View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the topic of Book Three?
(a) Learning how to overcome critics with well-reasoned and complete prose.
(b) Learning as a discipline to prove Christian convictions.
(c) Learning how to handle unknown or unfamiliar signs.
(d) Learning the philosophy of Classic Greeks as a key to Scriptural interpretation.

2. According to Book Three, what is the cause of Christians who are not diligent in separating themselves from pagans?
(a) Students will not be diligent in checking their pride as their learning increases.
(b) Students will take their time in seclusion to focus on themselves rather than enjoying the presence of God.
(c) A Christian will attach a figurative meaning to a passage intended to be read literally.
(d) A Christian will confuse things as signs to be symbols of God.

3. What does Augustine identify as a necessary subject that a student must learn to understand Scripture?
(a) The relevant languages and make all the translations he can find.
(b) The Apocrypha so the hidden meaning of Scriptural signs can be illuminated.
(c) Records of the Council of Trent to know the points of sound doctrine.
(d) The working order of the Catholic Church to understand where to go for sound reference and guidance.

4. Since Augustine regards his disciples as "divinely instituted," what responsibility falls on his students?
(a) They have the duty to discover their "special gift."
(b) They have the duty to know the difference between things and signs.
(c) They have the duty to apply good social and intellectual practices.
(d) They have the duty to develop their "inner eye."

5. How can recommendations Augustine makes from Book Three prevent students from falling into the trap that misleads them?
(a) Augustine painstakingly differentiates between signs and things to guide students away from misapplying both.
(b) Augustine warns against allowing the increased knowledge of students from developing into pride.
(c) Augustine devotes much of Book Two to detailing the demands on the serious student of Scripture.
(d) Augustine recommends that students learn the culture, language, and history from the periods that Scripture was written to develop the skill to interpret Scripture intelligently.

6. What are the two types of signs in Book Two?
(a) Things or words.
(b) Angelic or demonic.
(c) Illuminated or hidden.
(d) Literal or metaphorical.

7. How does Augustine say a student should treat any evil actions or speech from characters Scriptures praise as holy?
(a) As figurative language.
(b) As an announcement from God of impending judgment.
(c) As a blasphemy against God and the character's holiness must be considered as revoked by God.
(d) They must be treated as a poor interpretation and a study of the language and history of the passage must be examined.

8. How does Augustine treat Tyconius' rules that he cites in his book?
(a) Augustine applies them to particular cases to the end of Book Three.
(b) Augustine compares them to his own set of principles to point out differences and similarities.
(c) Augustine uses them to prove what he considers misguided thinking of Donatists.
(d) Augustine merely illustrates Tyconius' rules as one of several approaches for interpreting Scripture of the day.

9. What does Augustine say the student pass through if he/she will be able to understand Scripture?
(a) Rigorous physical and mental challenges to prove to God the seriousness of the desire to learn.
(b) Stages of spiritual purification and understand the need for God and Christian virtues.
(c) The purging of unclean spiritual occupations that are too common in the pagan cultures.
(d) A 40-day period of seclusion and fasting so they can better know the mind of Christ.

10. According to Book Two, what is the most important knowledge a student of scripture can have?
(a) He must the difference between things that are used and things that are enjoyed.
(b) He must know the canon of Scripture well.
(c) He must know how to use the inner eye.
(d) He must know the difference between things and signs.

11. Based on the academic demands that Augustine places on his students, it is clear that Augustine believes what?
(a) That learning as much as possible is the best way to separate the individual from the common population.
(b) That God is the master of all creation and language and the more you know of each the better you understand what God passed on in Scripture.
(c) That those who sought Augustine as a teacher will need to have conviction and determination to take on the challenges he puts before his students.
(d) That personal discipline and focusing on things outside of the body helps build chastity and humility.

12. What Augustine accomplished with his first three books from "On Christian Doctrine"?
(a) He set out an intimidating course of study that only the serious student of Scripture will be willing to consider.
(b) He identified the difference between his line of reasoning and those who criticize his views.
(c) He left out important details that could be useful in the interpretation of Scripture.
(d) He established a beginning set of exegetical principles.

13. What type of language from Scriptural characters must be taken literally, according to Augustine?
(a) Any speech or language that describes blessings for the chosen of God.
(b) Any speech or language that condemns evil and recommends love or kindness.
(c) Any speech or language that details the authority of God.
(d) Any speech or language that defines how a thing is a sign.

14. What are some of the practices of these categories in which humans must not participate?
(a) Superstition and astrology.
(b) Teaching literal spheres as figurative spheres.
(c) Using special gifts to attempt to convert things to signs.
(d) Attempting to reconcile truth with heresy.

15. What does Augustine call signs that are only used to express and transmit thoughts?
(a) Given signs.
(b) Natural signs.
(c) Signs that are things.
(d) Signs that are words.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Augustine state the student must do once the figurative and literal passages have been separated from each other?

2. Upon what does Augustine say the student of Scripture must rely during his studies?

3. What are the two general confusions that Augustine says come from Christians who do not differentiate themselves from pagans?

4. What facts of Scripture does Augustine set as the foundation for understanding it?

5. By making the demands of understanding Scripture difficult, who was Augustine criticizing?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,213 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample