I already know it’s unwise to state this on the internet, but what the hell – I’m angry with Jordan Peterson. I’m angry because he inflicted a virtually unreadable 505-page book about God upon the world; I’m angry because I was forced to attempt to read it; and I’m angry because I now have a splitting headache and, worse, a head full of verbose sophistry and stupid misogyny from a Russell Brand-style big-word spouter, dolled up in the robes of a would-be St Augustine.
“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 Jordan Peterson through the greatest stories ever told. Dare to wrestle with God.”
So reads the self-aggrandising press release that accompanies We Who Wrestle with God, Peterson’s new, hefty doorstopper that’s as lofty in ambition as it is impenetrable to the casual reader. A lesson, if ever there was one, in overpromising and underdelivering.
I’ll say this for the wildly divisive pop-psych “public intellectual” who switched from lecturing to making obscene amounts of money telling young men to “straighten up and fly right” on YouTube: he’s not afraid to aim high. There could scarcely be a more formidable topic to tackle than that of the Creator Himself.
Denne historien er fra November 19, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 19, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tyson's another long-since faded fighter who just can't take retirement lying down
On Friday night in Texas, Mike Tyson joined a sad list of men behaving badly in a dangerous sport and he’s not bothered.
Stellar interim job may give Carsley future England shot
Eight debuts, five wins and one regret managing senior side
Late goal gifts Scotland Nations League lifeline
Andy Robertson marked his 80th cap with a sensational stoppage-time winner in Poland to keep Scotland’s hopes alive of staying in the top level of the UEFA Nations League.
Energy bills expected to rise again in the new year
Energy bills could be hiked yet again from 1 January as rising wholesale costs push up prices for households.
THAT'LL BE THE DEITY
Pop psychology superstar Jordan Peterson feels it's high time his voice was heard on the most grandiose of subjects: God. The power of Christ compels Helen Coffey to ask: why?
Queer villains are a cliche we should have moved past
Denzel Washington’s sly bisexual villain is a delight to behold in Gladiator II’, writes Louis Chilton. But when combined with two androgynous tyrants, a troubling trope emerges
The farmers' tax could be a pig in a poke for the country
With the agriculture sector warning the new tax will send us sleepwalking into a food shortage’, Zoé Beaty looks at the reality of an industry in crisis and how we may all pay a price
Trump's tariffs would lower our food standards but we may just have to stomach it
As if the dire predictions for Trump’s second term weren’t scary enough, the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) has now warned that The Donald’s 20 per cent tariff plan could reduce the UK economy by 0.9 per cent by the end of his administration.
It's not yet World War Three but 'World War Z' has begun
Time was when optimists responded to the imminence of world war with a cocky: \"It'll all be over by Christmas...\"
Australian senator says she will heckle the King again
Australian senator Lidia Thorpe tore up a copy of a motion censuring her for protesting against King Charles during his October visit when she accused him of genocide against Indigenous people.
