the show at the award-winning State Farm Arena, visit Ticketmaster.com .

Chase Preferred Seating

Access Chase Preferred Seating at State Farm Arena exclusively available for Chase cardholders via  Ticketmaster.com .

5 easy steps to access:

• Pick which event or Hawks game on Ticketmaster you wish to attend.
• Select Chase Preferred Seating under Filters.
• View what seats are available for purchase.
• Add seats to your cart and checkout using your Chase debit or credit card.
• Enjoy your seats!  

Valid on Chase Preferred Seating on  Ticketmaster.com  only. A valid Chase debit or credit card is required for purchase. Click Buy Tickets to see full terms. Deposit & credit card products are provided by JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. 

Suite Rentals

Take your concert experience to the next level with all-inclusive food and beverage, amazing views, A-list amenities, and your own private party zone for you and your crew!  

BOOK ONLINE NOW  

Stay & Play presented by Hotels.com

BOOK TRAVEL

Parking: Buy Now & Save!

Enjoy all these awesome benefits when you plan ahead and purchase your parking in advance through ParkMobile.

State Farm Arena offers multiple parking options tailored to your needs:

• STATE FARM DRIVE:  The best parking, just steps from the entrance
• DIAMOND DECK:  VIP parking with exclusive Player/Artist entrance
• SAPPHIRE DECK:  Prime location across the street
• RUBY LOT:  Easy & convenient Arena access  

RESERVE NOW

Plan Your Visit

From how to get here, to finding your seat, to getting something to eat and drink, click here to plan your visit to State Farm Arena. 

≤ 14” x 14” x 6"  

State Farm Arena has a strict bag policy in place to ensure safety for all attendees.

Please note that bags larger than 14" x 14" x 6", including briefcases, purses, luggage, and diaper bags, are not allowed in the arena. Additionally, backpacks and hard-sided bags of any kind are prohibited. However, you are welcome to bring in single-compartment drawstring bags and fashion backpacks or purses that are smaller than 14" x 14" x 6".

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our venue secure.

Cashless Enviroment

State Farm Arena is a cashless environment. Card payment will be required at all ticket, food & beverage, and retail locations. No cash payments will be accepted.

Omni Hotel Guests

Staying at the Omni Hotel?

To access the Omni Hotel’s North and South towers, exit through Gate 7 and walk west on Andrew Young International Blvd NW towards Marietta St NW. The Omni Hotel will be on your left.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson: We Who Wrestle with God Tour

Includes dedicated and expedited entry, two premium beverages per person, complimentary pre-show appetizers, exclusive access, and private restrooms. Lexus Lounge access must be added to an existing ticket.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is an author, psychologist, online educator, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto. The Jordan B Peterson podcast frequently tops the charts in the Education category. He has written three books, Maps of Meaning, an academic work, presenting a new scientifically-grounded theory of religious and political belief, and the bestselling 12 Rules for Life, and Beyond Order, which have sold more than seven million copies.

With his wife, Tammy, Dr. Peterson’s international lecture tours have sold out more than 400 venues, providing live insight into the structure of mythology and narrative to hundreds of thousands of people.

For twenty years, he taught some of the most highly regarded courses at Harvard and the University of Toronto, while publishing more than a hundred well-cited scientific papers with his students and co-authors.

Dr. Peterson’s online programs,  selfauthoring.com   and  understandmyself.com  have helped tens of thousands of people inquire deeply into the structure of their personalities, develop a vision for their future, and sort out the details of their pasts. He maintained an active clinical and consulting practice during this period, helping individuals across the full spectrum of ability and temperament deal with the complexities of their lives and situations.

In conjunction with the Daily Wire Plus, Dr. Peterson recently led and released a 17-part seminar on the biblical book of Exodus, as the continuation of his critically and publicly acclaimed lectures on Genesis.

Additional Ticket Options

Related Links

• Official Website

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson: We Who Wrestle with God Tour

Event Details

• Apr 30, 2024
• Bellco Theatre

Ticket Information

Just announced: dr. jordan b. peterson: we who wrestle with god tour at the bellco theatre on april 30th.

Pre-Sale open: 12/13 at 12PM – 12/14 at 10PM Code: JP2024 On-Sale: 12/15 at 10AM

Dr. Jordan B Peterson is a best-selling author, psychologist, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, and co-founder of Peterson Academy. The Jordan B Peterson podcast frequently tops the charts in the Education category. He has written three books, Maps of Meaning, an academic work, presenting a new scientifically-grounded theory of religious and political belief, and the bestselling 12 Rules for Life, and Beyond Order, which have sold more than twelve million copies. With his wife, Tammy, Dr. Peterson's international lecture tour has sold out more than 400 venues, providing live insight into the structure of mythology and narrative to hundreds of thousands of people. For twenty years, he taught some of the most highly regarded courses at Harvard and the University of Toronto, while publishing more than a hundred well-cited scientific papers with his students and co-authors. Dr. Peterson's online programs, selfauthoring.com and understandmyself.com have helped tens of thousands of people inquire deeply into the structure of their personalities, develop a vision for their future, and sort out the details of their pasts. He maintained an active clinical and consulting practice during this period, helping individuals across the full spectrum of ability and temperament deal with the complexities of their lives and situations.. His online education platform petersonacademy.com, launching early 2024, aims to provide high-quality, enjoyable, affordable online education and social networking worldwide.”

Upcoming Events

Experience the Colorado Convention Center

Sneaker Con Denver

• Colorado Convention Center
• Mar 30, 2024

Colorado Restaurant and Bar Show 2024: Connect. Explore. Discover.

• Colorado Convention Center - Mile High Ballroom
• Apr 2, 2024 to Apr 3, 2024

The Colorado Speaker Series: Stacey Abrams

• Apr 3, 2024

Denver Auto Show

• Apr 4, 2024 to Apr 7, 2024

Suggested Searches

Click to search, or type your own query above.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

All upcoming events.

Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN

Dr. jordan b. peterson: we who wrestle with god tour.

• Dr. Jordan B. Peterson Lexus Lounge Access

Radio City Music Hall | New York, NY

Saenger theatre new orleans | new orleans, la, paycom center | oklahoma city, ok, dickies arena | fort worth, tx, abraham chavez theatre | el paso, tx, smart financial centre at sugar land | sugar land, tx, bok center | tulsa, ok, moody center atx | austin, tx, bellco theatre | denver, co, dpac - durham performing arts center | durham, nc, spectrum center | charlotte, nc, ppg paints arena | pittsburgh, pa, the met presented by highmark | philadelphia, pa.

• VIP Parking Pass: Dr. Jordan Peterson
• The Met Preferred Parking Pass: Dr. Jordan Peterson
• Citi Grand Salle Access: Dr. Jordan Peterson

The Santander Arena | Reading, PA

Arizona financial theatre | phoenix, az.

