We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine

Peterson’s popularity as an author has been linked to the existence of a “crisis of meaning” in contemporary Western societies. This crisis has in turn been related to a decline in traditional religious and social structures, growing alienation and isolation, and the rise of postmodern and relativist philosophies. Peterson’s books and speeches are part of a larger reaction to this perceived crisis, from a variety of ideological perspectives.

Since his first book, Maps of Meaning, Peterson has pitched his works as an antidote to the meaning crisis, emphasizing the need for stable values, a sense of purpose, and order. In particular, Peterson sees the stories of the Bible as embodying ideas and values that can solve the crisis of meaning. For example, in We Who Wrestle With God, Peterson interprets the story of Noah as indicating the dangers of ignoring traditional wisdom in favor of “mere fads of consensus” (161), with the flood symbolizing a disaster that is unleashed when morality is rejected. The story of Babel, in Peterson’s interpretation, symbolically enacts the crisis of meaning by depicting an arrogant society that builds a tower to heaven only to have its language disintegrate.

For Peterson, biblical literacy can solve the meaning crisis because the Bible forms the foundation of Western thought and civilization.