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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. Who was the father of St John the Baptist?

2. What do most people believe about national repentance?

3. How does Lewis feel about a program of study that would be applicable for all Christians?

4. What is one reason Lewis gives in support of women serving as priests?

5. The general condition of mankind according to Christianity is which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reasons does Lewis give to support the idea of women serving as priests?

2. Why did Lewis believe that the Nazi emphasis on Nordic myth was absurd?

3. Explain the logical fallacy that Lewis cautions against in Part III, Essay 3, "The Sermon and the Lunch"?

4. According to Lewis' writings in Part II, Essay 1, "Dangers of National Repentance", what dangers does national repentance present?

5. What is Bulverism?

6. What is Lewis' opinion about Christian literature?

7. Why does Lewis reject the creation of a Christian political party?

8. According to Lewis' writings in Part II, Essay 15, "Before We Can Communicate", what challenges do Christians face in dealing with non-believing Englishmen?

9. Why does Lewis believe that a therapeutic approach to crime will lead to tyranny?

10. Why does Lewis believe that the decline of religion occurring at his time was less dramatic than it appeared?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lewis discusses the arguments that many have made, believing that females should be allowed to serve the Christian church as priests. He suggests that this reform has been enacted in very few denominations for good reasons, and he cites practical and theological reasons to advise against it.

1) Discuss some of the practical difficulties that Lewis brings up regarding allowing women to serve as priests, and the theological basis behind this restriction.

2) Explain the arguments that Lewis explains that speak in favor of allowing females to serve as priests.

3) Using Lewis' predictions and warnings, speculate about what the consequences would be for a major denomination within Christianity to allow females to serve as priests.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Lewis concedes that animal pain is a major problem for theist belief. Although there are many classical arguments to explain the experience of pain by humans, who are able to learn and grow as a result of suffering, there are very few ways to explain the necessity for animals to suffer.

1) Summarize the "problem of pain" for Christianity specifically and for theist belief as a whole that Lewis outlines. Explain how Lewis resolves this problem in the case of human beings.

2) Discuss why the experience of pain by animals remains problematic for Christian apologists.

3) Describe Lewis' theory of "animal stages" and how it acts to explain away some of the problem of animal pain.

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