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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the belief in question?

2. Christianity became the state religion of ___________.

3. What happened almost immediately to the newly established Christian Church in the Roman Empire?

4. Muhammad came under the influence of __________, some of whom were well disposed towards him.

5. They tried to show that al-Lah was compatible with ____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Muhammad's epiphany.

2. What approach to religion does Armstrong advocate?

3. What strong religious movements does Armstrong see growing in strength today? What does she think about this?

4. Why did many European scholars flock to Spain during the twelfth century?

5. Describe the Faylasufs' notion of God.

6. How were these three religions forced to develop mystical traditions?

7. Why was the idea of a personal God developed by all three of the monotheistic religions? What are its dangers?

8. What took place despite the conservatism occasioned by the rise of the Shariah laws and the suppression of independent reasoning in the Sunni madrasahs?

9. What are the results of the Italian Renaissance and the beginning of the scientific discoveries?

10. How did Western secularism and the rising dominance of industrialized European countries have an effect on the Muslim religion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Christianity spread quickly.

Part 1) Why did it spread quickly? How did it spread quickly?

Part 2) What is the connection between this spreading of Christianity and Judaism?

Part 3) Why was Christianity accepted by the governing Romans? What does this later mean for both Christians and Romans?

Essay Topic 2

Armstrong describes the practices of early Christians.

Part 1) What does she say about their early practices? What proof of this does she give?

Part 2) Why might the early Christians practice their faith in this way?

Part 3) How did St. Paul change early Christianity? What are the consequences of this? Why did some Christians not follow Paul? What might this say about Paul and Christianity as we know it?

Essay Topic 3

Philosophy has influenced religion.

Part 1) How did Greek science and philosophy exert a strong influence on Arab culture in the 9th century? How did this lead to a rational approach regarding God? How did these various beliefs affect Islam?

Part 2) What parallel events occurred in Jewish culture? Why did these events occur? What was the outcome?

Part 3) How were Christian theologians also affected by philosophy and beliefs contrary to the initial religious beliefs? How did this change Christianity?

Part 4) How is religion still evolving, based on beliefs and ideas of today?

(see the answer keys)

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