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

Short Answer Questions

1. Was the idea of a personal God developed by all three of the monotheistic religions?

2. What does Armstrong notice is happening to the churches in Europe?

3. In the Eastern church the experience of God was characterized as being like ____________.

4. Armstrong describes a similar wave of religious fervor, which swept through New England in the 1730's and which became known as ____________.

5. The instability and lack of self-esteem in the Islamic culture, has resulted in ____________.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The first section foreshadows Christianity.

Part 1) How is the advent of Christianity foreshadowed? What role do the Greeks play in the beginnings of Christianity?

Part 2) How do Judaism and Greek ideas blend? How does this blending leading to the Christian religion?

Part 3) How does Philo give evidence of the mixing of Judaism and Greek thinking?

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

Armstrong discusses the development of a personal God.

Part 1) Describe this development, according to Armstrong. Why did a personal God come to be in these three major religions?

Part 2) What is an inherent danger in a personal God? How was this seen throughout history? How is this seen today?

Part 3) Why did the members of these religions feel that a personal God was necessary? How is this still important today?

(see the answer keys)

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