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Peter Thiel has been touring a series of talks on eschatology, the future of humanity and the antichrist, most recently at an event in the Vatican. Is there anything new to this or is it another periodic round of existential unease that tracks with global problems like war or energy crisis.

Elon Musk has been offering his secularized vision of the apocalypse and the escaton by suggesting escape to mars. Is this similar or fundamentally different from Thiel's vision.

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2026 4:33 pm Peter Thiel has been touring a series of talks on eschatology, the future of humanity and the antichrist, most recently at an event in the Vatican. Is there anything new to this or is it another periodic round of existential unease that tracks with global problems like war or energy crisis.

Elon Musk has been offering his secularized vision of the apocalypse and the escaton by suggesting escape to mars. Is this similar or fundamentally different from Thiel's vision.

Could you post a link or links to materials that cover or explain this stuff from Thiel? I've read bits and pieces here and there suggesting his mix of religion and tech and christian nationalism? are strange, weird, off-track, radical, revival!... etc etc. But I think most of what I've read comes from a secular perspective which tends to be hyper-sensitive to religiosity, etc. Is there anything out there that compares Thiel's views with basic Christian orthodoxy or even an Anabaptist perspective?

You know about as much of the actual content as do I, however judging by his interview I heard with Ross Douthat, I wouldn't expect him to hew very closely to scripture. For example he was stumped by the question "do you think humanity should survive?" He grew up in a charismatic church so he is versed in the symbolism and language of the end times though.

I think it is a part of Gods mercy that mankind doesn’t live as love as they used to.

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2026 4:33 pm Peter Thiel has been touring a series of talks on eschatology, the future of humanity and the antichrist, most recently at an event in the Vatican. Is there anything new to this or is it another periodic round of existential unease that tracks with global problems like war or energy crisis.

Thiel has an unusual eschatology: someone who gets in his way of creating AI the way he thinks we should is the antichrist, in his estimation, because AI is going to usher in some kind of societal level salvation.

Elon Musk has been offering his secularized vision of the apocalypse and the escaton by suggesting escape to mars. Is this similar or fundamentally different from Thiel's vision.

Fundamentally different as Elon Musk is not couching it in terms like calling anyone who opposes him the "antichrist" or claiming some kind of biblical basis or using biblical prophecy.

He is just building rocketships, electric cars, and so on.

R7ehr wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2026 8:14 pm I think it is a part of Gods mercy that mankind doesn’t live as love as they used to.

Did you mean to type "as long as"?

Are we in another age of formation for cult/non orthodox Christianity like the era that saw the introduction of Jehovah's witnesses, the Mormons and the Utopian collectivist cults?

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2026 4:33 pm Peter Thiel has been touring a series of talks on eschatology, the future of humanity and the antichrist, most recently at an event in the Vatican. Is there anything new to this or is it another periodic round of existential unease that tracks with global problems like war or energy crisis.

Elon Musk has been offering his secularized vision of the apocalypse and the escaton by suggesting escape to mars. Is this similar or fundamentally different from Thiel's vision.

If Musk is the 21st century Dr. Weston, Thiel would be Dick Devine.

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2026 9:37 pm Are we in another age of formation for cult/non orthodox Christianity like the era that saw the introduction of Jehovah's witnesses, the Mormons and the Utopian collectivist cults?

In other words “Are we a burned over Bible Belt” like upstate New York was after the second great awakening? Maybe.

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2026 9:37 pm Are we in another age of formation for cult/non orthodox Christianity like the era that saw the introduction of Jehovah's witnesses, the Mormons and the Utopian collectivist cults?

Highly doubtful. We are in an era of very little religiosity at all.

There is an increase of general paganism and superstition.