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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. Why does Jesus think Magdalene prostitutes herself?

2. What does Jesus's mother recall as he passes her, carrying the cross that he built?

3. Jesus angers Judas when he talks about what?

4. Who keeps Philip from murdering Jesus?

5. Who is the first person to be executed in the novel?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Jesus described in Chapter 1?

2. Why does Judas decide not to kill Jesus at the monastery?

3. What does Jesus tells Simeon at the end of Chapter 10?

4. In Chapter 11, what does Simeon say to Jesus about the possibility of Jesus being the Messiah?

5. What do Jesus and Nathaniel talk about at the wedding of Nathaniel's nephew?

6. Why does the mob chase Mary Magdalene to Capernaum?

7. How does Jesus meet Zebedee?

8. What are Jesus's beliefs regarding the Messiah at the beginning of the novel?

9. What happens between Jesus and Mary Magdalene at sunset, on Jesus's first night in Magdala?

10. How does Jesus's mother feel when she sees Jesus carrying the cross at the beginning of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mary is hailed as the blessed mother of the Son of God, but in "The Last Temptation of Christ," she often feels far from blessed. What does Mary want for her only son? Why is she always upset about the situation Jesus is in? How does she feel about God's involvement in her and her son's life? Why? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Jesus praises Nathaniel for giving an answer that goes contrary to the law because the law goes contrary to Jesus's heart. What does Jesus feel is wrong with the existing laws? How does he propose fixing them? What, specifically, does he disagree with? Why? Is there a difference between something that is legal and something that is just? If so, what is it? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Paul tells Jesus that obstinacy, longing, and faith create truth. The world needs consolation, factual or not. How does Jesus react to these statements? How true are they? What historical examples serve to prove Paul's point? What is Kazantzakis trying to say about faith, religion, and truth? How does Paul's version of truth relate to the kind that Jesus is trying to spread? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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