Jordan Peterson Previews New Book, ‘We Who Wrestle With God,’ On Ben Shapiro ‘Sunday Special’

Renowned psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson discussed his upcoming book exploring biblical narratives and defended his views on the virtues of sacrifice and truth-telling during an appearance on “The Ben Shapiro Show Sunday Special.”

Peterson sat down with Shapiro after the two influential voices explored Jerusalem in the new DailyWire+ series from Peterson, “Foundations of the West,” which goes through the profound legacies of Western civilizations and their lasting impact on the modern world.

During his discussion with Shapiro on the “Sunday Special,” Peterson discussed his upcoming book, “We Who Wrestle With God,” which explores the Biblical accounts of rebellion, sacrifice, suffering, and triumph that stabilize, inspire, and unite humankind culturally and psychologically. He told Shapiro that the book aims to demonstrate that “community is based on sacrifice” and that the human relationship to existence is fundamentally a relationship with the divine.

WATCH THE FULL ‘BEN SHAPIRO SHOW SUNDAY SPECIAL’ WITH JORDAN PETERSON

Peterson argued that his analysis shows “there isn’t anything more dangerous that you can do” than refusing to follow your conscience and “divine command,” even if speaking up seems risky. “There’s nothing better possible than what will happen to you if you tell the truth,” he stated, calling this a core “axiom of religious faith.”

The psychologist said he tested the book’s ideas on speaking tours with various intellectuals to see if they could be “destroyed” or if there were flaws he had missed. “I couldn’t break it,” Peterson claimed, expressing excitement about the project’s potential impact.

“We Who Wrestle With God” aims to demonstrate the enduring relevance of biblical narratives to modern life and explore fundamental questions about the nature of existence, sacrifice, and truth-telling. The book examines several key Old Testament stories, including Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac, which Peterson views as illustrating the necessity of metaphorically “offering” one’s children to what is highest in life. He argues this demonstrates the sacrificial nature of good parenting and community.

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“Do you offer your children up to what is highest or not? And the answer to that is, well, if you’re a good parent, you offer your children up to what’s highest,” Peterson said. “You don’t overprotect them. You don’t over-shelter them. You put them out into the world. You have them confront the catastrophic chaos of reality and you orient them towards what’s highest.”

Peterson also analyzes the story of Jonah, which he sees as highlighting the dangers of ignoring one’s conscience and divine calling, even when speaking truth appears perilous. He contends the story shows that “remaining silent in the face of a divine command is even more dangerous” than the potential worldly consequences of truth-telling.

Throughout the book, Peterson aims to bridge theological and scientific understandings, arguing that biblical wisdom can be justified from both spiritual and materialist perspectives. He expresses hope that his analysis will challenge popular atheist critiques of religion.