The Two Gods of Leviathan (Thomas Hobbes on Religion and Politics)

As well as being considered the greatest English political philosopher, Hobbes has traditionally been thought of as a purely secular thinker, highly critical of all religion. In this provocative new study, Professor Martinich argues that conventional wisdom has been misled. In fact, he shows that religious concerns pervade Leviathan and that Hobbes was really intent on providing a rational defense of the Calvinistic Church of England that flourished under the reign of James I. Professor Martinich presents a close reading of Leviathan in which he shows that, for Hobbes, Christian doctrine is not politically destabilizing and is consistent with modern science. Introduction -- Hobbes's Christianity And Religious Projects -- The Failure Of Hobbes's Religious Projects -- Hobbes's Modernism -- A Historical Approach To Hobbes -- Secular And Religious Interpretations -- Conclusion -- Pt. I. The Religious Background To Hobbes's Philosophy -- Ch. 1. Considerations Upon The Reputation And Religion Of Mr. Hobbes -- The Use Of The Term Atheism -- Atheism By Consequence -- Intellectual Courage And Physical Cowardice -- Atheists And Arminians -- Ch. 2. Religion -- God In Seventeenth-century Philosophy -- Theological Concepts In The Introduction To Leviathan -- Religion -- Pt. Ii. Law, Morality, And God -- Ch. 3. Power, Obligation, And Justice -- Two Interpretations -- The State Of Nature And Justice -- Obligation -- Ch. 4. Law -- The Textual Evidence -- Right And Law -- The Nature Of Law -- Law And Self-interest -- The Laws Of Nature As Dictates Of Reason -- Counsels And Commands -- Rationalism And Voluntarism --^ What Survives Of The Secularist And Taylor-warrender Theses -- Ch. 5. The History And Idea Of Covenants -- Covenant, Faith, And Merit -- Covenant Theology -- Hobbes On Laying Down Of Right -- The Origin Of Obligation -- Laws Of Nature And Natural Punishments -- Ch. 6. Sovereign-making Covenants -- Sovereign-making Covenants And The Kingdom Of God By Nature -- Person, Author, Actor -- Authorization And Authority -- Sovereignty By Institution And Sovereignty By Acquisition -- God And Covenants -- Pt. Iii. Religion Within The Limits Of Science And Politics -- Ch. 7. God -- The Limits Of Knowledge Of God -- The Existence Of God -- The Nature And Limits Of Talk About God -- The Trinity -- Faith And Reason -- Ch. 8. Revelation, Prophets, And Miracles -- Revelation -- Prophets -- Miracles -- Ch. 9. Angels And Eschatology -- Angels -- Hell -- Heaven -- Salvation And Redemption -- Ch. 10. The Church -- The Nature Of The Christian Church -- The Theocratic Structure Of History --^ The Mission Of The Church -- Worship -- The Essence Of Christianity -- Ch. 11. Scripture. The Authorship Of The Bible -- The Canon Of The Bible -- The Kingdom Of Darkness -- The Beneficiaries Of The Kingdom Of Darkness -- The Catholic Church And The Kingdom Of Fairies -- Appendix A: Curley On Hobbes -- Appendix B: Skinner On Hobbes -- Appendix C: The Frontispiece To Leviathan. A.p. Martinich. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "As well as being considered the greatest English political philosopher, Hobbes has traditionally been thought of as a purely secular thinker, highly critical of all religion. In this provocative new study, Professor Martinich argues that conventional wisdom has been misled. In fact, he shows that religious concerns pervade Leviathan and that Hobbes was really intent on providing a rational defense of the Calvinistic Church of England that flourished under the reign of James I. Professor Martinich presents a close reading of Leviathan in which he shows that, for Hobbes, Christian doctrine is not politically destabilizing and is consistent with modern science."--Publisher's description Martinich shows that religious concerns pervade Leviathan and indicates how Christian doctrine is not politically destabilising and is consistent with modern science Since few philosophers today think that Hobbes was an atheist, proving that he was a theist is not a pressing matter.