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. Why did Bede address his prologue to its named recipient?

2. According to Farmer, each of the saints profiled in "The Age of Bede" were pioneers of what important church institutions?

3. Why does Farmer credit this institution with the spread of monasteries in Ireland?

4. Which Old Testament prophet does Bede first quote in the first paragraph of Chapter One?

5. Why did a demon leave the wife of Sheriff Hildmer as he and Cuthbert approached his home, according to Bede?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bede report a monk witnessed when he followed Cuthbert to spy on an evening prayer vigil?

2. How does Stephanus report King Theodoric of the Franks rejected a letter requesting Wilfred be returned dead or alive to his see to face trial?

3. Why did Bede claim that he wrote "The Life of Cuthbert"?

4. Why does Farmer consider Bede's "Lives of the Abbots" historically significant?

5. Who does Farmer identify as the two subjects from "The Age of Bede" who were from Northumbria?

6. What does Farmer cite as the earliest work of "The Age of Bede," and what makes it different from the other four texts?

7. How did Cuthbert drive away crows that were invading the crops he grew while he was living as a hermit, according to Bede?

8. According to Farmer in the Introduction, how did Irish monasteries become established?

9. From whom did Bede record the details of Cuthbert's death?

10. Who does Stephanus claim supported Wilfred's desire to visit St. Peter's in Rome?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wilfrid performed several miracles throughout the time he grew in stature and faced challenges from opponents. Find two such miracles and detail how they affirmed his Christian devotion and stood as signs to others that God was guarding his ministry.

Essay Topic 2

Bede was monk at Jarrow during the late 7th and early 8th centuries. He is known as the "Father of English History." Give details of how Bede's personal service directed his choice of figures for which to write biographies, the events he chose to cover, and how he characterized the influence these figures had on the region in which they served.

Essay Topic 3

Ceolfrith decided his age was preventing him from conducting effective ministry. Review the decision he made regarding this recognition and explain how his actions regarding his recognition is a consistent reflection of actions he made regarding his ministry throughout his life.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 830 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample