CHR 150: Final Exam Study Guide

1. Albert Schweitzer's critique of the Old Quest of the historical Jesus was that 19th-century scholars had modernized Jesus and remade him in their own image. To what extent do Christians today fall into the same trap? To attempt to answer this question, discuss the "problem of the historical Jesus" and scholarly attempts to address that problem in modern times. How have the various quests helped to refine the contemporary understanding of the Jesus of history?
2. What are some of the major themes of each of the four Gospels? How did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John depict the person of Jesus? What did they want their readers to understand about him? What strategies did they use to communicate their message?
3. Discuss the literary, historical, and hermeneutical aspects of the parables of Jesus. How does attention to these aspects enhance our appreciation of the parables? Cite examples from some of the parables from the assigned reading.
4. Describe the significance of the miracles of Jesus. How did the Gospel writers depict Jesus' ministry of healing and casting out of demons? How has modern theology approached the subject of the miraculous in the New Testament?
5. How do the Gospel accounts of the resurrection both agree and disagree with one another? What do the differences among the Gospels suggest in terms of the experiences of the first disciples of the risen Jesus? What details have traditionally been put forth as evidence of the historicity of Jesus' resurrection, and what counter-explanations have been offered?
6. Describe the significance of Hellenistic Jews in the early Jerusalem church. What made Hellenistiews different than Palestinian Jews? Name two prominent Hellenistic Jewish leaders and the role(s) they played in the expansion of Christianity.
7. What is "apocalypticism"? Describe the phenomenon of apocalyptic as both a religious mindset and a literary genre. Give specific examples of New Testament passages that give evidence of apocalyptic thinking and/or writing.
8. Discuss the place of the book of Hebrews in early Christian thought. What issues does Hebrews address, and how does the book offer guidance for believers whose backgrounds were shaped by the religious currents and customs of the first century?
   
9. How have 20th-century scholars approached the question of Pauline theology? What have been the major options for understanding the central concerns of Paul's thought? Specifically, what did Schweitzer, Bultmann, and Sanders contribute to the study of this topic?
10. Describe the distinctive nature of the Gospel of John. Give some examples of features that set this Gospel apart from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. How do you account for these unique features?
11. Describe the situation to which the Johannine Letters were addressed. Namely, what crisis seems to have overtaken the Johannine churches? What instructions or warnings did the Elder impart to leaders and churches struggling to cope with this crisis.
12. Discuss the formation of the canon of the New Testament. What influences shaped the church's decisions about which documents should be included or excluded?
    

1. What role did Hellenization play in creating the world into which Jesus was born? Who were the key figures and what were the key events in the encounter between Judaism and the broader Hellenistic culture? What influences--positive or negative--did Hellenization have on the development of the Jewish faith in the time leading up to the New Testament era?
   
2. Cite several examples of how each of the four Gospels presents Jesus differently. What potential problems do these differences raise, and how have scholars historically addressed them? How does an understanding of the pre-history of the Gospels in the period of oral transmission shed light on these issues?
3. Discuss the Gospel accounts of the resurrection of Jesus. Cite examples of how the four Gospel accounts of the resurrection both agree and disagree with one another and offer suggestions as to how one might account for the differences.
   
4. Discuss the book of Hebrews and its place in early Christianity. Specifically, what is the theme of the book and how is this theme developed? What issues likely led to the writing of Hebrews? How is it like or unlike other writings of the New Testament?
   
5. Discuss the teachings about women and their place in the church as found in the Pauline corpus. What passages are likely to cause difficulty for those who believe in gender equality? Describe the range of interpretations of these key texts, indicating which options seem most convincing to you, and why.