Behind the Bastards — “Peter Thiel and the Anti-Christ” (Part One)

Podcast: Behind the Bastards
Host: Robert Evans (with guest Sarah Marshall)
Release Date: November 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Robert Evans and guest Sarah Marshall embark on a deep dive into the obscure religious and philosophical obsessions of Peter Thiel, focusing especially on Thiel’s recent four-part lecture series about the Biblical Antichrist. The show explores the influence of fringe theology and fascist philosophers on Thiel’s worldview, the bizarre collective he’s inspired in Silicon Valley, and what these beliefs might mean about the tech billionaire’s priorities and sanity. The conversation weaves in incisive humor, historical context, and plenty of criticism, all while picking apart the underpinnings of power among American elites.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Bad Guys, Bizarre Realities, and “Michelle Remembers”

• The episode opens with playful banter (00:04–03:24) before shifting toward the recurring theme: why bad guys (like Peter Thiel) are more eternally fascinating than “good” historical figures.
• Sarah plugs her new CBC podcast, “The Devil You Know,” which concerns the Satanic Panic and its recurring influence.
  • Robert humorously notes that “Michelle Remembers” is a more important book for understanding America than “Kissinger’s Diplomacy.”
    • [Robert Evans, 04:03] "No, it’s Michelle Remembers. That’s the book you need to read if you want to understand how politics works in this country."

2. Introducing Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession (06:20–09:44)

• Evans connects the ongoing American attraction to fantasy and irrationality with Thiel’s own public crusades, noting his pivotal role in PayPal, Gawker’s destruction, and his mentorship of political figures like J.D. Vance.
• Episode’s Focus: Dissecting Thiel’s bizarre obsession with the biblical Antichrist and the philosophical stew it comes from.

3. Peter Thiel: From Dangerous Genius to Crackpot? (13:00–15:47)

• Evans admits re-evaluating Thiel’s reputation from “scarily intelligent and disciplined” to “maybe just out of his mind” after reviewing Thiel’s Antichrist lectures.
  • [Robert Evans, 13:34] "I may have overestimated his intelligence and cunning… I think he’s out of his mind in a way that’s made him less functional."
• Thiel’s fixation on the Antichrist is introduced as a case study in disordered thinking among the rich and powerful.

4. The Acts 17 Collective: Evangelizing Billionaires (15:47–28:55)

• Thiel’s lecture series was hosted by the Acts 17 Collective, inspired by a New Testament chapter where Paul tries to convince intellectual elites of Christianity in Athens.
• The group’s goal: Proselytize to Silicon Valley’s billionaires, not the poor/masses.
  • [Robert Evans, 27:41] "Acts 17 is like, we need to be proselytizing… not to the people Jesus talked to. But like the billionaires. We need to convert the billionaires."
• Sarah and Robert lampoon the group's attempt to both backronym their name and create a church based on affluent parties (26:33–37:27).
  • Memorable Quote: [Sarah Marshall, 36:52] "No wonder nobody likes white people."
• Their “church services” feature caviar bumps, DJs mixing Bible camp music, and, unforgettably, a 55-minute Thiel lecture at a birthday party.
  • [Robert Evans, 41:39] "Peter Thiel gets up spontaneously and… gave a 55 minute lecture on forgiveness and miracles."
• Critique: The group embraces an “upside-down” version of Christianity — a religion for the already powerful, which Robert calls “fundamentally heretical.”

5. Thiel’s Philosophical Influences: Girard, Schmitt, and Scapegoating (18:10–23:50, 46:55–50:41)

• Thiel’s philosophy is heavily inspired by:
  • René Girard: Belief that societies rely on scapegoating. While Girard advocated rejecting the scapegoat impulse, Thiel seems to see it as politically useful.
  • Carl Schmitt: Fascist legal theorist focused on how to subvert liberal democracy by exploiting borders/exclusion.
  • [Robert Evans, 20:27] "That's kind of the fundamental weak point that all liberal democracies have... the existence of a border is an opportunity to carve groups… out of the body politic."

6. Inside the Antichrist Lectures (52:01–98:08)

The Lectures’ Setting and Source Material

• The lectures drew on theologians and philosophers to build a new, billionaire-centric theology.
• Documentation comes from a banned attendee who published near-verbatim notes (52:04).

Thiel’s Scriptural Interpretations and Errors

• Thiel positions Daniel of the Old Testament as the “first historian”; Evans and Marshall thoroughly debunk this as both ahistorical and (potentially) ignorant of biblical scholarship (53:46–58:10).
  • [Sarah Marshall, 56:32] "The same way that Bunicula wasn’t actually written by a dog."
• Thiel interprets Daniel 12:4 as a prophecy that the end times will follow an increase in knowledge—using this leap as justification for much of his apocalyptic theorizing.

