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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Book One.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Augustine relate Truth and God?
(a) God creates things and Truth, but the way humans use things and accept Truth determines whether humans enjoy the experience.
(b) God creates things and things can be used to prove truth.
(c) God created truth, but humans misuse things to reject truth.
(d) Truth is based upon an unchanging standard and God is that unchanging standard.

2. To what does Augustine compare his distinction of things?
(a) To that between critics who do not understand and critics who believe in "special gifts."
(b) To that between instrumental and intrinsic good.
(c) To that between God and Lucifer.
(d) To that between human nature and original sin.

3. What is the second important distinction that Augustine makes in Book One?
(a) The distinction between things and signs.
(b) The distinction between encouraging and exhortation.
(c) The distinction between Christian love and pagan love.
(d) The distinction between enjoy and use.

4. Augustine wrote that the critics he mainly focuses on in the Preface base their positions on what belief?
(a) Fear of losing their influence.
(b) Resistance to accept new ideas.
(c) That they already understand Scripture.
(d) A misapplication of Scripture.

5. In approaching this distinction, what is Augustine's first focus in Book One?
(a) On sins of omission.
(b) On things as things.
(c) On "special gifts."
(d) On original sin.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Augustine encourage his critics to remember in the Preface?

2. According to Augustine, for what reason should one love oneself?

3. Upon what does Augustine focus most of his efforts in the Preface of "On Christian Doctrine"?

4. What does Augustine claim to be the central law of love and the message of Christianity?

5. What basic fact do the critics discussed in the Preface ignore by discounting teaching from Augustine and others?

(see the answer key)

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