• Premier Parking - Dr. Jordan Peterson - Not a Concert Ticket
• Fast Lane Pass - Dr. Jordan Peterson - Not a Concert Ticket

YouTube Theater | Inglewood, CA

Dolby live | las vegas, nv, altria theater | richmond, va, the louisville palace | louisville, ky.

• Marquee Lounge Access - Dr. Jordan B. Peterson - Not a Concert Ticket*

North Charleston Coliseum | North Charleston, SC

Chrysler hall | norfolk, va, mgm music hall at fenway | boston, ma.

• Fast Lane Access - Dr. Jordan B. Peterson (Not a Concert Ticket)
• MassMutual Lounge Access - Dr. Jordan B. Peterson (NOT A CONCERT TIX)
• Truly Rooftop Access - Dr. Jordan B. Peterson (Not A Concert Tix) 21+

DAR Constitution Hall | Washington, DC

Toyota oakdale theatre | wallingford, ct.

• Premier Parking: Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
• Oakdale Theatre VIP Club Access Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
• Rockstar Parking Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

• Skip to content
• Accessibility

Buy Tickets

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

We who wrestle with god tour.

• Date Feb 5 th , 2024
• Event Starts 7:30 PM
• Doors Open 6:30pm
• Ticket Prices $49.00 - $104.50
• On Sale On Sale Now

Purchase VIP Parking

Security Procedures

Please note that the arena will be using the following security procedures for all events at the arena. Please plan accordingly.

• Walk thru metal detectors at all entrances of the facility; all patrons will walk through a metal detector prior to gaining access to the arena. If needed, security will perform pat downs on patrons in addition to the metal detectors
• Patron bags will be searched and tagged once allowed into the arena
• Bags larger than 9" x 12"x 4" will not be permitted into the arena, this includes backpacks
• Camera policy is set by the show, best practice suggests no cameras for events
• No weapons of any kind will be permitted into the arena
• No outside food or beverage will be permitted into the arena
• We are a cashless facility! All points of sale within the venue are no longer accepting cash. Please be prepared to pay with your credit card, debit card or mobile pay. Thank you!
• The Arena is a no smoking facility, there is no designated smoking area

We encourage you to plan accordingly for traffic in the City, parking and long lines when entering the arena.

Clear Bag Policies

• Skip to content
• Accessibility
• Buy Tickets

Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

Dr. Jordan B Peterson

• Sun, May 5 7:30 PM Find Tickets

Dr. Jordan B Peterson is a best-selling author, psychologist, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, and co-founder of Peterson Academy. The Jordan B Peterson podcast frequently tops the charts in the Education category. He has written three books, Maps of Meaning, an academic work, presenting a new scientifically-grounded theory of religious and political belief, and the bestselling 12 Rules for Life, and Beyond Order, which have sold more than twelve million copies. With his wife, Tammy, Dr. Peterson's international lecture tour has sold out more than 400 venues, providing live insight into the structure of mythology and narrative to hundreds of thousands of people. For twenty years, he taught some of the most highly regarded courses at Harvard and the University of Toronto, while publishing more than a hundred well-cited scientific papers with his students and co-authors. Dr. Peterson's online programs, selfauthoring.com and understandmyself.com , have helped tens of thousands of people inquire deeply into the structure of their personalities, develop a vision for their future, and sort out the details of their pasts. He maintained an active clinical and consulting practice during this period, helping individuals across the full spectrum of ability and temperament deal with the complexities of their lives and situations. His online education platform, petersonacademy.com , launching early 2024, aims to provide high-quality, enjoyable, affordable online education and social networking worldwide.”

Accessible Seating & Accessible Services

DPAC offers a variety of Accessible Seating & Accessible Services to make our performances and facilities accessible to all.

• Accessible entrances, parking, restrooms, and seating options including a variety of wheelchair accessible locations and companion seating.
• ADA compliant ramp access and elevators to all lobbies and seating areas.
• Courtesy shuttles from nearby parking areas, curb-to-seat wheelchair assistance and listening devices at every event.
• Plus, audio description, captioning, and sign language interpretation upon request.

Accessible Services - We’re here to help!

• For additional information, questions or more specific details on accessibility or any accommodation or service listed below, please contact us via e-mail at  [email protected] .

Accessible Seats - Ticket Purchases

• To purchase Accessible Seats, please visit the  Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Ticket Center

For additional information, questions or details on an accommodation or service not listed below, please contact us via e-mail at  [email protected] . 

• Accessible Seating
• Accessible Parking
• Accessible Restrooms
• Listening Devices
• Drop-off / Pick-up & Courtesy Wheelchairs
• Audio Description
• Sign Language Interpretation
• Service Animals

Age Requirement

All guests require a ticket, regardless of age.  Children under the age of 6 are not allowed at this performance. Children must be able to sit quietly in their own seat without disturbing other guests.

NEW - Cashless Payments for Snacks and Beverages at DPAC

• Cash is no longer accepted for snack or beverage purchases at DPAC’s lobby bars or snack and beverage stands.
• Snack and beverage purchases now require payment using credit or debit cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay or a DPAC gift card.
• If you happen to arrive at DPAC with cash only, guests may purchase a DPAC gift card in $20 increments at our Entry Lobby Guest Services window. These gift cards can then be used at any lobby bar or snack and beverage stand.

Content Advisory

DPAC offers a diverse selection of entertainment. Not all productions will appeal to or be appropriate for every guest or for all ages. Ticket buyers should take responsibility for making informed decisions regarding their purchases. We recommend visiting the official website of each show to learn more about the show you are coming to see at DPAC. If you ever have questions about the content or appropriateness of a show, please contact us at  [email protected] .

Our lobby doors open 60 minutes prior to show time.

Event Schedule

6:30 PM - Lobby Doors 7:30 PM - Performance Begins * Please note all times are approximate and subject to change without notice.

Inclement Weather

All performances scheduled at DPAC normally take place as planned. For more information on our inclement weather policy, please visit  INCLEMENT WEATHER FAQ .

Related Links

• Dr. Jordan B Peterson Website

Safety First - Bag Check

• For your safety, all guests and their bags are subject to inspection before entry.
• This inspection may include the use of metal detectors.
• Restricted items include, but are not limited to: Alcohol, Cameras, Glass Bottles, and Weapons of any kind.
• In addition, no large bags are allowed including backpacks and large purses 12 or more inches deep.
• Small clutch purses are STRONGLY recommended.
• For family shows that allow very young children, diapers bags are allowed for guests with infants and toddlers (child must be present).
• Safety first is our goal. Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback at  [email protected]   

Special Effects

• For many events at DPAC, the performances contain bright lights, flashing strobe lights and theatrical fog or haze.
• DPAC does not control these lighting effects which are designed as part of the show and are used for dramatic effect.
• Theatrical fog or haze, comprised of safety tested glycol, glycol/water mixtures, water, mineral oil, or dry ice, is used to make lighting effects more visible, and to create a specific sense of mood or atmosphere.
• This event has not provided DPAC with any specific advisory.

