Key Takeaways
- • Pope Leo released a major papal encyclical on artificial intelligence and technology that contains a single literary quotation: a passage from J.R.R. Tolkien's *Return of the King* spoken by the character Gandalf about restraint, humility, and incremental moral action.
- • The Gandalf quote—"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set"—appears strategically positioned within the Pope's broader call for a "civilization of love" and resistance to dehumanization through technology.
- • The encyclical's choice to invoke Tolkien in a document addressing AI ethics has generated significant speculation that Pope Leo may be critiquing how tech figures, particularly Peter Thiel, have appropriated Tolkien's philosophical framework to justify positions at odds with the Catholic Church's vision of human dignity and technological stewardship.
- • Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and influential figure in conservative tech circles, has long been identified as a Tolkien enthusiast whose investment philosophy and political positions have drawn scrutiny from religious and secular critics alike.
- • The papal reference has sparked widespread online discussion regarding the distinction between Tolkien's original moral philosophy—emphasizing humble action and resistance to corrupting power—and how contemporary tech billionaires have selectively reinterpreted his work.
Summary
Pope Leo's newly released encyclical on artificial intelligence and technology contains a single literary reference among its 40,000 words: a passage from J.R.R. Tolkien's *Return of the King*. The quote, delivered by the wizard Gandalf, reads: "It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till." The Pope connects this passage directly to his encyclical's central argument for a "civilization of love" grounded in small, steadfast acts of fidelity as a counterforce against technological dehumanization.
The strategic placement of this quotation—and notably, the decision to quote Tolkien and no other literary figure in a major Vatican document—has generated significant commentary in technology and religious circles. Multiple observers have suggested the reference may constitute a deliberate critique of how Tolkien's moral philosophy has been appropriated within conservative tech culture. Peter Thiel, the PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist, represents a prominent exemplar of this appropriation. Since at least 2012, Thiel has been publicly identified as a dedicated Tolkien enthusiast whose worldview appears substantially informed by Tolkien's mythology.
The apparent tension centers on a fundamental philosophical divide. Tolkien's Gandalf espouses caution about wielding concentrated power, acceptance of human limitation, and moral action grounded in humility rather than mastery. Critics contend that Thiel and others in his circles have selectively extracted Tolkien's framework while pursuing positions—regarding technology's transformative potential, individual will to power, and the prerogatives of wealth accumulation—that diverge substantially from the restraint and moral humility Tolkien himself advocated. By quoting Gandalf within a papal document explicitly concerned with technology's dehumanizing risks, Pope Leo may be reasserting Tolkien's original moral architecture against what the Vatican perceives as a corrupted interpretation.
The encyclical's release has prompted extensive online debate regarding whether the Pope intended the Gandalf quotation as a pointed reference to Thiel and his philosophical allies, or whether it represents a broader critique of how technologists in conservative circles have misappropriated Tolkien's work. The specificity of the choice—invoking a single fictional character rather than established theological or philosophical authorities—has lent credibility to interpretations suggesting deliberate messaging aimed at the intersection of wealth, technology, and ideological authority in contemporary tech leadership.
The strategic placement of this quotation—and notably, the decision to quote Tolkien and no other literary figure in a major Vatican document—has generated significant commentary in technology and religious circles. Multiple observers have suggested the reference may constitute a deliberate critique of how Tolkien's moral philosophy has been appropriated within conservative tech culture. Peter Thiel, the PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist, represents a prominent exemplar of this appropriation. Since at least 2012, Thiel has been publicly identified as a dedicated Tolkien enthusiast whose worldview appears substantially informed by Tolkien's mythology.
The apparent tension centers on a fundamental philosophical divide. Tolkien's Gandalf espouses caution about wielding concentrated power, acceptance of human limitation, and moral action grounded in humility rather than mastery. Critics contend that Thiel and others in his circles have selectively extracted Tolkien's framework while pursuing positions—regarding technology's transformative potential, individual will to power, and the prerogatives of wealth accumulation—that diverge substantially from the restraint and moral humility Tolkien himself advocated. By quoting Gandalf within a papal document explicitly concerned with technology's dehumanizing risks, Pope Leo may be reasserting Tolkien's original moral architecture against what the Vatican perceives as a corrupted interpretation.
The encyclical's release has prompted extensive online debate regarding whether the Pope intended the Gandalf quotation as a pointed reference to Thiel and his philosophical allies, or whether it represents a broader critique of how technologists in conservative circles have misappropriated Tolkien's work. The specificity of the choice—invoking a single fictional character rather than established theological or philosophical authorities—has lent credibility to interpretations suggesting deliberate messaging aimed at the intersection of wealth, technology, and ideological authority in contemporary tech leadership.
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