A common view of continental intraplate seismicity is that large earthquakes occur in areas where peculiar local conditions favor lower lithospheric strength and/or higher stress concentration compared to typical intraplate settings. Although there are numerous explanations for these local strength reduction and stress increase effects, their application to seismic hazard assessment is limited to the few specific regions for which these explanations were developed. In this paper, I present four general models that can be used to define seismic hazards based on the associated geodynamic frameworks and their implications for earthquake locations, sizes, and recurrence rates. The four models are defined by the relationships among lithospheric strength contrasts, strain distribution, and earthquake characteristics, and they may apply to different intraplate regions. (1) The random model, defined by the lack of significant lithospheric structure and the spatial and temporal randomness of seismicity, may be applicable to Precambrian cratons and shields. (2) In the plate-boundary model, earthquakes concentrate along lithospheric-scale tectonic structures under low intraplate strain rates, which may apply to eastern North America. (3) The localized weak zone model postulates that large earthquakes are limited to small areas of crustal weakness and high strain concentration (e.g., New Madrid seismic zone in the central United States). (4) The large-scale weak zone model is characterized by high crustal strain concentration in major paleotectonic structures, along which large earthquakes are spatially confined but susceptible to migration with time. This last model may apply to Paleozoic and Mesozoic rift and basin regions, such as the St. Lawrence valley in eastern Canada. Because all four models are built on the relationship between lithospheric strength, strain distribution, and earthquake characteristics, they can be used as a framework for experiments designed to test their validity. I discuss two lines of studies that address the relationship among strength, strain, and earthquakes. The first type deals with strength of the crust and upper mantle using rock rheology, thermal profiles, and average strain rates in intraplate seismic regions. The second type is based on geodetic measurements of intraplate strain rate patterns and amplitudes.