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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 Paul assure the Thessalonians in terms of "those who had died"?

2. What are sophists?

3. What does Mack claim the kingdom of God represented?

4. What way did ethnic or cultural groups create small social units within the larger culture they found themselves in?

5. In the temple-state model of civilization, what system does the king represent?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the fourth Jesus movement discussed in the book, and what is/are the primary components of the movement's teachings?

2. What is the catch-22 Mack finds when discussing the New Testament and the origins of the Christian Church?

3. What were the three ideas that groups gathered around that resulted in the Jesus movements?

4. What is the third Jesus movement discussed in the book, and what is/are the primary components of the movement's teachings?

5. Describe the two major aspects in which the Christ cult differed from the Jesus movements.

6. Explain why Mack believes Galilee was the perfect place for social experimentation.

7. What were some of the problems exporting the Athens model of society?

8. Describe the concept of the polis.

9. Explain Paul's concept of the spiritual body.

10. What is the fifth Jesus movement discussed in the book, and what is/are the primary components of the movement's teachings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss, in depth, the three concerns written about in the treatise that is the Epistle to the Hebrews. What three concerns does the author either discuss openly, or imply? Why were these particular concerns? What had happened in society that caused these concerns? How did the letter address these concerns? How are these concerns interrelated, according to Mack? What does Mack claim this shows the author was trying to do? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast two of the following Gospels. Be sure to include the time of the writing, the location, the portrayal of Jesus, the use of other documents to form a basis, and the individual additions of each author to the main story line. How are the two similar, and how are they different?

• The Gospel of Mark

• The Gospel of Matthew

• The Gospel of Luke

Essay Topic 3

List and discuss the four "proofs" from scripture that support the idea that the history of Israel can be read as the story of the Christian God. What are the four points? What do they mean? How do they tie together to create the idea of a scripture that supports the Christian God, rather than a Jewish God? Be sure to mention concepts such as the spirit of prophesy, the logos, and the idea that the history of Israel did not end with the Jews.

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