Faith and Power: How Opus Dei Shapes The Network State
- Editorial Team
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
In recent years, a new vocabulary has emerged to describe the intersection of ideology, governance, and digital networks. Terms like "network state," "startup society," and "opt-in governance" have moved from theoretical white papers to real-world projects. Alongside this techno-political frontier, however, something perhaps more ancient has re-emerged: faith, specifically, Catholic traditionalism. And at the heart of this ideological revival sits one of the most secretive and controversial institutions in modern religious life: Opus Dei.
"The Network State" and Opus Dei - ER Diagram
Our ER (Entity-Relationship) graph project, which maps people, ideas, and institutions shaping the world of The Network State, has recently been updated to include a strikingly complex cluster of relationships orbiting Opus Dei. Using publicly available data, including investigative journalism and ideological essays, the graph visualizes how this Catholic organization intersects with political actors, think tanks, and even the Supreme Court.
Opus Dei’s Ideological Footprint
Opus Dei, Latin for "Work of God," was founded in 1928 and gained notoriety for its influence in Francoist Spain. In the U.S., its presence has been subtler but no less influential. It functions not only as a religious order but as a quiet political force, building intellectual and spiritual infrastructure through schools, think tanks, and elite training programs. Its mission is clear: restore Christian values through every layer of society, from culture to policy.
Through our graph, we can now trace Opus Dei’s links to some of the most powerful conservative forces in American politics:
Kevin Roberts, the CEO of the Heritage Foundation, has been an active speaker at the Catholic Information Center, a well-known hub for Opus Dei.
Leonard Leo, co-chair of the Federalist Society, has supported numerous Opus Dei-aligned causes and played a crucial role in shaping the current U.S. Supreme Court.
JD Vance, Trump’s Vice President and author of Hillbilly Elegy, converted to Catholicism and has written about the religious motivations behind his political worldview, often referencing thinkers like René Girard, a Catholic philosopher who profoundly influenced Peter Thiel.
From People to Institutions
Opus Dei’s influence is not just person-to-person. It's systemic.
The Heritage Foundation, perhaps the most influential conservative think tank in the country, hosts Project 2025, a detailed roadmap for political transformation.
The Federalist Society, connected through Leonard Leo, has helped place multiple conservative justices on the Supreme Court, many of whom are Catholic.
Schools like the Camino School and John Paul the Great Academy provide early ideological formation rooted in Catholic orthodoxy and often reference the founder of Opus Dei.
The Catholic Information Center serves as both a literal and metaphorical podium for this vision—a nexus for political theology in Washington, D.C.
The Network State: Faith in the Future?
It is important to note that the concept of the network state is not value-neutral. In its foundational texts, the network state positions itself explicitly as a successor to liberal democracy—and as an ideological rival to what they call the "Nation State." Its ambition is not to reform democracy, but to replace it. While Opus Dei looks to the past for moral and theological clarity, the Network State project looks forward, toward a sovereign state within states with its own rules. And yet, these seemingly divergent worldviews appear to be teaming up.
Our graph highlights how figures like Peter Thiel and Curtis Yarvin (also known as Mencius Moldbug) draw on traditionalist Catholic thinkers, even as they promote experimental governance models. For example:
Thiel has openly credited René Girard with shaping his worldview.
Vice President JD Vance invokes Catholic doctrine as a response to "mimetic rivalry," a Girardian concept.
Policy documents emerging from Project 2025 echo the authoritarian structure of religious governance.
What we’re seeing is the rise of reactionary modernism—a vision in which the future is built not on liberalism or democracy, but on hierarchy, faith, and technological order.
Revealing Ideology
The value of visualizing these relationships cannot be overstated. While a traditional essay might connect the dots between Vance, Thiel, and Girard, our ER graph literally draws the lines. It clusters institutions like the Heritage Foundation with ideological movements like Catholic integralism. It exposes how infrastructure, such as schools and think tanks, intersects with belief systems, creating a latticework of influence.
With a single click, users can navigate from Opus Dei to the Supreme Court, from a Girardian concept to a Silicon Valley founder. Each connection is sourced, time-stamped, and visually weighted based on influence and frequency.
Data Analysis for Actionable Results
We live in a moment when political legitimacy is being reimagined. Network states, charter cities, and opt-in communities promise autonomy, but autonomy for whom and according to whose values? If Opus Dei and its affiliates are building a spiritual-political vanguard, then mapping their networks isn’t just academic. It's a necessity for classifying and understanding what we sometimes only see as a side note in the news. It's the basis for our decisions about what to do.
By bringing together ideology, infrastructure, and influence in a single visualization, we hope this project prompts more profound questions about power, belief, and the future of governance.