The God of the Leviathan

Abstract

One does not typically join the name of Thomas Hobbes with God or theology. Yet, much of what Hobbes says within his magnum opus, Leviathan, contains many thoughts and ideas on theology, especially God. By employing close textual analysis of Leviathan, I seek to uncover what Hobbes intends regarding his thoughts on God, and what role God plays, if any, in Hobbes’s political commonwealth. Understanding Hobbes’s thoughts on God contributes to a greater comprehension of what Hobbes intends with his political philosophy as well as his political theology. This thesis contributes to the growing literature of Hobbes’s thoughts on religion and political theology.