• Most tickets buyers purchase right from our website using the  Buy Ticket s  button on this page.
• In addition to purchasing online, DPAC offers several other ways to purchase the seats you want to the best Broadway, concerts, comedy, family shows and special events in North Carolina.
• Our computerized ticket system enables you equal access to great DPAC seats whether you buy online, by phone, or in person at DPAC.
• For more details, visit our  Purchase Seats  page for complete information on purchasing great seats for all events at DPAC.

Video Screens

Currently, this event has not approved using our video screens.  Please feel free to check back closer to the event for updates. If approved, we will post notice here.

For many concert, comedy, and special events at DPAC, we offer added views of the stage with two big screens (size: 16’ x 9’) hung to the sides of the stage or above the stage. These big screens can add to the visual experience of our concert, comedy, and special events and give guests seated farther from the stage what we like to call “a tenth row view”. Approval to use these screens always rests with the visiting show and about half of all concert and comedy events do use these screens.

VIP Packages

Jordan Peterson VIP Meet & Greet Package

• Premium Seat Ticket
• Early Venue Entry
• Meet & Greet with Jordan Peterson
• Photo with Jordan Peterson
• Commemorative VIP Laminate
• Exclusive Merchandise Item

Jordan Peterson VIP Merchandise Package*

*No artist participation

View All Events

Become a Friend of DPAC

Scriptswidget.

Become a Truist Broadway Member to Never Miss a Sellout

Dr. Jordan B Peterson: We Who Wrestle with God Tour

Mar 22, 2024 | 7:30 pm.

• Christian Books & Bibles
• Bible Study & Reference

Buy new: $31.50

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

We Who Wrestle with God Hardcover – November 19, 2024

• Print length 432 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Portfolio
• Publication date November 19, 2024
• Dimensions 6 x 1.09 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 0593542533
• ISBN-13 978-0593542538
• See all details

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may ship from close to you

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio (November 19, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593542533
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593542538
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.48 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.09 x 9 inches
• #3 in Popular Applied Psychology
• #23 in Christian Self Help
• #54 in Happiness Self-Help

About the author

Jordan b. peterson.

Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. His main areas of study are the psychology of religious and ideological belief, and the assessment and improvement of personality and performance.

From 1993 to 1997, Peterson lived in Arlington, Massachusetts, while teaching and conducting research at Harvard University as an assistant and an associate professor in the psychology department. During his time at Harvard, he studied aggression arising from drug and alcohol abuse, and supervised a number of unconventional thesis proposals. Afterwards, he returned to Canada and took up a post as a professor at the University of Toronto.

In 1999, Routledge published Peterson's Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. The book, which took Peterson 13 years to complete, describes a comprehensive theory for how we construct meaning, represented by the mythical process of the exploratory hero, and provides an interpretation of religious and mythical models of reality presented in a way that is compatible with modern scientific understanding of how the brain works. It synthesizes ideas drawn from narratives in mythology, religion, literature and philosophy, as well as research from neuropsychology, in "the classic, old-fashioned tradition of social science."

Peterson's primary goal was to examine why individuals, not simply groups, engage in social conflict, and to model the path individuals take that results in atrocities like the Gulag, the Auschwitz concentration camp and the Rwandan genocide. Peterson considers himself a pragmatist, and uses science and neuropsychology to examine and learn from the belief systems of the past and vice versa, but his theory is primarily phenomenological. In the book, he explores the origins of evil, and also posits that an analysis of the world's religious ideas might allow us to describe our essential morality and eventually develop a universal system of morality.

Harvey Shepard, writing in the Religion column of the Montreal Gazette, stated: "To me, the book reflects its author's profound moral sense and vast erudition in areas ranging from clinical psychology to scripture and a good deal of personal soul searching. ... Peterson's vision is both fully informed by current scientific and pragmatic methods, and in important ways deeply conservative and traditional."

In 2004, a 13-part TV series based on his book Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief aired on TVOntario. He has also appeared on that network on shows such as Big Ideas, and as a frequent guest and essayist on The Agenda with Steve Paikin since 2008.

In 2013, Peterson began recording his lectures ("Personality and Its Transformations", "Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief") and uploading them to YouTube. His YouTube channel has gathered more than 600,000 subscribers and his videos have received more than 35 million views as of January 2018. He has also appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, The Gavin McInnes Show, Steven Crowder's Louder with Crowder, Dave Rubin's The Rubin Report, Stefan Molyneux's Freedomain Radio, h3h3Productions's H3 Podcast, Sam Harris's Waking Up podcast, Gad Saad's The Saad Truth series and other online shows. In December 2016, Peterson started his own podcast, The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, which has 37 episodes as of January 10, 2018, including academic guests such as Camille Paglia, Martin Daly, and James W. Pennebaker, while on his channel he has also interviewed Stephen Hicks, Richard J. Haier, and Jonathan Haidt among others. In January 2017, he hired a production team to film his psychology lectures at the University of Toronto.

Peterson with his colleagues Robert O. Pihl, Daniel Higgins, and Michaela Schippers produced a writing therapy program with series of online writing exercises, titled the Self Authoring Suite. It includes the Past Authoring Program, a guided autobiography; two Present Authoring Programs, which allow the participant to analyze their personality faults and virtues in terms of the Big Five personality model; and the Future Authoring Program, which guides participants through the process of planning their desired futures. The latter program was used with McGill University undergraduates on academic probation to improve their grades, as well since 2011 at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. The Self Authoring Programs were developed partially from research by James W. Pennebaker at the University of Texas at Austin and Gary Latham at the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto. Pennebaker demonstrated that writing about traumatic or uncertain events and situations improved mental and physical health, while Latham demonstrated that personal planning exercises help make people more productive. According to Peterson, more than 10,000 students have used the program as of January 2017, with drop-out rates decreasing by 25% and GPAs rising by 20%.

In May 2017 he started new project, titled "The psychological significance of the Biblical stories", a series of live theatre lectures in which he analyzes archetypal narratives in Genesis as patterns of behaviour vital for both personal, social and cultural stability.

His upcoming book "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos" will be released on January 23rd, 2018. It was released in the UK on January 16th. Dr. Peterson is currently on tour throughout North America, Europe and Australia.

