Theology Christianity

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Theology Christianity essay assignment

1.      Why was there so much diversity in early Christian beliefs and practice? What elements of early Christianity would later be used to unify the church?
 

 

 
2.      Give an account of Paul’s activities prior to his becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, and explain how he eventually came to follow Jesus.
 

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3.      What was the issue addressed at the Jerusalem conference, and how was it resolved?
 

 
4.      Define the term apostle, distinguishing it from the term disciple, and explain why Paul had difficulty being accepted as an apostle in his lifetime. Is he ever recognized as an apostles by the church.
 

 
5.      Explain the difference between justification by works and justification by faith. Which does Paul prefer? Why?
 

 

 
6.      Explain Paul’s understanding of the church as body of Christ.
 

 
7.      Name the four major non- Pauline Christian churches of the first and second centuries C.E and the New Testament apostles or preachers associated with them. Which, if any, originated as Jewish Christian communities

 

Section 2

 

  1. What effects did the fall of Jerusalem in A.D have on the Christian movements?
 
  1. What sorts of motives seem to have attracted converts to Christianity during the second and third centuries?
 
  1. Why did the Roman Empire persecute Christians? What kinds of objections did pagans raise against Christianity?
 
  1. How did Logos theology help the apologists defend Christianity?
 
  1. What were the most important factors in the formation of orthodox Christian doctrine? (Illustrate with specific reference to Baptism and the Eucharist)
 
  1. By the end of the second century, a universal (catholic) Christian consensus was beginning to take shape. What were the four main elements that helped to consolidate Christianity’s identity?
 
  1. What are the doctrines about God, creation, humanity, and redemption that are regarded as broadly typical of Gnosticism?
 
  1. How did the theology of Ireneaus of Lyons respond to gnostic dualism?
 
  1. According to Irenaeus, how are we able to identify and know what apostolic tradition is?
 
  1. How did Origen of Alexandria see the calling of the theologian, in relation to the apostolic tradition of the church? List some of Origen’s lasting contributions to the Christian tradition.
 
  1. The bishop played the key role in the life of the local Christian community and also served as the main link to Christian communities elsewhere. What were his local responsibilities? What other types of authority existed in Christian communities?

 

Section 3

 

1. In what ways did Constantine affect the development of the Christian tradition?
 

 
2. Part of Constantine’s influence on the Christian tradition consisted of fostering a Christian devotion to the Roman Empire. Assess both the positive and the negative aspects of this identification with the state.
 

 
3. In rejecting Arius’ teachings, the Council of Nicaea ruled that the Son was “one in being” with the Father. What did Arius teach, and why did Christians like Athanasius oppose his teaching?
 

 
4. How did the Cappadocians contribute towards the definition of the Trinity as this doc-trine was declared at the Council of Constantinople? What were some other distinctive theological contributions that they made?
 

 
5. Contrast the different concerns and emphases in understanding the union of divine and human in the incarnation as we find them in the School of Antioch and the School of Alexandria.
 

 
6. What was the teaching of the Council of Chalcedon on the union of divine and human in the incarnation (answer using the terms nature and person), and why did many Eastern Christians refuse to accept the council’s definition?
 

 
7. During the period of the fourth and fifth centuries, what was the status of the pope, the bishop of Rome, in the universal church? Describe this both from the Roman point of view, as seen in the writings of Pope Leo I, and from the point of view of Eastern bishops.
 

 
8. What was the historical circumstance in which monasticism arose? Although there are various parallels to Christian monasticism in the ancient world, what was its basic motive and its primary model?
 

 
9. How did the floor plan of the church design called the basilica reflect the distinction between laity and clergy in the church?
 

 

 

Section 4

 

 

1. How did the rise of the monastic movement affect Augustine’s thinking about marriage in his Confessions?

 

  
2. What were the conditions that led Augustine to compose On the City of God?

 

  
3. What were some of the main ideas of the Manichees? What made these ideas attractive to the young Augustine?

4. What were the main ideas of the Neoplatonists? How did Neoplatonism help to free Augustine from the Manichees?

 

  
5. What was the problem of the “ two wills” ( or the “ divided will”) that Augustine experi-enced prior to becoming Christian? How did the advice of Lady Continence help to resolve this problem?

 

  
6. How did the Donatist schism begin? What were the Donatists’ main theological ideas?  
7. What were Augustine’s primary theological arguments against the Donatists?

