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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. The content of Part I, Essay 20, "The Pains of Animals" is mostly concerned with what?

2. According to Lewis, what, besides humans, experiences pain?

3. In Part I, Essay 23 "Must Our Image of God Go?", Lewis argues against what type of an interpretation of the scripture?

4. Lewis believes that faith cannot be based solely on which of the following?

5. What did the woman believe the vision she experienced in Part I, Essay 2, "Miracles" was?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the role of apologetics?

2. Explain the way that Lewis states that probability judgments of events in Christianity should be made?

3. What mistakes does Lewis believe that the Bishop of Woolwich makes in his arguments about scripture?

4. What is the essential conflict between dogma and knowledge according to Lewis' argument in Part I, Essay 2, "Dogma and the Universe"?

5. How is Christianity transmitted, according to Lewis' writings in Part I, Essay 13, "On the Transmission of Christianity"?

6. Why does the answering of prayers not always necessitate supernatural intervention?

7. According to Lewis' writings in Part I, Essay 17, "Answers to Question on Christianity", what is problematic for Christians about healing the sick, and why is this action acceptable anyways?

8. What is the difference between religion and politics, according to Lewis?

9. What two premises are necessary for belief in miracles, according to Lewis' argument in Part I, Essay 2, "Miracles"?

10. What is the theory of dualism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Punishment is of major interest to Lewis. He believes strongly in punishment based on "deserts" and believes that the type of punishment a society metes out can have a profound impact on its character and future.

1) Discuss the nature and importance of punishment according to Lewis. What are its aims, and why must it exist in a civilized society?

2) Explain how Lewis believes the concept of punishment is related to the concept of repentance. Detail any similarities between the two.

3) Describe some of the types of punishment that Lewis discusses in the book and explain how he believes these types of punishments will shape the society that practices them.

Essay Topic 2

Lewis suggests that one of the major reasons that women should not serve as priests is because one of a priest's roles is to represent God on earth, and the Christian God has apparently asked, through Jesus Christ and the prophets of the Old Testament, to be referred to as a man. The concept of a perfect divine begin having or desiring to be thought of as having a gender is a strange one, but Lewis contends that it is supportable.

1) Discuss the importance of masculinity in the Christian church. What elements of the church as essentially masculine or patriarchal and would be dramatically different without the masculine interpretation of God.

2) Describe some of the behaviors that the Christian God exhibits according to Lewis' assessments in the book which support the concept of God being more masculine than feminine.

3) Explain the evidence that supports the concept that the Christian God desires to be thought of as a man. Assess the strength of the evidence and other possible interpretations of it.

4) Speculate as to why an all-powerful divine being might prefer to be thought of as being one gender or another.

Essay Topic 3

Lewis suggests that Christmas is the most important spiritual holiday in the year for many Christians. However, he complains that it has been co-opted by commercial interests, a phenomenon that he views as destructive and undesirable in many respects.

1) Discuss the commercial impact of Christmas according to Lewis and use his arguments to assess whether or not the commercial aspects of the holiday have a net positive or negative impact on the wider culture that they occur in.

2) Discuss Lewis opinion about the impact that the commercialization of Christmas has on Christians and their observance of this important holiday.

3) Summarize the unusual arguments that Lewis puts forward to denounce the commercialization of Christmas.

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