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

No customer reviews

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Authors & Events

Recommendations

• New & Noteworthy
• Bestsellers
• Popular Series
• The Must-Read Books of 2023
• Popular Books in Spanish
• Coming Soon
• Literary Fiction
• Mystery & Thriller
• Science Fiction
• Spanish Language Fiction
• Biographies & Memoirs
• Spanish Language Nonfiction
• Dark Star Trilogy
• Ramses the Damned
• Penguin Classics
• Award Winners
• The Parenting Book Guide
• Books to Read Before Bed
• Books for Middle Graders
• Trending Series
• Magic Tree House
• The Last Kids on Earth
• Planet Omar
• Beloved Characters
• The World of Eric Carle
• Llama Llama
• Junie B. Jones
• Peter Rabbit
• Board Books
• Picture Books
• Guided Reading Levels
• Middle Grade
• Activity Books
• Trending This Week
• Top Must-Read Romances
• Page-Turning Series To Start Now
• Books to Cope With Anxiety
• Short Reads
• Anti-Racist Resources
• Staff Picks
• Memoir & Fiction
• Features & Interviews
• Emma Brodie Interview
• James Ellroy Interview
• Nicola Yoon Interview
• Qian Julie Wang Interview
• Deepak Chopra Essay
• How Can I Get Published?
• For Book Clubs
• Reese's Book Club
• Oprah’s Book Club
• happy place " data-category="popular" data-location="header">Guide: Happy Place
• the last white man " data-category="popular" data-location="header">Guide: The Last White Man
• Authors & Events >
• Our Authors
• Michelle Obama
• Zadie Smith
• Emily Henry
• Amor Towles
• Colson Whitehead
• In Their Own Words
• Qian Julie Wang
• Patrick Radden Keefe
• Phoebe Robinson
• Emma Brodie
• Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Laura Hankin
• Recommendations >
• 21 Books To Help You Learn Something New
• The Books That Inspired "Saltburn"
• Insightful Therapy Books To Read This Year
• Historical Fiction With Female Protagonists
• Best Thrillers of All Time
• Manga and Graphic Novels
• happy place " data-category="recommendations" data-location="header">Start Reading Happy Place
• How to Make Reading a Habit with James Clear
• Why Reading Is Good for Your Health
• 10 Facts About Taylor Swift
• New Releases
• Memoirs Read by the Author
• Our Most Soothing Narrators
• Press Play for Inspiration
• Audiobooks You Just Can't Pause
• Listen With the Whole Family

We Who Wrestle with God

By jordan b. peterson, by jordan b. peterson read by jordan b. peterson, category: religion | psychology | self-improvement & inspiration, category: religion | psychology | self-improvement & inspiration | audiobooks.

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9798217014590 | 6-1/8 x 9-1/4 --> | ISBN 9798217014590 -->

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9780593542538 | 6 x 9 --> | ISBN 9780593542538 -->

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9780593542545 | ISBN 9780593542545 -->

Nov 19, 2024 | 780 Minutes | ISBN 9780593944646 -->

Nov 19, 2024 | 780 Minutes | ISBN 9780593944639 -->

Preorder from:

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9798217014590

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9780593542538

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9780593542545

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9780593944646

780 Minutes

Nov 19, 2024 | ISBN 9780593944639

Buy the CD:

• Barnes & Noble
• Books A Million
• Powell’s

About We Who Wrestle with God

A revolutionary new offering from Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, renowned psychologist and author of the global bestseller 12 Rules for Life . In We Who Wrestle with God , Dr. Peterson guides us through the ancient, foundational stories of the Western world. In riveting detail, he analyzes the Biblical accounts of rebellion, sacrifice, suffering, and triumph that stabilize, inspire, and unite us culturally and psychologically. Adam and Eve and the eternal fall of mankind; the resentful and ultimately murderous war of Cain and Abel; the cataclysmic flood of Noah; the spectacular collapse of the Tower of Babel; Abraham’s terrible adventure; and the epic of Moses and the Israelites.  What could such stories possibly mean? What force wrote and assembled them over the long centuries? How did they bring our spirits and the world together, and point us in the same direction?   It is time for us to understand such things, scientifically and spiritually; to become conscious of the structure of our souls and our societies; and to see ourselves and others as if for the first time.    Join Elijah as he discovers the Voice of God in the dictates of his own conscience and Jonah confronting hell itself in the belly of the whale because he failed to listen and act. Set yourself straight in intent, aim, and purpose as you begin to more deeply understand the structure of your society and your soul. Journey with Dr. Peterson through the greatest stories ever told.   Dare to wrestle with God.

Also by Jordan B. Peterson

About Jordan B. Peterson

Dr. Jordan B Peterson is the bestselling author of 12 Rules for Life, which has sold more than five million copies worldwide. After working for decades as a clinical psychologist and a professor at Harvard and the University of Toronto, Peterson has become one of the world’s… More about Jordan B. Peterson

Product Details

Category: religion | psychology | self-improvement & inspiration, category: religion | psychology | self-improvement & inspiration | audiobooks, you may also like.

The Getting Unstuck Workbook

Powered by ADHD

The 6 Reasons You’ll Get the Job

One Less Thing to Worry About

Over 40 & You’re Hired!

The Career Playbook

Magnificent Minds

Talking to Depression: Simple Ways To Connect When Someone in Your LifeIs Depres

Mother Warriors

The Big Freeze

Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

Raise kids who love to read

Today's Top Books

Want to know what people are actually reading right now?

An online magazine for today’s home cook

Just for joining you’ll get personalized recommendations on your dashboard daily and features only for members.

Jordan Peterson book tour coming to Ottawa

Controversial psychologist and self-help author Jordan Peterson is bringing his book tour to Ottawa’s largest indoor venue next month.

The former University of Toronto professor-turned-YouTube personality’s Beyond Order tour is stopping at the Canadian Tire Centre on Monday, Jan. 30.

Peterson rose to prominence in 2016 with a series of YouTube videos in which he spoke out against gender-neutral pronouns and Bill C-16, which banned discrimination against people based on gender identity.

His 2018 book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos has sold more than four million copies since it was published, according to a news release issued by the Canadian Tire Centre and promoter Live Nation. His follow up Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life , was released last year.

He retired last fall as a tenured professor at U of T, writing in the National Post that he believed equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives at the university created barriers for “supremely trained heterosexual white male graduate students.”

Peterson was suspended from Twitter last summer after violating Twitter’s hateful conduct policy by posting tweets targeting transgender actor Eliot Page. New Twitter owner Elon Musk reinstated Peterson’s account last month.

The Beyond Order tour featured nearly 100 stops this year in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. There are about 30 stops planned for next year so far.

Ottawa Top Stories

1 in critical condition after crash with OC Transpo bus in south Ottawa

Eastern Ontario could see up to 20 cm of snow Wednesday: Environment Canada

OPEN/CLOSED | Here's what is open and closed in Ottawa over the Easter weekend

Arnprior bowling alley, oldest in Canada, to be featured on HGTV renovation show

Cosplayers come out in droves for inauguration of Anime Ottawa

City of Brockville concerned about capacity for eclipse viewing

Hundreds of families enjoy the Easter long weekend in Ottawa

THINGS TO DO | What's happening in Ottawa this weekend: March 29-April 1

Ctvnews.ca top stories.

Video shows confrontation with Melanie Joly over Palestinian refugees

A video circulating on social media this weekend showed Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly in a tense confrontation about the Israel-Hamas war with a man on the street in Montreal.

Ontario man receives Guinness World Record for oldest person to receive kidney transplant

An elderly man living in the Greater Toronto Area has just been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to have ever received a kidney transplant.

'They have to be caught as soon as possible': Brampton road rage victim speaks out as police search for 4 suspects

The driver of the vehicle that was at the centre of the road rage incident in Brampton last week is speaking out about the 'scary' ordeal he, his wife, and her friend went though.

