Theo 101. Christian Theological Tradition.
Prof. Paul Gavrilyuk
FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Part I. Multiple Choice.
A friendly suggestion: if you do not know where to find a particular term, look up the index on pp. 412-422
in The Christian Theological Tradition. Theology tutor may be reached at 2-5342 or check with Theology
secretary, Mrs. Laurie Dimond, in JRC153.
Your answer should cover as many of the following questions as possible:
1. Who? (e.g., a theologian, or a nun, or a philosopher)
2. When? (century for important figures, exact dates for councils)
3. Where? (country, names of the cities for councils)
4. What? (did what, wrote what)
5. Why significant?
Incarnation
Trinity
creed
Gnosticism
Docetism
First ecumenical council
Fourth ecumenical council
Athanasius
Arius
Antony of Egypt
monasticism
basilica
Augustine
Manichees
Filioque
Benedict of Nursia
Gregory I (the Great)
Anselm
Thomas Aquinas
Summa Theologiae
Black Death
John Wycliffe
Jan Hus
indulgencies
inquisition
Luther
transubstantiation
sola fidae
sola scriptura
Diet of Worms
Ignatius of Loyola
Council of Trent
Spiritual Exercises (PowerPoint, CTT)
Descartes (PowerPoint, CTT)
Deism (CTT)
naturalism (Aquinas, lecture)
Voltaire (PowerPoint, CTT)
Hume (PowerPoint, CTT)
infallibility, papal (CTT)
Vatican council II
Ecumenism (esp. Decree on Ecumenism)
Part II. Short answer and short essay questions.
Actual final examination questions will be worded slightly differently.
1. What main charges were made against the Christians during the time of persecutions? List and
describe at least three charges. (film, CTT)
2. Discuss the theological meaning of the visions described in The Martyrdom of Perpetua. (seminar)
3. What was at stake in the Arian controversy and how was it resolved? Name and describe the main
participants, ideas and events.
4. Discuss the main stages of Augustine’s intellectual and spiritual development (his student years in
Carthage, his Manichean years, his encounter with Ambrose in Milan, his Garden experience).
5. What main changes did Christianity undergo in the fourth century? (PowerPoint)
6. How was the relationship between faith and reason understood in the medieval scholasticism?
(PowerPoint, CTT)
7. Formulate St. Anselm’s ontological argument. (seminar)
8. Discuss Thomas Aquinas’ life and contribution to theology. (major themes of his theology, the
structure of the articles of the Summa Theologiae; see CTT).
9. Formulate St. Thomas Aquinas’ five arguments for the existence of God, as found in Summa
Theologiae (seminar)
10. According to St. Thomas, what are the two main objections to the classical theism? How does St.
Thomas respond to these objections? (seminar)
11. What was the impact of Black Death upon the late medieval Europe? How was this disaster
explained? What impact did it make upon piety? (film)
12. Summarize the key points made in Luther’s Christian Liberty. (seminar)
13. What were the historical circumstances of the council of Trent? What were the key doctrinal and
practical achievements of the council of Trent? (scripture & tradition, role of free will and grace in
salvation, doctrine of transubstantiation, original sin, veneration of images & relics).
14. Discuss the main challenges presented to the traditional Christianity by the Enlightenment. Pay
special attention to the distinctive criticisms offered by Voltaire, Hume and Kant.
15. What were the main issues discussed at the Second Vatican Council? What changes did the
council bring about in the life of the Catholic Church?
16. State the problem of evil. Discuss the solutions that Kushner considers to be inadequate, stating
the reasons why they are inadequate.
17. What solution(s) does Kushner propose? What solution do you find most convincing? Why?
18. What main theological, social, moral and other challenges does the church need to deal with
today?