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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What are the two main tools that God uses to teach men what to do, as identified by Augustine?
(a) Scripture and nature.
(b) Priests and Rabbis
(c) Angels and human communities.
(d) Wars and rumors of wars.

2. When Augustine focuses on one of the types of criticism he expects to receive, what does he suggest to the reader?
(a) That these types of critics, if they gather a following around their criticism, are dangerously close to practicing heresy.
(b) That these types of critics are a threat to the true Church.
(c) That these types of critics are stagnant in their thoughts and threaten to limit the influence of Divine guidance.
(d) That these types of critics will either understand Scripture or believe they do.

3. What is the main difference between the system of learning that Augustine advocates and that advocated by the critics he focuses on in the Preface?
(a) Augustine's system requires study and application of rules whereas the critics believe they can understand through special gifts.
(b) Augustine's system requires finding a qualified Priest to hand down the official teaching of the Church whereas the critics allow free interpretation.
(c) Augustine's system requires great expense in accessing the necessary documents of learning whereas the critics allow for the interpretation of the spirit through tongues.
(d) Augustine's system of learning requires study in Greek philosophy whereas the critics require researching copies of manuscripts.

4. What was the second type of criticism that Augustine suggests "On Christian Doctrine" would face?
(a) Criticism from those who refuse or are unable to apply it.
(b) Criticism from those who face punishment if they try to apply it.
(c) Criticism from those who claim that Augustine relied too much on training and not enough on divine guidance.
(d) Criticism from those who claim too many Christians could not access proper training.

5. Based on Augustine's Preface, what is the perception of critics toward learning?
(a) Reliable interpretation can come from a situational application.
(b) The most reliable aids for interpretation are writings from individuals directly connected to the authors of Scriptures.
(c) They do not need aids for interpretation such as those Augustine offers.
(d) The most reliable aids for interpretation are from Scripture themselves.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Augustine characterize the argument that his teaching is not needed because it comes from a human source?

2. Of these influences on individual thought, which does Augustine claim Scripture teaches are negative to Christian thought?

3. What is the problem for the critics that Augustine addresses in the Preface when they choose to teach?

4. In approaching this distinction, what is Augustine's first focus in Book One?

5. Augustine endeavors to answer many questions about what subject in Book One?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Augustine claim an interpreter must consider regarding the author of Scripture to make a correct interpretation?

2. What inference can be made from the extensive training that Augustine recommends to interpret Scripture?

3. What self-knowledge does Augustine write that students need and what steps does Augustine suggest for them to overcome the limits of that self-knowledge to learn to interpret Scripture?

4. What does Augustine identify as a trope and how does it affect interpretation of Scripture?

5. What doctrine do Augustine's critics apply to interpreting Scripture?

6. What term does Augustine apply to the subjects he recommends for study to learn Scriptural interpretation and why does he use this term?

7. What does Augustine identify as the purpose of giving a sermon?

8. What are the seven rules of interpretation that Augustine used from Tyconius' book of Rules?

9. Augustine refutes his critics from the Preface with a common example. What was that example and how does Augustine use it to support his position?

10. Why does Augustine suggest that Scripture reports the great sins of holy men?

(see the answer keys)

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