Abstract
Hobbes's eschatology in Leviathan is one of the most striking aspects of this classic work and has received considerable scholarly attention. Nevertheless, its scriptural interpretation has rarely been examined. This article closely analyses Hobbes's scriptural case for two aspects of eschatology: the doctrine of mortalism and the terrestrial kingdom of God. It shows that, to a large extent, Hobbes's biblical exegesis for these two eschatological issues was preceded by that of his contemporaries, including Richard Overton and John Archer. It is likely, in particular, that the scriptural interpretation for Hobbes's mortalism was directly indebted to Overton's Mans mortalitie.
Highlights
Hobbes’s eschatology in Leviathan is one of the most conspicuous aspects of this classic work, drawing the comments of both his contemporaries and modern scholars
References to Leviathan are given by chapters and page numbers in the first edition; these page numbers are found in Malcolm's edition
Before discussing Hobbes’s scriptural interpretation in Leviathan arguing for the terrestrial kingdom of God after the last judgement, it is useful to clarify the nature of the development of his opinion on this issue from
Summary
Hobbes’s eschatology in Leviathan is one of the most conspicuous aspects of this classic work, drawing the comments of both his contemporaries and modern scholars. This paper will turn to the issue of the terrestrial kingdom of God after the last judgement and maintain that elements of Hobbes’s scriptural interpretation in support of this view can to a large extent be found in the work of his contemporaries.
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