The Psychological Significance of the Biblical Stories

Anyone who watches this crud and doesn't realise that their time would have been better spent rubbing broken glass into their eyes is an idiot.

He had a series of lectures about religion that I thought were exceptional, and, honestly, religion appeals to the historian in me. They weren't something that I would take as factual, but in essence I believe they were true, at least true to perceptions, even if his history was a but off.

However, he relied a bit too much on psychology and, I've never been a firm believer in that as a hard science. Despite that, his series on religion went beyond Fear and Trembling, or at least brought what Kierkegaard was attempting to do to a more modern and grounded take on psychology and religion.

Which made it an absolute pleasure to watch, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of like it.

That being said, don't take this as a glowing recommendation. If you are into history and religion, you will love this, if you're not it will probably put you to sleep. It certainly has a limited audience and lacks real entertainment flair.

This is a rigorous, difficult, dramatic, and often humorous psychological inspection of what is arguably the most well-known book ever written. Dr. Jordan Peterson analyzes the first book of the Bible in a way many people have never encountered before, incorporating modern psychological understandings, citing specific studies, texts, and brilliant researchers, and offering his own intelligent interpretations that propel the lessons and warnings of this book into the modern world.

I have always been shaky with my faith, constantly teetering between a sense of apathetic nihilism and an inherent urge to believe in something greater than what can simply be measured and observed. But I had never come across anything that had convinced me that either of those stances were more worthwhile. I had even gotten to the point where I arrogantly thought the Bible was nothing but a violent and immoral book for weak-minded people.

Dr. Peterson, through this series and after multiple viewings, has thoroughly convinced me that despite what my ultimate beliefs may be about the existence of a god or the absolute truth of the Bible's writings, the path of apathetic nihilism is among the most dangerous and hopeless that one could possibly imagine. He has also convinced me that I was absolutely wrong about the Bible. I could go on about that, but that would take far more writing that I'm willing to commit in this review. You'll simply have to watch the series.

I am still not sure what my beliefs are, and it may take my entire life to figure them out, but Dr. Jordan Peterson has absolutely changed my view of the world, the Bible, and religious belief in general through these talks. I will be watching them again.