Why Silicon Valley Will Talk About The Antichrist-But the Church Won't

When a man like Peter Thiel announces a four-part lecture series on the Antichrist, it's not just another tech mogul musing about the future--it's a cultural moment. Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, investor in Facebook, and long-time power player in conservative politics, is no stranger to controversy. 

He's been at Trump's side as a trusted adviser, helping shape a recent executive order that critics warn opens the door to mass surveillance. He's a contrarian's contrarian: libertarian and conservative, gay and yet drawn to Christianity, immersed in Silicon Valley but increasingly fascinated by scripture.

Now, beginning September 15 at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club, Thiel will deliver four off-the-record lectures on the Antichrist--closed-door, no transcripts, no recordings. Organized by the Acts 17 Collective, the talks promise to explore the "theological and technological dimensions" of this apocalyptic figure, drawing on everyone from René Girard to Carl Schmitt.  

A major lecture series in Silicon Valley touching on prophecy, AI, and even the concept of an Antichrist figure sold out almost instantly. Tech leaders and cultural influencers are lining up to hear speculation about humanity’s end, yet the pews remain quiet.

And here's the question every Christian should be asking: Why is Peter Thiel talking about the Antichrist when so many pastors won't?

Thiel has always been fascinated by the intersection of faith, politics, and technology. In interviews, he has speculated that the Antichrist might rise to power not through brute force but by constant talk of peace and safety--language eerily familiar in a world teetering between global wars and technological upheaval.

Yet the secrecy of these lectures raises another layer of intrigue. Why keep them closed-door? Why not livestream them if the goal is spiritual exploration? The answer, perhaps, is that Thiel isn't trying to hold a Bible study. He's staging an intellectual salon, where theology, power, and politics are blurred. Some see it as honest searching; others, as elitism dressed up in religious language.

The Acts 17 Collective, the nonprofit behind the event, brands itself as "Acknowledging Christ in Technology and Society." It was co-founded by Michelle Stephens, who has explained that their mission is to create spaces for deep discussion among people who might never set foot in a traditional church. In many ways, Acts 17 reflects Silicon Valley's new fascination with Christianity--not as humble faith, but as a cultural and intellectual wellspring to be mined.

Thiel's religious inspirations are eclectic. René Girard, the French Catholic thinker, is his intellectual lodestar. Add Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift, Carl Schmitt, and John Henry Newman, and you get a strange mix: a blend of literature, philosophy, political theology, and fragments of Catholic and Protestant thought. But absent in this list is the plain, straightforward teaching of scripture.

And that's the problem. Thiel may be sincere, but sincerity does not equal orthodoxy. As many Christian observers have already warned, when theology is shaped more by philosophers than prophets, the result is often distorted.

Let's be blunt: it doesn't. Thiel is an openly gay man whose worldview is a hybrid of cultural Christianity, intellectual philosophy, and Silicon Valley futurism. That alone puts him at odds with historic Christian orthodoxy. Yet he speaks on the Antichrist--a figure central to eschatology--while countless pastors dodge the subject.

In one sense, it's commendable that Thiel is willing to ask these questions. But it also exposes the failure of the American church. Why are we letting a tech billionaire take the stage on biblical prophecy while pastors--the shepherds of God's people--remain silent?

This is the most stinging indictment. The reason Silicon Valley talks about the Antichrist while pulpits stay quiet isn't because the subject is unimportant. It's because the church has grown timid.

Many pastors don't preach on the Antichrist, not because scripture is unclear, but because they themselves don't know what they believe. Seminary trained them to doubt prophecy. Some dismiss Revelation as allegory. Others treat Daniel and Thessalonians as culturally irrelevant. In countless pulpits, prophecy is written off as "too divisive," "too speculative," or "not practical for everyday life."

The result? A generation of Christians starving for answers in an age of global chaos--and instead of hearing from their pastors, they hear from Peter Thiel.

Isn't it remarkable? The man who co-founded a surveillance giant like Palantir is willing to speculate on the Antichrist, while shepherds of God's people pretend the subject doesn't matter. Many churches, fearful of sensationalism, have abandoned eschatology altogether. The irony is devastating.

Thiel's lecture series is a flashing neon sign. It says: The world is interested in prophecy, even if the church is not.

Christians should not hand over the conversation about the Antichrist to billionaires, philosophers, or nonprofits mixing DJ parties with theology. If anything, this moment should awaken the church to reclaim the teaching of prophecy--not with wild speculation, but with biblical clarity.

We must discern motivation. Is Thiel trying to honor Christ, or is he reinterpreting Him through a Silicon Valley lens?

We must return to scripture. Not Girard, not Schmitt, not cultural Christianity. But Daniel, Paul, John, and Jesus' own words about the end of the age.

We must confront cowardice. Pastors who avoid prophecy out of fear or ignorance are failing their flocks.

The irony is almost unbearable. A gay billionaire, steeped in power politics and tech culture, is willing to wrestle with the Antichrist. Meanwhile, many churches either avoid prophecy altogether or sneer at those who take it seriously.

This moment demands a decision. Will the church continue to abdicate the prophetic conversation to Silicon Valley elites, or will pastors rediscover their courage to preach the whole counsel of God--including the parts about judgment, deception, and the return of Christ?

One thing is certain: if the pulpit remains silent, others will fill the void. And as Peter Thiel's lecture series shows, those voices will not always lead people closer to the truth.