View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 3, what does Bonhoeffer say is the best time of day for personal prayer, meditation and intercession?

2. What did Bonhoeffer say that preparation for the Lord's Supper is filled with?

3. According to Bonhoeffer, what is the purpose and goal of confession?

4. What type of brother did Bonhoeffer say is most likely to relate to the spiritual facts of sin and forgiveness?

5. What type of communication does Bonhoeffer say that prayer during meditation is between a Christian and Jesus Christ?

Short Essay Questions

1. What, in Chapter 5, did Bonhoeffer say is the fullness of Christian fellowship in community?

2. Thinking back over Chapters 1-3, what was the overarching message of these chapters? (Hint: A clue can be gleaned from the chapter titles).

3. Finally, how did Bonhoeffer explain intercession in Chapter 3, which was also supposed to take place during a Christian's personal time with God? How much importance did he place on intercession?

4. What did Bonhoeffer claim that regular, scheduled time for personal meditation, prayer, and intercession would demonstrate for a community member?

5. When Christians assemble together the day before Holy Communion to beg forgiveness of each other, what did Bonhoeffer say they are to confess?

6. What did Bonhoeffer say that confessing sin to a brother enables?

7. According to what Bonhoeffer said, what does confession to - and absolution by - a brother confessor provide to an individual?

8. In Chapter 5, what passage of Scripture did Bonhoeffer recommend examining oneself against when asking forgiveness?

9. When discussing the ministry of proclaiming, what did Bonhoeffer say we ultimately recognize when we see others as being in need of assistance, encouragement, and forgiveness?

10. Likewise, how does Bonhoeffer describe personal prayer in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In explaining his ministry of proclaiming in Chapter 4, how did Bonhoeffer tell us to approach and confront someone who has done something wrong and needs correction? Back your answer up with examples from the text. Then, compare and contrast Bonhoeffer's guidelines with how the typical high school student tends to confront someone who has done him/her wrong.

Essay Topic 2

Define and explain, supporting with examples from the text, the three elements that Bonhoeffer says (in Chapter 1) define the meaning of Christian brethren in fellowship. In addition to the three elements defining the meaning of Christian brethren in fellowship, Bonhoeffer made, in Chapter 1, two additional claims in faith that are essential to understanding his beliefs about and his interpretation of Christian brotherhood. Using the text to support your statements, define and explain these additional claims about the nature of Christian brotherhood.

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 2, Bonhoeffer spends quite a bit of time explaining his beliefs about the importance of early-morning devotions in the life of his seminary. Using examples from the text, explain:

1) the activities undertaken by the seminary community at dawn during their devotions, then analyze why it--in Bonhoeffer's opinion--would not have been equally effective for these activities to take place at lunch, or just before bed.

2) why Bonhoeffer believed Christians should begin the new day with hymns and the Word of God. Compare and contrast, your own opinion of the peaceful way that Bonhoeffer says this starts the day with the way you start a typical day. Is the way you start your day as peaceful and stress-free as the way in which Bonhoeffer's seminarians start theirs, even though they're in the middle of a war and engaging in activity their government has deemed illegal?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 873 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample