Controversial professor invited Peter Thiel to deliver ‘anti-christ’ lectures at Cambridge

A controversial divinity professor invited right-wing billionaire and tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel to deliver secret lectures at Cambridge University.

The lectures were held earlier this month in St Catharine’s College’s Ramsden room and were titled “The Anti-Christ lectures”. They were not affiliated with Cambridge University or St Catharine’s College. 

James Orr is an associate professor of philosophy of religion at Cambridge University’s Faculty of Divinity. He has attracted controversy from the wider university community over his alleged “racist and derogatory comments” about the Arab and Palestinian communities.

He was recently appointed as senior advisor to Nigel Farage, the Reform UK party leader.

After the lectures took place, James posted on X, saying: “What a privilege to host Peter Thiel in Cambridge this week for a stunningly original and erudite series of lectures. Thiel is the walking antidote to the modern multiversity. The highlight of our academic year.”

James personally invited each attendee, and the lectures themselves were off the record. While the contents of this series are unknown, Peter gave a series of lectures with the same title in San Francisco.

via Wikimedia Commons

In recordings obtained of the San Francisco talks by The Guardian and Washington Post, Peter rejects the idea that the anti-christ is the figure with “seven heads and ten horns” from the book of revelation, instead making the claim that they are in interloper who through a message of “peace” and “security”.

He argues this false messiah will weaponise the general public’s fear of climate change, and a nuclear or technological apocalypse to enact a “world government”.

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Peter touts multiple theories about who the anti-Christ could be, with significant focus on Microsoft founder Bill Gates (due to his charitable pledges) and Greta Thunberg (who he argues is anti-science).

His third proponent for the anti-Christ is his former friend Eliezer Yudkowsky. Yudkowsky is seen as a “Luddite” by Peter for his critical views surrounding the development of artificial intelligence. Yudkowsky recently published a book arguing against the pursuit of a superhuman AI and advocating for the destruction of data centres.

Peter is a libertarian who believes in mass deregulation. Beyond founding Palantir, the data analysis giant which is responsible for global surveillance for governments, martial forces, and intelligence services, he was one of facebook and Open AI’s earliest investors, making him one of the richest men in the world.

Peter has been perceived as a highly influential figure in American politics having donated over one million dollars to Donald Trump’s 2016 run and is widely seen as the power behind US Vice President JD Vance’s swift ascent.

When Peter Thiel appeared at the Cambridge Union in 2024, he was protested by hundreds of people.

A St Catharine’s College spokesperson said: “We would not ordinarily comment on an event that is not organised by members of our community.”

Cambridge University, James Orr, Peter Thiel, The Faculty of Divinity, Greta Thunberg, Bill Gates and Eliezer Yudkowsky have been contacted for comment.

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Featured image via Wikimedia Commons