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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 commonality does Chesterton give to the three elements from which religion supposedly arose?

2. Why does Chesterton say men fight?

3. According to Chesterton, what do mythologies have the power to do?

4. What place does Chesterton say was the center of antiquity?

5. How does Chesterton wish to view and discuss the earth?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Explain the significance that Chesterton gives the cave drawings regarding the nature of the cave man.

4. Who, according to Chesterton, are some of the greatest philosophers?

5. Explain the example Chesterton uses of nomadic peoples to explain the classification of religions.

6. Chesterton claims to see the concept of an all powerful God in many pagan religions. Explain his position.

7. What concept regarding civilization and barbarism throughout history does Chesterton refute? What does he say?

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

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

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

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 spends quite a bit of time disputing the popular scientific theories of his time. Write an essay about the scientific theories on the origins of man.

Part 1. How is new knowledge incorporated into the scientific record? Explain the scientific method.

Part 2. What special difficulties does research into an untestable subject such as prehistory present? What methods have been developed to work around them?

Part 3. What are the current scientific theories regarding the origins of man?

Part 4. How do these theories differ with the ones existent in Chesterton's time? Are his arguments still valid?

Essay Topic 3

In the chapter "War of Gods and Demons" Chesterton depicts the Romans as a people standing against a powerful evil that they would rather die than live under. This theme is common to two authors who were contemporaries and colleagues of Chesterton's: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Discuss this common theme.

Part 1. Explain the scene in which Chesterton describes the Romans and the emotion behind it.

Part 2. What is the core of this experience that Chesterton defends? Where else can it be found?

Part 3. Compare and contrast the scene from Chesterton's book to the work of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, or both.

Part 4. How did the other author or authors explore and vary this scene?

Part 5. Why does this subject have such an emotional impact that it creates such enduring stories?

(see the answer keys)

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