Benches clear after Cabrera, Caballero exchange words in Blue Jays' 5-1 loss to Rays

The game was delayed briefly when benches cleared at the end of the seventh inning, after Blue Jays reliever Génesis Cabrera exchanged words with Tampa Bay's José Caballero and shoved the shortstop, who had been tagged out at third base to end the inning.

How Beyonce answered Dolly Parton’s call and switched up the lyrics to 'Jolene'

During a 2022 interview with 'The Daily Show,' Parton was asked about the hundreds of cover versions of her 1973 country classic 'Jolene' and the one artist yet to record the song who Parton hoped would do so, Beyoncé.

Harvard says it's removed human skin from binding of 19th century book

Harvard University said it has removed human skin from the binding of a 19th century book about the afterlife that has been in its collections since the 1930s. The decision came after a review found ethical concerns with the book's origin and history.

Danielle Smith says she would consider changes to recall legislation

On Saturday's episode of her radio program Your Province Your Premier, Danielle Smith says she would consider changes to the province's recall legislation.

Chrystia Freeland stops by Toronto pharmacy to highlight drug coverage for diabetes and contraceptives in upcoming budget

Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Saturday that a federal plan that will cover most prescription contraceptives and diabetes medicine in Canada will be rolled out soon.

'Trying to steal back voters': Strategists weigh in on Liberal budget messaging plan

The Liberals are deploying a new pre-budget marketing strategy that will see most of the upcoming federal budget announced before it is actually tabled in the House of Commons on April 16.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.  Read about us.

Editor's Picks

There's a total solar eclipse coming up in canada, and here’s how to protect your eyes, 14 of the best interactive dog toys to stimulate your dog's mind, our guide to the best air purifiers in canada in 2024 (and where to get them), 19 amazon canada products that'll solve a bunch of your little problems, our guide to the best office chairs in canada in 2024 (and where to get them), 17 practical products for your garage you won't regret ordering, 19 foolproof mother's day gifts to order if you want to get your shopping done early, 15 awesome presents to give if you're tired of gift cards, 15 of the best wedding gifts to give if the couple doesn't have a registry, athena club has officially launched in canada, the best products for acne prone skin, from pimple patches to spot gels, 14 foot masks, creams, and other pedicure essentials that'll help you put your best foot forward.

Flooding at Halifax health-care facility leads to temporary reallocation of Recovery Support Centre space in Yarmouth

Services at the Recovery Support Centre at Yarmouth Regional Hospital, will be temporarily reallocated to open five inpatient mental health beds starting March 29, according to a news release by Nova Scotia Health.

UPEI students fundraising to bring medical help to Ghana

A group of Prince Edward Island students are looking to bring medical aid to disadvantaged communities a world away, for the third year in a row.

N.B. man dies following single-vehicle crash in Richibouctou-Village

A 40-year-old man from Richibouctou-Village, N.B., has died following a single-vehicle crash in the community on Thursday.

Youth seriously injured in North York shooting: police

A boy believed to be in his teens has been transported to hospital with serious injuries following a shooting in North York.

Fire destroys Quebec shrimp processing plant; investigation transferred to police

Quebec provincial police have taken over an investigation into an overnight fire at a shrimp processing plant in the town of Matane, roughly 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.

'Using art to talk about science': Montreal dance show explores flaws in cardiovascular system

Art and science beat in unison in a new show by Montreal choreographer Rhodnie Désir, who undertook a documentary process to create a production exploring the flaws of the heart and cardiovascular systems.

Northern Ontario

Where are the worst roads in northern Ontario?

From crumbling asphalt to potholes to poor signage, the annual Canadian Automobile Association's Worst Roads campaign to influence local and provincial governments to fix damaged and aging roadways is now open for voting.

Safety board releases findings in tragic helicopter death near Wawa last summer

The Transportation Safety Board has released its report into a fatal incident last summer near Wawa where ground crew member who got tangled in a helicopter tow line and died.

Pelee Islander II sets sail ahead of schedule

According to Pelee Island Mayor Cathy Miller, the vessels usually start sailing April 1, but this year, the Ministry of Transportation agreed to begin the season a little early to accommodate the holiday weekend.

Return of Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market rolls on despite light rain

While the weather may not have been ideal for the return of the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market (DWFM), visitors such as Caterina Augimeri didn’t find the light rain to be “too much of a deterrent.”

Car hits pole on Riverside Drive West

Windsor police responded to a crash on Riverside Drive West on Thursday night.

Claw hammer used as weapon in Sarnia assault: Police

Twenty-five stitches later and a Sarnia man is recovering after fight over illegal drugs, according to police.

One person recovering from gunshot wound after incident in London

One person is recovering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound after an incident in London Friday night. According to police, officers received a 911 call about a vehicle crash with gun shots fired in the area of Fiddlers Green Road and Oxford Street west.

Injuries non-life-threatening after single-vehicle rollover

Injuries have been reported as non-life-threatening after the driver of a vehicle was taken to a local trauma centre following a single--vehicle crash.

'This bike has been important to me': Ukrainian teen reunited with stolen bike thanks to local community

A 14-year-old from Ukraine has been reunited with his stolen bike thanks in part to the Norfolk County community.

PLAYOFF TRACKER | Kitchener wins first game in series with Erie

Kitchener Rangers playoff hockey is back.

'Only permanent form of loss prevention': Low-cost pet microchip clinic held in Guelph

The Guelph Humane Society is working to make the process of reuniting pets and owners a much easier task.

Bracebridge Memorial Arena officially closes

Residents in the town of Bracebridge said farewell to its Memorial Arena on Saturday, as it closed permanently.

SIU investigation underway in Orillia after incident

The SIU is investigating the circumstances surrounding the discharge of an anti-riot weapon in Orillia on Friday.

Easter extravaganza brings hundreds to Wasaga Beach

Wasaga Beach hosted its annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday.

Police, CPKC rail investigating after woman hit by train

Winnipeg police and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited railway are investigating after a 34-year-old woman was hit by a train in the Kildonan Crossing neighbourhood Saturday afternoon.

Winnipeg man and woman charged following gas station robbery

Winnipeg police have charged two people after a pair of gas station employees were robbed at knifepoint.

Mother arrested after infant dies of fentanyl exposure

Winnipeg police have arrested a 33-year-old woman after her son died from being exposed to fentanyl in late 2022.

Dog named 'Hero' kept stuck owner warm and safe from coyotes for 2 days: police

A dog named Hero lived up to his name earlier this week after spending two days by his stranded master's side, keeping his owner warm and even fending off coyotes while the man waited to be rescued from a muddy ditch in southern Alberta.

'Part of the history': Rivals for Alberta NDP leadership torn on federal party ties

What began as a race to pick a new leader for Alberta’s Opposition NDP has triggered a broader existential debate over why being provincially orange must automatically tie you to the federal brand.

