Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes, Chapter 36 summary

Chapter 36 of 65 · Part 3: Of a Christian Commonwealth · 25 min to read the chapter

In Chapter 36, the argument distinguishes meanings of God’s word and prophecy, then examines how God communicates through visions, dreams, offices, and lots. It makes reason necessary for testing prophetic claims, but places authorized teaching under the sovereign prophet and warns that rival religious authority can produce rebellion and civil war.

What happens

God’s word can mean religious teaching, divine speech, creative power, fulfilled promises, or words consistent with reason and fairness.
Prophet can mean a divine spokesman, someone offering public prayer or praise, a predictor, or an incoherent speaker.
Extraordinary prophets receive dreams and visions, while the precise communication granted to sovereign prophets remains unexplained.
Subordinate religious officers receive dispositions to assist their ruler rather than necessarily receiving supernatural revelations.
Claims to prophecy require careful testing because religious guidance also claims power to govern.
Subjects must test teaching against authorized doctrine and leave the permission or prohibition of rival prophets to their sovereign.