Summarised by Centrist
Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel is drawing attention for a series of lectures on the Antichrist, which he frames as “political theology.”
Thiel is delivering a four-part closed-door lecture in San Francisco this month, following earlier talks at Oxford, Harvard, and the University of Austin. He has spoken publicly on the subject for years, including a June New York Times interview where he speculated on the Antichrist and suggested Greta Thunberg could be seen in that role.
His talks often combine scripture with the ideas of Carl Schmitt and René Girard. At Stanford in 2024 he described politics as “something like a scapegoating machine,” adding, “If … we have to find some random elderly woman and accuse her of witchcraft … this sort of thing doesn’t really work if you’re self-aware.” At Oxford in 2023 he said: “Perhaps we should fear the Antichrist, perhaps we should fear the one-world totalitarian state more than Armageddon.”
In January, Thiel called Donald Trump’s return to power an “apokálypsis” or unveiling, describing it as a chance to cleanse the nation’s “sins.” Critics note the irony of Thiel warning about apocalypse and surveillance while co-founding Palantir, a company named after an “all-seeing orb” in The Lord of the Rings that supplies data platforms to governments.
Historians say the Antichrist has long been a recurring theme in American politics. “The symbol of the Antichrist has played a surprisingly significant role in shaping Americans’ self-understanding,” wrote Robert Fuller, who cautioned that once opponents are framed in cosmic terms “there’s going to be no compromise.”
Commentators suggest Thiel’s approach highlights both the enduring appeal and the risks of apocalyptic rhetoric. Some see it as aligning with nationalist movements, while others question whether such language deepens political division.
