<![CDATA[This article examines Thomas Hobbes’s theory of sovereignty and religion and analyzes its relevance within contemporary multicultural democracies, particularly Indonesia. Hobbes developed his political theory during the English Civil War and argued that political stability requires absolute and indivisible sovereign authority capable of preventing civil conflict and social fragmentation. Within this framework, religion must remain under political authority to avoid competing loyalties and instability. Using a qualitative interpretive approach grounded in political philosophy and constitutional analysis, this study evaluates both the relevance and limitations of Hobbes’s conception of sovereignty in modern democratic societies. The article argues that Hobbes remains significant for understanding contemporary challenges such as political polarization, identity-based conflict, religious mobilization, and declining institutional trust. However, Hobbes’s absolutist model is difficult to reconcile with constitutional democracy because it leaves limited room for democratic participation, constitutional limitation, and protection of religious diversity. The Indonesian experience demonstrates that political cohesion in multicultural democracies cannot rely solely on centralized authority or unrestricted control over religion. Instead, democratic stability depends upon constitutional governance, institutional balance, democratic inclusion, and equal citizenship. In response to these tensions, this article proposes the concept of “constitutional-plural sovereignty” as a framework for understanding political order within plural democratic societies. This concept refers to political authority that maintains public order while remaining constitutionally limited, democratically accountable, and responsive to religious and cultural diversity.]]>
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