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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Chesterton describe in the introduction as if being seen for the first time?

2. Who or what does Chesterton credit with the preservation of the true religion of mankind?

3. Why does Chesterton claim that some people have difficulty perceiving Christianity correctly?

4. How does Chesterton describe the concept of monotheism?

5. According to Chesterton, why are pagan religions so successful and enduring?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Chesterton describe the religious experience of the Carthaginians?

2. Explain where, according to Chesterton, we find religion and reason and how they interact.

3. How does Chesterton refute the statement that prehistoric man "wore no clothes"?

4. How well does Chesterton think science is explaining the origins of mankind? Why?

5. According to Chesterton, how accurate is H. G. Wells's concept of the "Old Man"?

6. What is Chesterton's analysis of symbols such as the circle, the swastika, and the cross?

7. To what depiction of the cave-man does Chesterton most object and why?

8. How does Chesterton refute the idea that religion came from people's experiences with authority, dreams, and the cycles of life?

9. How sincere does Chesterton say myths are? Explain your answer.

10. What explanation does Chesterton give for the common themes running through world mythologies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chesterton describes the history of Asia as flat and uneventful, but a brief look into Asia's history shows a land of color and change. Write an essay about the history of Asia over the last two thousand years or so.

Part 1. What was Asia like at the beginning of Christendom? Which religions were most widespread?

Part 2. Write a history of Asia that includes the rise and fall of the major empires, the spread of religions, and the various occupations of different parts of Asia throughout history. Make sure to include the rise and spread of Buddhism.

Part 3. How does this history compare to Chesterton's portrayal of the history of Asia? How does it affect his arguments?

Essay Topic 2

Chesterton devotes an entire chapter to describing the Punic war between Carthage and Rome. Write an essay about this war.

Part 1. Give some general background about the time and places involved. What were they like before the war?

Part 2. What are the known facts about this war? Where do we get these facts? Describe the general happenings of the war from a militaristic or strategic standpoint.

Part 3. Incorporating Chesterton's position into your essay, describe what you feel are the more human reasons and experiences that were prevalent in this war. Do you agree with Chesterton's interpretation? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

In the chapter titled "War of Gods and Demons", Chesterton states that the struggle for Christianity would have been very different if the Carthaginians had won the Punic wars. In the next chapter he creates a psychological profile of what Rome was like when Christianity arrived. Set the psychological stage for the coming of Christ, as Chesterton did for Rome, for the arrival of Christ if Rome had lost the Punic wars. Write an essay about what might have been different.

Part 1. Describe the civilizations of Carthage and Rome.

Part 2. Summarize the war and the major players and events in it.

Part 3. What if Rome had fallen and became a colony of Carthage? What would have changed in society?

Part 4. How do you think these changes might have affected the arrival of Christianity? What would have been different?

(see the answer keys)

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