CV workshop on Jordan Peterson with Sarah de Nordwall

Catholic Voices Academy presents a workshop day with Sarah de Nordwall to explore the continuing phenomenon that is Jordan Peterson at Mount Street Jesuit Centre this Saturday 7 December.

Background

"My story must Win" - a quotation from the film the Rise of Jordan Peterson

Why is Jordan Peterson so desperate for his story to win and why are tens of millions flocking to hear his interpretations of the Bible? Why do young men stop you on the tube, anxious to talk, just because you are reading a copy of 'Twelve Rules for Life - Antidotes to Chaos'?

Why is there not even and inch of standing room at venues across the globe to hear a talk by a Psychology Professor from Toronto, even though his fellowship at Cambridge University was withdrawn this summer by academics in the Divinity department?

"People are starving for a real conversation about responsibility and meaning"

In a world alarmed by the rising suicide rates for young people, Jordan Peterson is motivating young and old to believe that their lives matter, that individual responsibility taken seriously can change not only your own world, but contribute to saving millions from the tyranny of despots and the ideological possession that prevents all meaningful communication between people.

He has aroused the ire of thousands by re-rooting Gender in biology and the long story of evolution and refusing to cede to the 'compelled speech' of pronouns forced upon him by governments. His book, Maps of Meaning and his course on the Bible has inspired hardened atheists to take the idea of God seriously and even to consider the possibility that Christ and His Sacrifice is the foundation of Western Civilisation.

Despite the common ground with Christianity, he doesn't claim to actually believe in God, as that would somehow mean having to live up to His impossible standards. So he chooses to 'act as if God exists'. He is powerfully influenced by Nietzsche who was a savage critic of Christianity and who believed in "overcoming" as the key to potency in the world.

So does Jordan Peterson really have something to offer Christians?

What does the Gospel have to offer to Jordan Peterson and those who are motivated by him?

FROM JORDAN TO JESUS

An Exploration in Three Acts

This is a workshop day in Three Acts, open to Christians wanting to share and explore the impact of the Gospel. It is also open to those who are passionate about Jordan Peterson's message or perhaps even alarmed by aspects of it, who want to discuss and research together how the ideal of civilised conversation can be restored.

There will be three sessions in the day - Three Acts because one of the key ideas that Jordan proposes is that the ancients saw life as a drama with moral content, not as a world of objects. And so our day seeks to enter that drama.

ACT ONE | The Gifts of Jordan Peterson

The Insights and Passions of Jordan Peterson - What he is offering the world today and where he roots his ideas (Jung, Evolutionary Biology, 'the psychological literature', history, philosophy, literature)

45 minute introduction followed by a sharing in groups of our Favourite Jordan Peterson Nuggets - the things we don't want to leave behind. Our favoured 'Antidotes to Chaos'.

ACT TWO | The Gifts of the Gospel

Is Jordan Peterson dangerous - leading people into a new kind of religion without faith, a pelagian or stoic worldview in which 'life is a catastrophe' but we simply survive it or prevent it from becoming worse by our courageous actions in the face of inevitable tragedy?

What would we want to offer to Jordan Peterson and to his fans - is there more than the vitalising experience of the psychological benefits of walking the border between chaos and order?

"For the Taoists meaning is to be found on the border between the ever entwined pair. To walk that border is to say on the path of life, the divine Way. And that's much better than happiness" Jordan Peterson

What does the Gospel say about freedom and grace, male and female, powerlessness and virtue, personal responsibility and collective responsibility, destiny and the meaning of individual actions?

ACT THREE | Our Gifts for the World

In the light of what we have been exploring, what do we practically need to do differently or newly in the presentation of the Gospel and in the tackling of the problematic trends in society that he has highlighted?-

The event is free of charge but to confirm your attendance you must order a ticket through Eventbrite.

For any questions or more information please get in contact by emailing: info@catholicvoices.org.uk

- During the day the organisers will also be gathering your reflections for a podcast. It will be especially interesting to gather the ideas that flow from Act Three in the light of a day of listening and conversation with those who will doubtless have a range of differing view points.

From Jordan to Jesus
Saturday, 7 December 2019 11am - 3pm
Mount Street Jesuit Centre
114 Mount Street
London
W1K 3AY

Book your free ticket here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cv-academy-from-jordan-to-jesus-tickets-84011920917