Episode Overview

Title: Is Christianity Anti-Calvinist? Theologian Responds to Peter Thiel and Ross Douthat
Host: Michael Horton
Date: October 14, 2025

This episode of "Know What You Believe" features Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez exploring a provocative conversation between New York Times columnist Ross Douthat and tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, taken from Douthat's "Interesting Times" podcast. The focus is on Christianity’s relationship to technology, transhumanism, human nature, and—most pointedly—the perennial debate about Calvinism and God's sovereignty. Through thoughtful engagement, the hosts assess the claims of Thiel and Douthat regarding the transformation of humanity, the role of God in history, and the nature of Christian hope.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Transhumanism, Technology & Radical Transformation

• Transhumanism’s Aspirations:
  Thiel describes the transhumanist desire as a “radical transformation where your human natural body gets transformed into an immortal body... We want you to be able to change your heart and change your mind and change your whole body” (03:11).
  He contrasts this with Christianity, suggesting that Christianity is even more radical—requiring not just bodily but also spiritual transformation.

• Christian Response:
  Adriel Sanchez pushes back, underscoring the difference: “It’s actually more beautiful because what happens is the same body that dies and decays will be raised. It’s not that we ever transcend our bodies... Our bodies will be transformed. We are body, soul unities.” (03:14)

• Critique of Transhumanism & Gnosticism:
  Adriel notes: “Transhumanism really comes close to the ancient Gnostic heresy in denying that you…” (03:55), drawing a historical and theological parallel.

2. Human Nature & the Idea of “Transcending Nature”

• Thiel’s Thesis:
  Thiel claims, “I think the word nature does not occur once in the Old Testament. And so it is about transcending nature. It is about overcoming things. And the closest thing you can say to nature is that people are fallen.” (04:53)

• Christian Counterpoint:
  Adriel Sanchez challenges this, stating, “Too often we start with human nature being fallen and not with human nature as good, essentially from the hand of the Creator... God didn’t create us to overcome nature. He created us with a particular nature, to care for nature, to be part of nature, to serve nature, to steward nature.” (05:08)

  Notable quote:

  • Adriel Sanchez: “This pitting of humanity against nature is very much of the transsexual, transgender, transhumanist outlook, it seems. And all of it again, going back to... ancient Gnosticism.” (06:47)

3. Eschatology: Antichrist, Armageddon, and One World Government

• Thiel’s Apocalyptic Framing:
  Thiel frames existential risk through an end-times lens: “The default political solution people have for all these existential risks is one world governance... The atheist philosophical framing is one world or none... The Christian framing... is Antichrist or Armageddon? You have the one world state of the Antichrist or... we’re sleepwalking towards Armageddon.” (08:28)

• Hosts’ Analysis:
  Adriel remarks on the familiarity of this eschatology: “That was a very popular thing, not just in the John Birch Society, but in much of the evangelical dispensationalism I was raised in... Think of Left Behind if you’ve ever seen that movie at a summer camp. That seems to be Peter Thiel’s baseline assumption...” (09:43)

• Thiel’s Critique of Apocalyptic Narratives:
  He points out a “plot hole” in the Antichrist narrative, questioning how global control could occur, and suggesting, “The way the Antichrist would take over the world is you talk about Armageddon nonstop. You talk about existential risk nonstop. And this is what you need to regulate.” (11:08)
  Striking moment:

  • Thiel: “In the 17th century... I can imagine a Dr. Strangelove, Edward Teller type person... In our world, it’s far more likely to be Greta Thunberg.” (12:00)

4. The Sovereignty of God: Calvinism vs. Christian Doctrine

• Thiel’s ‘Anti-Calvinist’ Stance:
  Thiel is cautious about attributing too much causality to God: “Attributing too much causation to God is always a problem... The Christian view is anti-Calvinist. God is not behind history. God is not causing everything. If you say God's causing everything, then...” (13:14)

• Ross Douthat’s Intervention:
  Douthat responds: “That’s not Calvinism, though. That's just Christianity.” (13:29)

• Adriel’s Clarification:
  Adriel clarifies: “There are just these doctrines that Christianity, Christians have historically believed. It's called Calvinism, now dismissed as Calvinism, like it's some weird branch... This is just Christianity. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. God wouldn’t leave the world to destruction. Humans don’t have that kind of sovereignty, that kind of power to destroy themselves. God loves the world too much to let us do that.” (13:33)

5. Human Freedom, Hope, and Christian Agency

• Room for Human Freedom:
  Thiel maintains: “There’s a great deal of scope for human action, for human freedom. If I thought these things were deterministic... You should just have some yoga and prayerful meditation and wait while the lions eat you up. And I don’t think that's what you're supposed to do.” (14:28)

• Hopeful Action:
  Douthat: “In trying to resist the Antichrist, using your human freedom, you should have hope that you'll succeed. Right.” (14:53)

• Adriel’s Theological Synthesis:
  Adriel sums up: “The fact that these are our two choices actually shows what human beings are capable of by their own free will. But the cross of Christ represents what is possible when God rolls up his sleeves.” (15:11)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Peter Thiel on Transhumanism vs. Christianity:
  “Transhumanism is just changing your body, but you also need to transform your Soul.” (03:14)

• Adriel Sanchez on Resurrection:
  “It’s actually more beautiful because what happens is the same body that dies and decays will be raised. It’s not that we ever transcend our bodies... Our bodies will be transformed.” (03:14)

• Peter Thiel on Human Nature and Fallenness:
  “I think the word nature does not occur once in the Old Testament. And so it is about transcending nature... The closest thing you can say to nature is that people are fallen.” (04:53)

• Adriel Sanchez on Creation:
  “God didn’t create us to overcome nature. He created us with a particular nature, to care for nature, to be part of nature, to serve nature, to steward nature.” (05:08)

• Peter Thiel’s End Times Binary:
  “The Christian framing, which in some ways is the same question, is Antichrist or Armageddon? You have the one world state of the Antichrist or... Armageddon.” (09:43)

• Adriel Sanchez on Calvinism and Christianity:
  “Calvinism, now dismissed... like it’s some weird branch... This is just Christianity. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” (13:33)

• Thiel on Human Agency:
  “If I thought these things were deterministic, you might as well, you know... just have some yoga and prayerful meditation and wait while the lions eat you up.” (14:28)

• Adriel Sanchez on Redemptive Possibility:
  “But the cross of Christ represents what is possible when God rolls up his sleeves.” (15:11)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:19] Introduction to Douthat-Thiel dialogue
• [02:40–03:58] Thiel & Sanchez on transhumanism, resurrection, and Gnosticism
• [05:08–06:47] Human nature, creation, and critique of contemporary anthropologies
• [08:21–09:43] Thiel on Antichrist, Armageddon, and world government
• [13:11–14:19] “Anti-Calvinist” vs. historic Christianity on the sovereignty of God
• [14:28–15:11] Discussion of human agency, freedom, hope, and divine intervention

Tone & Language

The episode strikes a thoughtful, sometimes spirited tone, engaging ideas at the intersection of theology, culture, and technology. The hosts aim for clarity and generosity—even when disagreeing with Thiel’s characterizations—always steering the discussion back to the historical Christian faith anchored in scriptural and confessional convictions.

Summary Takeaway

This episode offers a robust theological response to provocative cultural and philosophical challenges posed by prominent public intellectuals. It clarifies the nature and scope of Christian hope, resurrection, and agency, and defends historic Christian doctrines—often caricatured as Calvinist—as the heartbeat of Christianity itself. Through careful analysis, the hosts equip Christian listeners to engage thoughtfully with contemporary debates on technology, progress, and faith.