Jordan Peterson Fatigue: When the Desert Well Turns Brackish

Jordan Peterson arrived on the scene during the cultural dusk of pre-woke chaos, when many of us were grasping for truth in a landscape flooded with censorship, self-worship, and secular ideologies.

Courtesy of Jubilee on YouTube

At a time when biblical clarity was scarce and platforms for thoughtful discourse were few, Peterson’s voice broke through. He didn’t merely make noise; he made sense to many people. For those thirsting in a cultural desert, his ideas—though not Christian—felt like cool water. 12 Rules for Life was almost offensively simple, and that’s precisely why it resonated: it brought folks back to the basics. Responsibility. Discipline. Meaning.

We knew he wasn’t a believer. He didn’t pretend to be. But in a world of intellectual and moral fog, his voice—albeit anchored in Jung, psychology, and tradition—cut cleaner than what the slum lords were offering. Many Christians drank from the Peterson Cistern. Maybe they were desperate, but there was little else on offer that challenged the prevailing narratives with such directness.

But time moved on, and other voices emerged—clearer voices, biblical ones. The darkness began to thin, and the gag order that muzzled truth was slowly lifted. As the body of Christ regained its voice, we realized we had better options. In that same time, Peterson seemed to change—or perhaps we changed. His tone grew irritable, erratic. What once sounded like precision now felt like posturing. He had always leaned heavily on Jungian constructs, but we tolerated it. We could discard the psychoanalytic sludge and keep the treasure. Yet now, even the treasure seemed tarnished.

Was it his shift toward the Daily Wire, whose affections for American interests are blurry at best. Was it his interview style, which transformed into long monologues masquerading as dialogue? It was no longer about seeking truth but showcasing brilliance—his own. The questions weren’t really questions anymore. They were openings for Peterson to climb onto his philosophical stage and perform.

Peterson began speaking the language of the faith without embracing its lordship. He is the classic culturalist—seduced by Christianity’s architecture but unwilling to bend the knee. He wants the ethics of Christ without the cross of Christ.

But where the cloth truly unraveled was with his relationship to Christianity. Once Christian-adjacent, Peterson slowly began speaking the language of the faith without embracing its lordship. He is the classic culturalist—seduced by Christianity’s architecture but unwilling to bend the knee. He wants the ethics of Christ without the cross of Christ. He speaks of God and Scripture as ideas to be tamed by intellect rather than a sovereign Person who demands worship. To Peterson, Christianity is the best philosophical answer, not the exclusive truth. That may impress the academy, but it doesn’t pass the test of faith.

This was made glaringly obvious in a recent YouTube event titled Surrounded (formerly 1 Christian Versus 20 Atheists). The debate turned disastrous for Peterson. Pressed on whether he was a Christian, he retreated into semantic gymnastics: “What do you mean by ‘Christian’?” “What do you mean by ‘believe’?” “What do you mean by ‘mean’?” He refused to answer plainly. He couldn’t. Because he won’t submit.

And when pressed further, Peterson revealed the underbelly of his intellectualism. He became defensive, arrogant, and condescending. His composure frayed. He was not engaging with the students; he was dismissing them. What was once a voice of clarity became a fog machine, spewing verbosity to dodge the very question he used to ask others: What is true?

Peterson was not engaging with the students; he was dismissing them. What was once a voice of clarity became a fog machine, spewing verbosity to dodge the very question he used to ask others: What is true?

The tragedy isn’t that Peterson is intelligent. Intelligence is a gift. The tragedy is that he is ensnared by it. He has intellectualized himself out of the kingdom. Like the rich young ruler who walked away sad because he had great possessions, Peterson walks away because he has great theories. He’s enamored with Christianity—but only as long as it bows to his brain. He wants the truth on his terms, not God’s.

Peterson is a smart man. But smart does not equal wise. He is dangerously influential, especially for believers who conflate clarity with truth. He is not a Christian. He has shown no desire to become one. And worse, he is on the edge of self-destruction—spiritually brittle, emotionally volatile, mentally unstable. He lives in the ivory tower of thought, parsing definitions while never arriving at the Truth that sets men free.

Peterson is on the edge of self-destruction—spiritually brittle, emotionally volatile, mentally unstable. He lives in the ivory tower of thought, parsing definitions while never arriving at the Truth that sets men free.

As Christians, we can no longer afford to sip from poisoned wells. Peterson helped for a season—maybe. Perhaps he was a voice in the wilderness that stirred us. But now that Christ’s voice is rising again in His people, we must return to the well that never runs dry. Peterson’s ideas, once useful—maybe, have become a hindrance. It’s time we recognize him not as a guide, but as a warning: intelligence without submission leads to ruin.

Peace,
Rick

For further study, several Scripture references and a detailed outline are available for personal reflection and group discussions.

Become a supporter of my work, and you will enable me to provide sound content on culture and politics from a bibliocentric perspective. Your support helps!

Bible Study: “When the Voice of Reason Becomes a Roar of Confusion — Discerning Jordan Peterson”

Theme: How Christians should discern the difference between truth that aligns with the Word of God and intellectualism that only mimics biblical wisdom. The study will explore the dangers of being seduced by philosophical clarity without spiritual regeneration, using the rise and regression of Jordan Peterson as a case study.