History 30.2/Religion 19 Final Exam Study Guide
Spring, 2001

NOTE: The exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 24 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. in 518 Whitehead. (Ouch and Yawn!)  You have the option of writing the exam during that scheduled time [Bring your own coffee] OR doing the exam at home and submitting it no later than 10:00 a.m. on May 24. You can also submit them by email but BE SURE THEY GET TO ME MY THE 24TH!

Email me if you have questions as you prepare. There is also a Caucus item for the exam in case you want to raise questions there. I encourage you to discuss these questions amongst yourselves.

 PART I. [40%]

Write an essay on ONE of the following questions.  Be sure to draw explicitly on appropriate readings. For grades above C, you must use and refer to specific readings. The essays will be evaluated in part on how well you use course materials.

 1.        “The historical Jesus, although shadowy and elusive, has been the recurring corrective to distortions of the Christ of faith in the development of the Christian tradition.” Explain and discuss your agreement or disagreement.

 2.        Discuss the image of Jesus that you believe has made the most positive contribution to western civilization and the image that has had the most negative effect.

 3.        Write a comparison of any two of the following (Paul, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Council of Trent, and  Jefferson (use the documents in the Reader) on the connection between their views of Jesus and their views of human nature. You can write the essay either in dialogue form [like a play] or as an essay.

4.        Explain and discuss the division of western Christianity into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

5.        Explain and discuss the division between Eastern and Western Christianity

6.        In what ways do you find Christianity in the modern world to be most different from Christianity in the Patristic age? Use at least two sources from each age in your discussion.

 PART II [60%]

From each of the following periods, quote a passage from a document and discuss BRIEFLY its significance for the history of Christianity, placing it in historical context [who, where, when], connecting it to major issues or turning points in the development of Christianity. What do they reveal about their authors and periods? Be sure to draw on  Pelikan and Chadwick or Noll,  as appropriate. 

 

  1. Patristic Period
  2. Medieval Period
  3. Early Modern Period (Reformation through the 18th Century
  4. Modern Period (19th and 20th Centuries.