Thiel Lectures in Rome on Antichrist and Global Challenges

Peter Thiel, the American billionaire venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, began a series of private lectures in Rome on Sunday, focusing on the biblical concept of the Antichrist and its relevance to contemporary global challenges. The invitation-only event, which continues through Wednesday, remains closed to the press, and its exact location has not been revealed. Organizers described participants as coming from fields including academia, technology, and religion.

The lectures build on Thiel's previous discussions of apocalyptic themes, including a similar four-part series he delivered in San Francisco last year. In those talks and in writings, such as a November essay in the Catholic magazine First Things, Thiel has explored how the Antichrist, depicted in Christian tradition as a figure opposing Christ, might manifest in modern times. He has expressed concerns that such a figure could promise solutions to existential threats like nuclear war, artificial intelligence risks, or climate disasters, potentially leading to a unified global government. Invitations for the Rome event indicate that Thiel's presentations draw on thinkers including...