Jordan Peterson’s comment on faith misses the mark

Twitter is a hellscape, though a necessary one. For free thought to flourish in the internet age, there must exist a virtual town hall in which disparate voices can interact unimpeded. To be sure, the forum is mostly a receptacle for rhetorical refuse, a virtual toilet for intellectual waste. But that’s a human problem, not a Twitter problem. Human history is marked by tribal hostility and stupidity. Twitter’s only sin is that it reveals history in real time.

But on occasion,
Twitter
is a venue for fascinating impromptu interactions between high-profile figures. The public was treated to such an event last week when Dr. Jordan Peterson, the conservative scholar who the New York Times recently described as the most influential thinker in the Western world, responded sharply to a tweet by Pope Francis.

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Of all the possible combinations of world figures to engage publicly on Twitter, Peterson and Francis comprise a compelling tandem, particularly for Christians. Both men serve as avatars for larger movements within the global church, and yet, both are enigmatic, holding views that defy easy ideological categorization. For instance, the nominally liberal Francis, who has staked much of his papacy on political causes such as environmentalism, is also passionately anti-abortion, having likened the act to
hiring a hitman
. And for his part, Peterson, who achieved intellectual stardom by deftly articulating conservative Christian values,
has signaled support
for gay marriage and same-sex parenting. And both men are largely adored by their respective tribes and despised by their enemies.

Sadly, the exchange lasted only two tweets: an initial comment by Francis and a response from Peterson. However, the interaction revealed plenty about the increasingly visible and growing chasm between progressive and traditionalist factions within religious thought.

“Social justice,” wrote Francis, “demands that we fight against the causes of poverty: inequality and the lack of labour, land, and lodging; against those who deny social and labour rights; and against the culture that leads to taking away the dignity of others.”

This is the sort of message that has won Francis the affection of both
Catholic
and secular progressives worldwide. But his conservative critics suggest that his tendency to wade into progressive politics comes at the expense of the church’s efforts to save souls through sound doctrine and right praise. They argue that his public comments on political matters, which are often confusing and unclear, have the effect of working against this goal. Francis’s
frequent criticism of free-market economics
especially rankles conservatives who
correctly assert
that capitalism has reduced poverty and inequality at an unprecedented clip over the past century. Peterson himself has said
precisely this
on multiple occasions.

So it was no surprise when he responded sharply to Francis’s tweet. “There is nothing Christian about social justice,” Peterson wrote. “Redemptive salvation is a matter of the individual soul.”

It is important to note that Peterson, whose Bible lecture series on YouTube has made him one of Christianity’s most effective advocates, has never claimed to be a Christian. In fact, he’s famously taken great pains to avoid saying whether or not he even believes in God. Regardless of his personal beliefs, Peterson’s work has been a boon to Christianity during a period of rapid decline of religiosity across Europe and the United States. It is not hyperbolic to suggest that he is the greatest living evangelist for a religion he doesn’t even claim.

But in this exchange, Peterson gets the facts wrong. And Francis, despite the anti-capitalist overtones that nettle his detractors, said nothing incorrect from a Christian perspective.

To say there is “nothing Christian about social justice” flies in the face of both Scripture, as well as sacred tradition, which has long reverenced followers of Christ who perform great works of charity. Anyone unsure about the veracity of Peterson’s comment should imagine the face of Mother Teresa upon hearing it. It’s safe to assume she’d be unimpressed.

However, Peterson’s comment is understandable given the tendency of progressive Christians to reduce their faith to
social justice
activism. Indeed, the primary concern of Christianity is redemptive salvation as accomplished through faith and cooperation with grace. When this aim is supplanted by anything else, matters quickly go awry. Progressive Christians often take up causes that run counter to spiritual salvation because they prioritize political beliefs over unity with God. This is but another form of idolatry, and like all the others, it yields bitter fruits.

Authentic social justice, on the other hand, which lifts up the lowly without defying a single letter of God’s law, is the natural earthly consequence of meaningful faith. Far from having nothing to do with Christianity, social justice is Christianity’s only logical end.

The spirit of Peterson’s response is well taken, but it remains technically inaccurate. I once read a book that warned against
imprecision in speech
. It remains a wise bit of advice.

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Peter Laffin is a contributor at the Washington Examiner and the founder of Crush the College Essay. His work has also appeared in RealClearPolitics, the Catholic Thing, the National Catholic Register, and the American Spectator.