 

  
8. What were the main ideas of the monk Pelagius? What were Augustine’s primary the-ological arguments against Pelagianism?  
9. How did Augustine’s ideas about sin and grace lead to the notion of predestination?

How did the Synod of Orange respond to this view of Augustine?

  

 

Section 5

 

1. Who governs the Eastern Orthodox churches? To what degree was the Byzantine emperor involved in the government of this church during the period in which the Byzantine Empire existed? What principle justified the emperor’s involvement in the church?
 

 

 
2. Compare and contrast the various Eastern churches in terms of their acceptance or rejection of the teachings of the first seven ecumenical councils.
 

 

 
3. What is an icon? What arguments were made for and against the veneration of icons, and how was the dispute over icons finally resolved? What function do icons serve in the Eastern Orthodox Church? Do all Eastern churches accept the veneration of icons?
 

 

 
4. What is hesychia? How does one achieve it? What arguments were made for and against hesychia, and how was the dispute over it finally resolved?
 

 

 
5. What events or circumstances led to the separation of Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians?
 

 

 
6. What are the distinctive elements in the beliefs and practices of the Non- Chalcedonian Eastern Christian churches and the Assyrian Church of the East?
 

 

 

 

Section 6

 

 

1. Explain the meaning of the word Islam. Describe the social, political, and religious conditions that gave rise to Islam in seventh century Arabia.
 
2. What were the contributions that Muhammad made to development of early Islam?
 
3. How and where did Islam spread during its period of expansion up to and including its “golden age” in the thirteenth century?
 
4. Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews and Christians. Why is it also a holy city for Muslims?
 

 
5. What is the Qur’an? What status does it have for Muslim believers? How does it com-pare with the Bible for Christians?
 

 
6. How would you compare the Muslim formation of an authoritative tradition beyond the Qur’an with what happened in Christianity in the second and third centuries (see Chapter 8)?
 

 
7. What are the five pillars of Islam, and how do they impact the way that Muslims live their everyday lives?
 

 
8. Describe some of the contributions that Islam has made to the arts, architecture, liter-ature, mathematics, and medicine.
 

 
9. What are some of the social, political, and religious challenges that face Muslims today?
 

 

 

Section 7

 

 

1.      Why is John Cassian known as the Father of Western Monasticism? What contribution did he make to its development?  
 2. What were the two major contributions of Celtic monasticism to the development of the early medieval Western Roman Empire?  
3. What was the Cluniac Reform Movement? Where did it originate? What abuses was it addressing?  
4. Who was Gregory I? What were his major accomplishments?  
5. Who was Gregory VII? Describe the investiture controversy in which he was involved. What was the outcome of the controversy?  
6. Identify and briefly describe the roles of the three dynasties involved in the formulation of the Holy Roman Empire during the early medieval period.  
7. Describe one major theological contribution of two Eastern theologians of the early medieval period, Pseudo- Dionysius the Areopagite and Symeon the New Theologian.  
8. Describe one major theological contribution of two Western theologians of the early medieval period, Pope Gregory I and Anselm of Canterbury  

 

 

Section 8

 

Discuss 5 of the following adverse events that affected Christian Europe in the Late Medieval Period:

Great Schism of 1309-1377  
Black Death (1347-1351)  
Depressed European economy  
Hundred Years War  
Peasants’ Revolt  

 

Precursors to the Protestant Reformation

  Birth to Death Country Occupation or calling Consequence of their anti-Church sentiments
John Wycliffe        
Jan Hus        

 

Wycliffe and Jan Hus wanted the Christian Church to reform in many ways. One or both believed in the following ways of reform:

Answer with 1 for Wycliffe alone, 2 for Jan Hus alone, 3 for both for what Wycliffe

Translation of Bible into vernacular  
Doctrine of “remaining”  
Anti-clergy including Pope for their excesses  
Against forming and sending Crusades against Naples  
Return of clergy to a life like St. Francis’s mendicant order  
Against selling indulgences (money for sanctity)  
Against popes that enrich themselves  
Authority of scripture as the source of doctrine  
Church of Rome represents the invisible church of the saved, not the visible church on earth  
Christ as the “body of Christ” and he is the only head of his Church  

 

List 3 Women Theologians during the Late Medieval Period and Their Contributions

NAME CONTRIBUTIONS
   
   
   
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