Before Christmas I met a young man in California who said, with a joyful smile on his face, “I’m a revert. I came back to my Catholic faith last year.”

“Wonderful” I said, “What brought you back?”

“Listening to Jordan Peterson.”

It is interesting how God uses laymen as evangelists. In the mid twentieth century Lewis, through his books and his broadcasts on the BBC and his lectures, debates and public talks, reached thousands, and in the years since then, has reached millions.

Jordan Peterson is doing much the same thing. What’s the trick? Why the popularity and success?

I think it depends on various factors. First is the message. Both men speak common sense. They say their piece and people respond positively because they recognize the simple truth at the heart of the message.

Second, they speak with an air of authority. Lewis and Peterson both “know what they’re talking about”. They are confident in the message and speak truth with clarity and charity. This radiates the authority that lies behind their message.

Third, they are very intelligent men with genuine communication skills fused with enthusiasm for their subject.

Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, they are not burdened with the weight of ordination. Lewis was an Oxford Don. Peterson a college professor and psychologist. In mid century England there were few public intellectuals more respected than Oxford dons. In our time the psychologist is the man of wisdom and insight while the clergy are–to the popular mind–too often regarded as incompetent buffoons, inarticulate, superstitious, domineering autocrats who probably also have their hands in the cookie jar, the piggy bank or someone’s pants.

As professors–literature and psychology– they have a depth of wisdom and the ability to communicate to a mass of people who have come to dislike and distrust the official representatives of religion.

They “evangelize” simply by speaking the truth, and as such they bring many to the threshold of the church.

When we’re analyzing the reasons for people’s response of faith we need to pay attention to what men like Lewis and Peterson do and learn from them.