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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. Joad argues that attempts to explain away evil usually have what quality?

2. According to his speech in Part I, Essay 10, "Christian Apologetics", what terms does Lewis prefer to speak on?

3. Lewis asserts that what is necessary in order to know what is "good"?

4. Which of the following is not a good use of apologetics, according to Lewis?

5. According to Lewis, what should Christians do about death?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Lewis believe about the roles of suffering and discomfort in Christianity?

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

4. How did Lewis' Socratic Club operate?

5. Why does Lewis believe that the gospels are not legend?

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

7. Why does Lewis believe that pain is evidence of the existence of God?

8. According to Lewis, what distinction does Christianity carry, compared to other religions?

9. What argument does Lewis make to suggest that science incapable of invalidating religion?

10. Explain Lewis' argument that science does not undermine the occurrence of miracles.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Lewis explains that "witnessing" is the Christian practice of sharing the "good news" as expressed by Jesus in the New Testament with those who are outside of the church, attempting to educate and convert them to the Christian faith. Lewis contends that Christians are specifically commanded to pursue this practice, and that failure to do so has serious consequences for themselves and those they fail to convert.

1) Explain the concept of witnessing within the Christian church that Lewis describes. Explain its practices, aims, and target audience.

2) Discuss Lewis' view on the importance of witnessing for Christians.

3) Describe some of the difficulties that Christians experienced in "witnessing" in England in Lewis' time, and discuss techniques that Lewis recommends in order to surmount these difficulties.

Essay Topic 3

Lewis explains that self-love is a complicated subject for Christians. He states that Jesus' commandment to "love thy neighbor as yourself" is an important contribution of the faith, and it implicitly encourages love of the self. However, he suggests that Christians are also commanded to avoid excessive greed, worldliness, and other symptoms of self-love.

1) Explain the reasons that Lewis gives to suggest that Christians are conflicted over the subject of self love, and discuss why this conflict is more prevalent in Christianity than in other faiths.

2) Discuss some of the dangers that Lewis explains that Christians face in practicing either excessive or insufficient self-love.

3) Explain Lewis' opinion on the subject of self-love within Christianity and discuss the way that he believes Christians should resolve this problem.

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