Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Theology 10 Semester Exam Review

Let The Good Times Roll...

Below you will find everything you need to prepare for the Semester Exam, which is currently scheduled for the following time:
        • 1st Period: The FIRST Exam on Monday, December 11.
        • 2nd Period: The SECOND Exam on Monday, December 11.
        • 3rd Period: The FIRST Exam on Tuesday, December 12.


This exhilarating examination experience features four festive parts purported to provide pedagogical pleasure:

 Section I: Take Home Project
You were given the prompt for this in class, and all information necessary to complete it should be found in your notes. If it's not there, I shall weep for you, briefly. This project should be shared with me by Monday December 4 by midnight. Here's a link to the prompt, just in case you want to look at it for sentimental reasons.

Section II: Multiple Choice
There will be 100 multiple choice questions on the exam, taken from the form embedded below. The questions cover everything we have learned so far this semester. Please be aware that there are [TBD] practice questions on this form, and while only 100 will appear on the test, there will be multiple versions of the test, meaning you could potentially see any of these questions.
  • 100 Multiple Choice Questions, 1 point per question, 100 points total this section.
  • If you right click in the frame below and then select Reload Frame from the menu, the questions and answers will be re-scrambled.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE LOGGED IN TO YOUR STUDENT GOOGLE ACCOUNT
to access this form, otherwise it will not work.
Section III: The Exam Essays
Choose TWO of the essays listed below, and be prepared to answer them in class on the day of the exam. You may not use any notes on exam day, but you may certainly prepare your answer in advance. The essays you choose are the ones you answer- you do not need to be prepared to answer any questions other than those two from this list.
  • TWO Essays, 35 points each, 70 points total this section.

  1. Explain the Documentary Theory. Why is the question of Mosaic authorship an important one for Jews and Christians? What are the problems with the Torah that have caused scholars to question Mosaic authorship? What are the sources proposed in the Documentary Theory? How does the Theory shed light on the composition and interpretation of the Torah?

  2. Briefly explain the Deuteronomistic Cycle (or "Cycle of Salvation History"). What is the relevance of the cycle to the interpretation of the Torah and Nevi'im? Explain how the story of the Healing of the Paralytic in the Synoptic Gospels is meant to challenge or respond to the assumptions of the cycle.
  3. Why does Catholic/Christian philosophy understand God's creation of the cosmos as "ex nihilo"? What does this mean, and what are the philosophical problems this doctrine is meant to address? Do the Creation Stories in Genesis support or undermine this doctrine? Why?
  4. Explain the Priestly Cosmology in Genesis. Which two stories in the Primeval History assume this cosmology, how do we know, and what is this cosmology used to explain?
  5. Explain how key Biblical themes that are illustrated in the Second Creation Story in Genesis repeat in later stories in the Primeval History, such as Cain and Abel, the story of the Nephilim, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. What is the main point of this repetition of themes? What "paradox" about the creation of humanity are these stories meant to point out?
  6. Explain how the Second Creation Story in Genesis illustrates the aspects of the Biblical concept of Sin. What is sin, and what are its consequences? What is "The Fall"? How is the Bible's claim that Abraham's "faith was credited to him as righteousness" related to the problem of sin and the Fall?
  7. Why does it matter whether or not God punishes Adam and Eve in the story of the Fall, as opposed to simply describing the consequences of their actions? How is this issue particularly relevant to the portrayal of Eve?
  8. In some Christian art, either Mary or Jesus is portrayed as standing on a snake. Why? What is the Biblical basis of this depiction. Be sure to explain why BOTH have been portrayed this way in your answer.
  9. Explain St. Augustine's doctrine of Original Sin. How is it illustrated by the story of the Fall in Genesis? How is this theme carried forward in the Primeval History, and how is the Call of Abraham related to it?
  10. Explain the Black Sea Flood Theory. What is its significance for Biblical interpretation, specifically with respect to the Flood Narratives in Genesis? If the theory is true, does it make the Genesis Flood story "historical"? Why or why not?
  11. Discuss the relevance of the book of Genesis to New Testament interpretation, focusing on the following stories/characters:

Adam and Eve, the Serpent, and the Garden of Eden

Abraham and the Binding of Isaac

Joseph and His Brothers



Section IV: I Lied.
Look, it was just a lot easier to be alliterative with the word "four" than with "three." If you didn't get that joke, then maybe you aren't paying as much attention to this review page as you should be...



How To Study...
There are 220 total points on this test, but your points correct will be taken out of 200, meaning there are 20 extra credit points built in. So how should you study? Do the following:
  • First, get that Mandatory Project done if you haven't already. Don't procrastinate any more on that thing. It'll feel like an albatross around your neck. You'll get stressed. You'll get nervous and sweaty, and nobody likes that.
  • Second, master the Multiple Choice. This is where most of the points on the test come from, so make sure you know it. Besides, I spent a lot of time on the Google Form with the practice questions, and I did that all for you. Because I'm nice like that. 
  • Third, prepare the essays that seem easiest to you, given what you had to learn for the Multiple Choice. Don't stress over the essays too much... if nothing else, you can cobble together something from the answers to the other questions on the test.

The Class Presentations
If you need them, I've provided links to PDFs of the PowerPoints I used in class. Remember that you are always required to take notes, and you are expected to have your notes in class every day, so if you are missing answers to questions in your notes pages, make sure to use these presentations to address that.




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Monday, November 28, 2022

World Religions: Final Exam Fall 2023

The World Religions Final Exam Schedule for Fall 2023:

6th Period: SECOND Exam on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023


What you need to study:



And finally, I post for your enlightenment, every presentation given in this class:


Some Addendums
If they will be of benefit to you, I offer some presentations from the Foundations class that go into greater detail on some of the subjects discussed in this one:

Also, there is always the possibility that you've not been paying much attention this semester to the numerous times I've mentioned the problems with defining the word "religion." Maybe you've been too busy playing games on your cellphone, or watching videos on YouTube or Tik Tok? Who knows...but you'll need some idea of how to define the term, and this essay might help...or maybe not.


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