Theology/Religion Questions

All questions require two (2) citations from an authoritative source in APA format, INCLUDING a citation from the attached textbook –

Question #1 – The minimum word count is 200

1. Does the “Synoptic Problem” present an issue for you and your understanding of the truth of Scripture? How might the differences in story, style and content of the Gospel books actually lead the reader into a better understanding of who Jesus was and what the church believed about Him than they might have with only a single Gospel account?

All questions require two (2) citations from an authoritative source in APA format, INCLUDING a citation from the attached textbook –

Question #1-15 – The minimum word count is 50 PER QUESTION (750 TOTAL).

1. Define and describe the major literary forms (genres) contained in the New Testament.

2. Which part of the New Testament was written first? Who was the author and when did he write?

3. What evidence do we have of diversity in the early Christian community? What portrait of Jesus was painted in the “fifth gospel” of Thomas?

4. Briefly summarize the formation of the New Testament canon. Why did the early church decide that it needed a Scripture comparable to the Hebrew Bible? Discuss the role events such as the Jewish revolt and the proposals of Marcion in this process.

5. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the King James Bible (Authorized Version) for the modern reader.

6. Describe the concepts or beliefs common to most groups of first-century Judaisms. How was the ideal of Jewish monotheism related to Torah practice and the Temple cult?

7. Describe the role the Zealots played in the Jewish revolt in Rome. What happened to the Jewish state and religion as a result of the revolt?

8. Define the term philosophy, and summarize Plato’s teaching about the immortality of the soul and eternal spirit world.

9. Summarize the achievements of Alexander the Great. After his death, how was Alexander’s empire divided among his successors?

10. After the Romans conquered Palestine, what role did Herod and his successors play in Jewish history? Describe the functions of Roman governors such as Pontius Pilate.

11. Why do scholars think that the Gospel writers emphasized their understanding of Jesus’ religious or theological meaning more than the basic historical facts of his life? For what purpose does the author of John’s Gospel say that he composed his account?

12. Why are Matthew, Mark, and Luke called the Synoptic Gospels? Define Synoptic and explain its application to the first three Gospels.

13. According to the Synoptic accounts, what were Jesus’ characteristic modes of teaching? Define the term parables and aphorism, and give examples of each.

14. Describe some of the scholarly methods used to study the Gospels. Define these scholarly terms, and explain how each functions in analyzing a document: historical criticism, literary criticism, and narrative criticism.

15. Summarize the Greisbach theory. How does it differ from the two-document theory?