RCMP Major Crimes investigating after man found dead east of Beaumont Friday morning

A man was found dead in a vehicle in Strathcona County east of Beaumont Friday morning.

Hundreds take part in Saturday egg hunt at historic Magrath Mansion

More than a thousand Edmontonians took advantage of the warmer weather Saturday at a historic egg hunt.

Al Rashid gives back with community BBQ for Ramadan

Volunteers helped work the grill Saturday at Boyle Street Plaza for the Taste of Ramadan.

Regina Fire and Police battle it out in first charity hockey game in 20 years

For the first time in 20 years, 1,200 hockey fans packed the Co-operators Centre Saturday for the ‘Battle of the Badges’ charity hockey game.

Sask. man charged with armed robbery

A Saskatchewan man is facing several charges after a robbery at a Regina business on Friday afternoon.

Feeling older than you are? It could be how you sleep

Not getting enough sleep may cause you to feel five to 10 years older than you really are, according to two new studies.

From hotrods to hotwheels: Draggins Car Show revs up the city

The much-anticipated Draggins Car Show made a roaring return this year, lining up over 240 cars from wall to wall across four different halls.

Saskatoon marks Good Friday with annual religious celebration

Good Friday in Saskatoon brought the Christian community out into the snow for the annual hallmark way of the cross prayer walk for the second time since the pandemic.

Sask. RCMP advising drivers to check road conditions before venturing out

As more snow dumps on some parts of the province, Saskatchewan RCMP is reporting poor road conditions.

BREAKING | Witnesses reports shots fired in downtown Vancouver

Police are responding to a major incident in downtown Vancouver, where witnesses have reported hearing several gunshots ring out.

Kelowna man shot dead inside his auto shop, family says

A man was fatally shot in Kelowna on Wednesday, according to his sister, during an incident Mounties had been tight-lipped about.

Fort Nelson ER closed for second Saturday in a row

The emergency department at Fort Nelson General Hospital, in B.C.’s far northeast, will be closed most of Saturday due to a shortage of nurses.

Vancouver Island

Saanich Peninsula chamber warns region will lose 27% of workers to 'discriminatory' housing policies

A Victoria-area business association says the region is at risk of losing more than a quarter of its workforce in the next 12 years unless local municipalities allow greater housing density to provide more affordable homes for workers.

Fisheries officials monitoring orphaned orca calf in lagoon off Vancouver Island

Efforts to coax an orphaned whale calf out of a lagoon off Vancouver Island have been paused and fisheries officials are now monitoring the animal from afar until the tidal situation improves, Fisheries and Oceans Canada says.

Leonardo DiCaprio criticizes Ottawa over B.C. salmon farms

Salmon farms have long been a point of contention between environmentalists and fish farmers in British Columbia, but a much bigger net is now being cast on the topic.

Security guard, bystander restrained suspect after Kelowna assault, RCMP say

A 49-year-old man has been charged with assault, uttering threats and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose after an incident in Kelowna Monday night.

B.C. court finds City of Vernon's arguments 'without merit' in case of 13-month licence delay

A B.C. judge has given the City of Vernon 14 days to make a decision on a business licence application it has left pending without explanation for more than a year.

Stay Connected

What Happened to Jordan Peterson?

Adored guru and reviled provocateur, he dropped out of sight. Now the irresistible ordeal of modern cultural celebrity has brought him back.

This article was published online on March 2, 2021.

O ne day in early 2020 , Jordan B. Peterson rose from the dead. The Canadian academic, then 57, had been placed in a nine-day coma by doctors in a Russian clinic, after becoming addicted to benzodiazepines, a class of drug that includes Xanax and Valium. The coma kept him unconscious as his body went through the terrible effects of withdrawal; he awoke strapped to the bed, having tried to rip out the catheters in his arms and leave the intensive-care unit.

When the story of his detox became public, in February 2020, it provided an answer to a mystery: Whatever happened to Jordan Peterson? In the three years before he disappeared from view in the summer of 2019, this formerly obscure psychology professor’s name had been a constant presence in op-ed columns, internet forums, and culture-war arguments. His book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos , published in 2018, sold millions of copies, and he had conducted a 160-city speaking tour, drawing crowds of up to 3,000 a night; premium tickets included the chance to be photographed with him. For $90, his website offered an online course to better understand your “unique personality.” An “official merchandise store” sold Peterson paraphernalia: mugs, stickers, posters, phone cases, tote bags. He had created an entirely new model of the public intellectual, halfway between Marcus Aurelius and Martha Stewart.

The price of these rewards was living in a maelstrom of other people’s opinions. Peterson was, depending on whom you believed, either a stern but kindly shepherd to a generation of lost young men, or a reactionary loudmouth whose ideas fueled the alt-right and a backlash to feminism. He was revered as a guru, condemned as a dangerous charlatan, adored and reviled by millions. Peterson has now returned to the public sphere, and the psyche-splitting ordeal of modern celebrity, with a new book, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life —an intriguing title, in light of his recent experiences. The mystery deepens: What really happened to Jordan Peterson, and why has he come back for more?

Growing up in Fairview, Alberta, Peterson was small for his age, which fostered both a quick wit and a fascination with the power and violence of traditional masculinity. He once recounted in a Facebook post how he’d overheard a neighbor named Tammy Roberts joking with another girl that she wanted to keep her surname, so she would have to marry “ some wimp .” Then she turned around and proposed to the teenage Jordan. He spent a youthful summer working on a railroad in Saskatchewan, with an all-male group that nicknamed him Howdy Doody, after the freckle-faced puppet. As a student, he visited a maximum-security prison, where he was particularly struck by a convict with a vicious scar right down his chest, which he surmised might have come from surgery or an ax wound: “The injury would have killed a lesser man, anyway—someone like me.”

How to be a greater man was very much on Peterson’s mind. Raised in a mildly Christian household, he decided as a teenager that “religion was for the ignorant, weak and superstitious.” He yearned for a left-wing revolution, an urge that lasted until he met some left-wing activists in college. Then, rejecting all ideology, he decided that the threat of the Cold War made it vital to understand the human impulse toward destruction. He began to study psychology.

Alongside pursuing his doctorate, teaching at Harvard and then the University of Toronto, and raising a family—he married Tammy in 1989, and yes, she took his surname—Peterson started work on his first book, a survey of the origins of belief. Its ambition was nothing less than to explain, well, everything—in essence, how the story of humanity has been shaped by humanity’s love of stories. Maps of Meaning , published in 1999, built on the work of academics like Joseph Campbell, the literature and religion scholar who argued that all mythic narratives are variations of a single archetypal quest. (Campbell’s “monomyth” inspired the arc of Star Wars .) On this “hero’s journey,” a young man sets out from his humdrum life, confronts monsters, resists temptation, stares into the abyss, and claims a great victory. Returning home with what Campbell calls “the power to bestow boons on his fellow men,” the hero can also claim the freedom to live at peace with himself.