Antichrist, Progress, and Apocalypse

• Thiel recycles a familiar trope: “Technological progress has stalled except for information technology,” which Evans ridicules with hard evidence from medicine, auto safety, and more (85:52–89:50).
• Thiel’s core obsession: Progress is stuck, society is stagnant, only a brilliant tyrant (presumably with tech-guy solutions) can avert apocalypse.
• He twists Christian apocalypticism into personal self-insert fanfiction, taking a messianic role:
  • [Sarah Marshall, 73:50] "He’s made himself the main character of the Bible, which is... I can’t think of another person who’s managed to do that."
• Thiel ignores or dismisses that standard Christianity holds that apocalypse is inevitable and cannot be “stopped” by human means.

Universities, Fears, and Strawmen

• Evans points out Thiel’s illogical spread of blame—to universities (“professors only teach that things get better”), the non-existence of the Antichrist in modern thought (which polling blatantly disproves), and more (76:12–77:55).
• Multiple strawmen arguments, historical inaccuracies, and a tendency to conflate academic humility with intellectual weakness are frequent targets of mockery throughout.

On Tyrants, Dictatorship, and the Self-Insert Messiah Complex

• Thiel proposes a “dictator to stop the Antichrist”—a position Evans calls “deeply anti-Christian.”
• The hosts emphasize the dangerous trends among tech elites, where dissatisfaction, ego, and endless “unmet desires” lead to scapegoating and authoritarian yearnings, with Thiel as archetype (49:52–50:41).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Thiel’s Antichrist fixations:

  • [Robert Evans, 13:36] "I've become increasingly convinced that he's like unwell in a way that's leading him, that's made him less functional as a person. And I kind of think this Antichrist obsession is an example of that."

• On Silicon Valley Billionaire Church:

  • [Robert Evans, 27:41] "Acts 17 is like, we need to be proselytizing... not to the people Jesus talked to. But like the billionaires, we need to convert the billionaires."
  • [Sarah Marshall, 36:52] "No wonder nobody likes white people."

• On DJ Canvas and “Just Got Saved” Mixtape:

  • [Robert Evans, 41:14] "Who wouldn't want to get down with Peter Thiel and a bunch of venture capital guys."

• On Thiel’s Notion of “Stagnant” Science:

  • [Sarah Marshall, 87:32] "What does it matter if something advances? If you can't make exponential profits off it, who cares?"

• On The Antichrist and Tyranny:

  • [Robert Evans, 73:12] "Peter's whole idea: the Antichrist will come and bring about the end of days, but I also think it can be stopped. And that's not the religion, my dude."
  • [Sarah Marshall, 73:50] "He's made himself the main character of the Bible... [he's] writing self-insert Bible fan fiction."

• On Billionaire Dissatisfaction and Scapegoating:

  • [Robert Evans, 49:52] "For these guys, there's so little that they can really say. There's nothing above them... So they define, and honestly, most of the government is in their pocket... Instead, they pick the thing they can't control... the small number of people who get elected on progressive agendas. And those are the people... responsible for all the problems."

• On Picking the Antichrist:

  • [Robert Evans, 96:31] "Honestly, like, Peter Thiel’s not a bad pick. If you’re going with the more traditional view... I feel like Mr. Beast—very probable Antichrist."
  • [Sarah Marshall, 96:56] "Yeah, I can see it. There’s nothing behind his eyes. We can all agree on that, right?"

Important Segment Timestamps

• Show Begins, Friendship Chatter: 00:01–01:49
• Sarah's CBC show “The Devil You Know” Plug: 02:48–03:57
• “Michelle Remembers” and American Fantasies: 04:03–05:48
• Peter Thiel Intro and Gawker Recap: 06:20–09:44
• Acts 17 Collective, Party-Church for Billionaires: 15:47–28:55
• On Thiel’s Philosophical Pillars: 18:10–23:50, 46:55–50:41
• Who is Daniel in the Bible, and Why Does Thiel Care? 53:46–58:10
• Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Lectures Begin in Detail: 52:01–98:08
  • Thiel’s “Science Has Stopped” Rant: 85:52–89:50
  • On Antichrist, Apocalypse, and Self-Insert Theology: 73:12–74:13
  • Universities, Antichrist Polling, Strawmen: 76:12–77:55
• Who’s the Real Antichrist?: 96:31–97:15

Tone & Style

The episode is irreverent, deeply sarcastic, and intellectually rigorous beneath the banter. Sarah and Robert wield humor to expose the absurdity, arrogance, and dangers of tech-elite theology and reactionary politics, while providing robust historical and philosophical context for listeners unfamiliar with the topics.

For Listeners New to the Show

This episode is a signature Behind the Bastards blend of dark comedy and dense research, pulling no punches as it analyzes Peter Thiel’s slide from Silicon Valley kingmaker to would-be apocalyptic theocrat. Through their deconstruction of his Antichrist lectures and religious posturing, Evans and Marshall shine a light on the delusions and social pathologies at the top of America’s tech pyramid, and why these should concern us all.

Skip to part two for more on who Thiel thinks the Antichrist actually is… and more takedowns of billionaire self-insert theology.