The Modern-Day Socrates: Jordan B. Peterson Conducts Socratic Seminar In New ‘Gospels’ Series

It’s a rare thing to witness history in the making. But there’s something revolutionary happening on DailyWire+, and history is unfolding in real time. 

In an era drowning in shallow hot takes and mindless cultural commentary, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson has gathered nine of the world’s most brilliant minds around a table to do what hasn’t been done since Socrates roamed the streets of ancient Athens: conduct a real-time exhibition of philosophical dialogue that will echo for years to come. Their subject matter? The New Testament Gospel accounts of The Holy Bible. 

But this isn’t an average Bible study. This isn’t even a typical Peterson lecture. This is something entirely different — a collision of intellect and spirit, of reason and faith, of skepticism and belief, all captured in vivid, full-color glory that the likes of ancient philosophers Aristotle and Plato could have only dreamed of preserving in their black-and-white texts.

WATCH ‘THE GOSPELS’ ON DAILYWIRE+

What sets these dialogues apart from all others is not just the caliber of minds in the room, though that alone is enough to warrant attention. It’s not even Peterson’s razor-sharp ability to cut through ideological noise straight to the marrow of meaning, though that, too, is on full display. No, what makes this series a once-in-millennia event is the raw authenticity of watching these men — from different faiths, different backgrounds, different philosophical frameworks — wrestle with the most profound questions of existence in real time, with every furrowed brow, every passionate gesture, every moment of revelation captured for posterity.

But here’s the kicker that separates Peterson from every other intellectual giant in history: While Socrates taught through questions, Nietzsche through proclamations, and Jung through abstract concepts, Peterson does something revolutionary — he shows us how to live his teachings out. His unwavering commitment to “practice what he preaches” isn’t born from self-righteous moralizing, but from a deep reverence for Truth coupled with an almost painful awareness of his own fallibility. It’s this combination — his raw, honest humanity paired with uncompromising intellectual rigor — that makes him a teacher of wisdom and also a guide through the chaos of our times.

In “The Gospels,” his third biblical series, we’re watching him do what he does best: help people. Not only individuals this time, but also an entire civilization teetering on the brink of meaninglessness.

When Nietzsche declared “God is dead,” he was not dropping a provocative soundbite in order to rile the religious. He was sounding an alarm that would echo through centuries — a warning that Peterson, perhaps alone among modern thinkers, has fully grasped in all its terrifying implications.

This is where Peterson’s genius truly shines. While religious ideologues dismiss Nietzsche as a mere atheist provocateur and secular academics reduce him to a philosophical curiosity, Peterson ventures deep into the psychological abyss to which Nietzsche was pointing. He both understands Nietzsche’s words and he feels the existential dread that prompted them, the emotional turbulence that birthed them, the profound cultural implications they herald.

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And this is exactly what makes “The Gospels” so much more than another biblical commentary. It’s Peterson’s answer to Nietzsche’s warning — not through academic argumentation or religious platitudes, but through a living demonstration of what it means to wrestle with the deepest questions of existence while maintaining an upward aim.

What started in Peterson’s clinical practice — helping individuals navigate their personal darkness — has exploded into something unprecedented in scope. His ability to translate complex psychological insights into practical wisdom has resonated far beyond the confines of his office, touching millions of lives across the globe.

But “The Gospels” takes Peterson’s positive impact to an entirely new level. Here, we’re not just watching a clinician help individuals; we’re watching a cultural physician diagnose and treat the spiritual malaise of our entire civilization. The conversations around that table — raw, profound, often contentious — aren’t just academic exercises. They’re real-time attempts to resurrect meaning in a world that has lost its way.

Each episode builds on what Peterson has been doing his entire career: showing people how to voluntarily pick up their crosses, face the chaos of existence, and transform it into a life deemed worthy to live in spite of suffering. But now, instead of simply telling us about these principles, we have the opportunity to watch as nine brilliant minds, including Peterson himself, actually engage in this process. It’s one thing to read about wrestling with angels; it’s another thing entirely to watch it happen.

Quite obvious is the fact the cast is not diverse in race or sex; however, diversity is undeniably present. What makes these conversations so electric is the clash of worldviews, the collision of different ways of knowing, and the interplay of faith and doubt. 

When a Catholic Bishop’s certainty meets a cognitive scientist’s skepticism, when a Jewish scholar’s ancient wisdom confronts a modern screenwriter’s narrative instincts, we get something more than superficial diversity. We get genuine dialogue across the deepest divides in human understanding.

“The Gospels” is nothing less than history in the making. While Socrates had Plato to record his dialogues, we are limited to reading his words on paper. And though Peterson has an advantage over Socrates with a film crew to record his dialogues, he captures much more than conversations through a different medium: He captures the human experience of grappling with ultimate truth as it occurs.

Every raised eyebrow, every passionate interjection, every moment of profound realization —  “The Gospels” documents it all, preserved in high definition for future generations. More than just a series of conversations about the Bible, “The Gospels” is a testament to what happens when brilliant minds come together to seriously wrestle with the most fundamental questions of human existence.

Is it worth watching? That depends on whether you believe civilization is worth saving. That depends on whether you think the meaning crisis of our age needs addressing. That depends on whether you’re willing to engage with ideas that might shake you to your core.

Peterson would say you’re worth saving. He’s spent his entire career proving it. And now, with “The Gospels,” he’s showing us exactly how that salvation can willingly come about. But salvation does not come through easy answers or comforting platitudes. Salvation comes through the hard work of genuine engagement with the deepest truths we know.

In an age of artificial intelligence, shallow entertainment, and endless distraction, Peterson and his companions are doing something radical: They’re thinking, deeply and seriously, about what matters most. And they’re inviting us all to join them in that dying but necessary act.

The ancient Greeks had their agora. We have “The Gospels.” The question is: Are we willing to listen?