In the fall of 2016, Peterson seized the chance to embark on his own quest. A Canadian Parliament bill called C-16 proposed adding “gender identity or expression” to the list of protected characteristics in the country’s Human Rights Act, alongside sex, race, religion, and so on. For Peterson, the bill was proof that the cultural left had captured public-policy making and was imposing its fashionable diktats by law. In a YouTube video titled “Professor Against Political Correctness,” he claimed that he could be brought before a government tribunal if he refused to use recently coined pronouns such as zhe . In the first of several appearances on Joe Rogan’s blockbuster podcast, he made clear that he was prepared to become a martyr for his principles, if necessary. His intensity won over Rogan—a former mixed-martial-arts commentator with a huge young male fan base and eclectic political views (a frequent critic of the left, he endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2020). “You are one of the very few academics,” Rogan told Peterson, “who have fought against some of these ideas that are not just being promoted but are being enforced.”

The fight over C-16, which became law in 2017, was a paradigmatic culture-war battle. Each side overstated the other side’s argument to bolster its own: Either you hated transgender people, or you hated free speech. In Peterson’s view, the bill exposed the larger agenda of postmodernism, which he portrayed as an ideology that, in denying the existence of objective truth, “leaves its practitioners without an ethic.” (This is not how theorists of postmodernism define it, and if you have a few hours to spare, do ask one of them to explain.) He was on the side of science and rationality, he proclaimed, and against identity politics. Feminists were wrong to argue that traditional gender roles were limiting and outdated, because centuries of evolution had turned men into strong, able providers and women into warm, emotionally sensitive nurturers. “The people who hold that our culture is an oppressive patriarchy, they don’t want to admit that the current hierarchy might be predicated on competence” is how he later phrased it. (This was during Donald Trump’s presidency.) The founding stories of the world’s great religions backed him up, as did the hero’s journey: It is men who fight monsters, while women are temptresses or helpmates.

The mainstream media began to pay attention. Peterson had posted some advice on the Q&A site Quora, which he turned into his second book, 12 Rules for Life , a mashup of folksy wisdom, evolutionary biology, and digressions on the evils of Soviet Communism. (His daughter, Mikhaila, is named after Mikhail Gorbachev.) It stresses the conservative principles of self-reliance and responsibility, encouraging readers to tidy their bedrooms and smarten themselves up to compete for female attention—a message reinforced by a questionable analogy involving lobsters, which fight by squirting urine from their faces to establish their place in the mating hierarchy. “Parents, universities and the elders of society have utterly failed to give many young men realistic and demanding practical wisdom on how to live,” David Brooks wrote in a New York Times column . “Peterson has filled the gap.” He offered self-help for a demographic that wouldn’t dream of reading Goop.

Yet the relentless demands of modern celebrity—more content, more access, more authenticity—were already tearing the psychologist’s public persona in two. One Peterson was the father figure beloved by the normie readers of 12 Rules , who stood in long lines to hear him speak and left touching messages on internet forums, testifying that he had turned their lives around. The other Peterson was a fearsome debater, the gladiator who crowed “Gotcha!” at the British television interviewer Cathy Newman after a series of testy exchanges about the gender pay gap and the freedom to give offense. His debates were clipped and remixed, then posted on YouTube with titles announcing that he had “DESTROYED” his interlocutors.

I know this because one of them was me: Our interview for British GQ , which has garnered more than 23 million views, is easily the most viral moment I’ve ever had. While dozens of acquaintances emailed and texted me to praise my performance and compare Peterson’s stern affect to Hannibal Lecter with a Ph.D., mean comments piled up like a snowdrift below the video itself. I was “biased and utterly intellectually bankrupt,” “dishonest and malicious,” and “like a petulant child who walked into an adult conversation.” What kind of man, several wondered, would marry a dumb, whiny, shrill feminist like this? (Quite a nice one, thanks for asking.)

Peterson lived in this split-screen reality all the time. Even as he basked in adoration, a thousand internet piranhas ripped through his every utterance, looking for evidence against him. One week, Bari Weiss anointed him a leading culture warrior, including him in a New York Times feature as a member of the “ Intellectual Dark Web .” Ten days later, the newspaper published a mocking profile of him , reporting that his house was decorated with Soviet propaganda and quoting him speculating about the benefits of “enforced monogamy” in controlling young men’s animal instincts. After he was accused of pining after Margaret Atwood’s Gilead, he quickly posted a note on his website arguing that he meant only the “social enforcement of monogamy.”

The negative publicity affected him deeply, and it was endless. After the Indian essayist Pankaj Mishra charged him with peddling “ fascist mysticism ,” Peterson tweeted that Mishra was an “arrogant, racist son of a bitch” and a “sanctimonious prick.” He added : “If you were in my room at the moment, I’d slap you happily.” Even sleep brought no relief. Peterson is a believer in dream analysis, and after one particularly ill-tempered interview in October 2018, he blogged about a nightmare that followed. In his dream, he met a man who “simply would not shut up.” The man reminded him, he wrote, of an acquaintance at university in Canada he calls Sam, who drove around in a Mercedes with swastikas on the doors, saying the worst things he could, unable to resist inviting attacks. “I can’t help myself,” Sam had told Peterson. “I have a target drawn on my back.” Eventually, at a party, Sam overstepped the line; he was about to be assaulted by a mob until another acquaintance “felled him with a single punch.” Peterson never saw Sam again. In his dream, the Sam-like man talked and talked and “finally pushed me beyond my limit of tolerance … I bent his wrists to force his knuckles into his mouth. His arms bent like rubber and, even though I managed the task, he did not stop babbling. I woke up.”

It is hard to resist reading the subtext like this: Peterson had spent months being casually described as a Nazi and associated with the alt-right, labels he always rejected. He had metaphorical swastikas on his car door. He couldn’t resist putting a target on his own back, and he, too, couldn’t stop talking. Indeed, in May 2019, after railing against left-wing censoriousness—now widely called “cancel culture”—he met with Viktor Orbán, the proudly illiberal prime minister of Hungary, whose government has closed gender-studies programs, waged a campaign to evict Central European University from the country , and harassed independent journalists. Orbán’s state-backed version of cancel culture—or, to use the correct word, authoritarianism— apparently didn’t come up in their meeting . Peterson had previously told an interviewer to describe politicians like Orbán not as “strongmen,” but as “dictator wannabes.” Nonetheless, the visit—and the posed photograph of the men in conversation, released to friendly media outlets—gave intellectual cover to Orbán’s repressive government.

All that time, the two Petersons were pulling away from each other. As the arguments over his message raged across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and traditional media, he became an avatar of our polarized media climate. People were consuming completely different Petersons, depending on their news sources. When I saw him on his speaking tour at a theater on Long Island, the first question he was asked was not about pronouns or the decline of Western civilization; it was When was the last time you got drunk? The second was a heartfelt plea that will be familiar to any new parent: How can I get my baby to sleep?

