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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. As a result of Marcion's thoughts about the Bible, Iranaeus accused Marcion of _____________.

2. The Romans believed in divine authority for __________, which eventually led to Inanaeus' death sentence for treason.

3. A letter to the Bishop of Rome stated the difference between ________ and priesthood, defining the reality of the Roman church.

4. What did Muhammed finally decide was worth breaking open the jar that he and his brothers found?

5. In a newly discovered Nag Hammadi text, it says, "I am __________. I am both Mother and Father since I copulate with myself. I am the Womb, the All."

Short Essay Questions

1. What did the Valentinians come to believe about the idea of God? What was He supposed to be?

2. What was the vision that John had, emotionally distraught over the crucifixion in the Apocryphon of John?

3. What happened when a Roman soldier expressed his contempt for the Jews?

4. Why does Pagels state that the retelling of the story of Eden becomes problematic for those who consider themselves to be Christian?

5. Who was the church of the Gnostics confined to, according to this section of the book?

6. What is the tradition that developed, though not completely logical and contradicted by two other gospels?

7. Why were many of the papyri scrolls suddenly found on the black market after their initial discovery?

8. What kind of suffering was focused on in the Gnostic path and the belief system?

9. What did Tertullian find so horrible about those who claimed the secret gnosis?

10. What does Pagels speculate united the Gnostics, as diverse as they were in the world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At a certain point in time, the idea of Martyrdom become something that was accepted in the Christian world.

Part 1: Why do you think the being a martyr is so acceptable?

Part 2: Do you believe that being a martyr for your faith is an honorable thing? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you think that martyrdom is something which should be celebrated? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

In many modern Christian religions, it seems that the feminine aspect is not as widely addressed or celebrated as the male aspect.

Part 1: Why do you think that the male gender is one which is celebrated more than the female?

Part 2: Do you think that having a hierarchy of genders within religions is helpful or hurtful?

Part 3: How do you think that that society's view of religions would change if there was no focus on gender?

Essay Topic 3

The idea of having one person as God seems to also relate to that day's thoughts about government and those in power.

Part 1: Do you think that the government had a vested interested in whether there was one God or more? Why or why not?

Part 2: How does having one God figure help those who are in the government?

Part 3: Why do you think that monotheism seems to be a prevalent spiritual concept in today's society?

(see the answer keys)

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