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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 label as the biggest weakness of science in trying to understand the origins of man?

2. In Part I, Chapter VII, what new thing does Chesterton say we need?

3. What support does Egypt give to Chesterton's argument?

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

5. What does Chesterton say is most present in the mind of man?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In the chapter titled "The War of the Gods and Demons", who are the Gods and who are the Demons? Why does Chesterton label them as such?

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

4. How does Troy and the Iliad enter into Chesterton's argument?

5. What parallel does Chesterton make between social structure and cannibalism? Explain.

6. Explain what Chesterton was trying to explain with his example of the horse and rider.

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

8. How does Chesterton describe the religious experience of the Romans?

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

10. Explain how and why, according to Chesterton, the pace at which things move changes our perception of them.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chesterton uses cave paintings as the basis for a general statement about mankind.

Part 1. Write a brief introduction to cave paintings. When and where were they created? What do they depict?

Part 2. What does Chesterton assert about cave paintings?

Part 3. How does Chesterton use cave paintings as a way to refute some of the scientific theories of his time?

Part 4. What general conclusion about mankind does Chesterton make? What is his logic in reaching this conclusion?

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

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?

(see the answer keys)

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