The past two years have clearly been hell for Peterson. In a June 2020 video interview with his daughter, he looked gaunt and restless as he described his struggle with drug dependency, a torment that he revisits in the “Overture” to Beyond Order , his new book. As he describes it, an allergic reaction during the 2016 Christmas holiday manifested as intense anxiety, leading his family doctor to prescribe benzodiazepines. He also started following what Mikhaila calls the “lion diet,” consuming only meat, salt, and water . In 2019, “the tumultuous reality of [being] a public figure” was exacerbated by a series of family health crises culminating in his wife’s diagnosis, in April, of what was thought to be terminal cancer. (She has since recovered.) Peterson—who notes that he had been plagued for years by “a tendency toward depression”—had his tranquilizer dosage upped, only to experience rising anxiety, followed by the ravages of attempted withdrawal. He was at the edge of the abyss—“anxiety far beyond what I had ever experienced, an uncontrollable restlessness and need to move … overwhelming thoughts of self-destruction, and the complete absence of any happiness whatsoever.”

Throughout this turbulent time, Peterson was working on Beyond Order . He makes no claims that his suffering provided a teachable moment (particularly, he notes, when a pandemic has upended lives everywhere). He also declines the opportunity to place his addiction in the context of the prescription-drug-abuse crisis. Peterson seems to have softened his disdain for religion, and as for Tammy, “passing so near to death motivated my wife to attend to some issues regarding her own spiritual and creative development.” Notably, Peterson is not ready to give up on the hero’s journey, despite the terror he has endured. “All of that misfortune is only the bitter half of the tale of existence,” he writes, “without taking note of the heroic element of redemption or the nobility of the human spirit requiring a certain responsibility to shoulder.”

This book is humbler than its predecessor, and more balanced between liberalism and conservatism—but it offers a similar blend of the highbrow and the banal. Readers get a few glimpses of the fiery online polemicist, but the Peterson of Beyond Order tends instead to two other modes. The first is a grounded clinician, describing his clients’ troubles and the tough-love counsel he gives them. The other is a stoned college freshman telling you that the Golden Snitch is, like, a metaphor for “ ‘round chaos’ … the initial container of the primordial element.” Some sentences beg to be prefaced with Dude , like these: “If Queen Elizabeth II suddenly turned into a giant fire-breathing lizard in the midst of one of her endless galas, a certain amount of consternation would be both appropriate and expected … But if it happens within the context of a story, then we accept it.” Reading Peterson the clinician can be illuminating; reading his mystic twin is like slogging through wet sand. His fans love the former; his critics mock the latter.

The prose swirls like mist, and his great insight appears to be little more than the unthreatening observation that life is complicated. (If the first book hadn’t been written like this too, you’d guess that he was trying to escape the butterfly pins of his harshest detractors.) After nearly 400 pages, we learn that married people should have sex at least once a week, that heat and pressure turn coal into diamonds, that having a social life is good for your mental health, and that, for a man in his 50s, Peterson knows a surprising amount about Quidditch. The chapter inviting readers to “make one room in your home as beautiful as possible” is typically discursive, but unusually enjoyable: Peterson knows his Wordsworth. (It is not free from weirdness, however. At one point, he claims to have looked at 1.2 million paintings on eBay while selecting his living-room decor.) His prose also lights up when he describes the wonder of watching his granddaughter encounter the world.

On the rare occasion that Beyond Order strays overtly into politics, Peterson still can’t resist fighting straw men. What Peterson sees as healthy ambition “needs to be encouraged in every possible manner,” he writes.

It is for this reason, among many others, that the increasingly reflexive identification of the striving of boys and men for victory with the “patriarchal tyranny” that hypothetically characterizes our modern, productive, and comparatively free societies is so stunningly counterproductive (and, it must be said, cruel: there is almost nothing worse than treating someone striving for competence as a tyrant in training).

But who is reflexively identifying all male ambition as innately harmful? If any mainstream feminist writers are in fact arguing that the West is a “patriarchal tyranny”—as opposed to simply a “patriarchy” or male-dominated society—he should do the reader the favor of citing them. Is he arguing with Gloria Steinem or princess_sparklehorse99 on Tumblr? A tenured professor should embrace academic rigor.

Peterson writes an entire chapter against ideologies—feminism, anti-capitalism, environmentalism, basically anything ending in ism —declaring that life is too complex to be described by such intellectual frameworks. Funny story: There’s an academic movement devoted to skepticism of grand historical narratives. It’s called … postmodernism. That chapter concludes by advising readers to put their own lives in order before trying to change the world. This is not only a rehash of one of the previous 12 rules—“Clean up your bedroom,” he writes, because fans love it when you play the hits—but also ferocious chutzpah coming from a man who was on a lecture tour well after he should have gone to rehab.

The Peterson of Beyond Order , that preacher of personal responsibility, dances around the question of whether his own behavior might have contributed to his breakdown. Was it really wise to agree to all those brutal interviews, drag himself to all those international speaking events, send all those tweets that set the internet on fire? Like a rock star spiraling into burnout, he was consumed by the pyramid scheme of fame, parceling himself out, faster and faster, to everyone who wanted a piece. Perhaps he didn’t want to let people down, and he loved to feel needed. Perhaps he enjoyed having an online army glorying in his triumphs and pursuing his enemies. In our frenzied media culture, can a hero ever return home victorious and resume his normal life, or does the lure of another adventure, another dragon to slay, another “lib” to “own” always call out to him?

Either way, he gazed into the culture-war abyss, and the abyss stared right back at him. He is every one of us who couldn’t resist that pointless Facebook argument, who felt the sugar rush of the self-righteous Twitter dunk, who exulted in the defeat of an opposing political tribe, or even an adjacent portion of our own. That kind of unhealthy behavior, furiously lashing out while knowing that counterattacks will follow, is a very modern form of self-harm. And yet in Beyond Order , the blame is placed solely on “the hypothetically safe but truly dangerous benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medication” he was prescribed by his family doctor. The book leaves you wishing that Peterson the tough therapist would ask hard questions of Peterson the public intellectual.

To imagine that Peterson is popular in spite of his contradictions and human frailties—the things that drive his critics mad—is a mistake: He is popular because of them. For a generation that has lost its faith in religion and politics, he is one of notably few prominent figures willing to confront the most fundamental questions of existence: What’s the point of being alive? What kind of personal journey endows our existence with meaning? He is, in many ways, countercultural. He doesn’t offer get-rich-quick schemes, or pickup techniques. He is not libertine or libertarian. He promises that life is a struggle, but that it is ultimately worthwhile.

Yet Peterson’s elevation to guru status has come at great personal cost, a cascade of suffering you wouldn’t wish on anybody. It has made him rich and famous, but not happy. “We compete for attention, personally, socially, and economically,” he writes in Beyond Order . “No currency has a value that exceeds it.” But attention is a perilous drug: The more we receive, the more we desire. It is the culture war’s greatest reward, yet it started Jordan Peterson on a journey that turned a respected but unknown professor into the man strapped into the Russian hospital bed, ripping the tubes from his arms, desperate for another fix.

​When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.