You are on page 1of 9

The Bible

Fall 2015
Final Exam Study Guide

For the Final Exam, be sure to familiarize yourself with the following terms and
concepts from lectures, class discussions and activities, and videos, as well as your
readings from the text. It is recommended that you study in groups or with a
partner, and that you compare and collate your lecture notes. Please note that
PowerPoint presentations from lectures will not be posted online.
The test will consist of 200 questions, worth 1 point each, and will include true/false
and multiple choice questions. Approximately 25% of the material will be taken
from the text book, and approximately 75% of material will be taken from lectures,
discussions, etc.
There will also be a five-paragraph essay, worth 50 points. Each paragraph should
have a minimum of 5 well developed sentences. 3 of the 6 prompts listed below will
be on the exam, but you will not know which. It is recommended that you outline
your essays beforehand, so as to organize your thoughts, but please note that you
will not be permitted to bring those outlines to the Exam.

UNIT 1: REVELATION AND SCRIPTURE


From the Lectures:

What did Pope John Paul II say about the relationship between faith and
reason?
Understand the relationship between faith and reason, Divine Revelation and
Natural Revelation.
What can one know about God independent of religion, through reflection on
the world, and on the human person?
What are Thomas Aquinas Quinque Viae, and where do they come from?
Explain Thomas argument from Causality. Explain Anselms Ontological
Argument. Explain Joseph Ratzingers (Benedict XVIs) version of the
argument from Design.
Can Gods existence be proven in the mathematical sense? According to
John Henry Newman, how to we usually arrive about the truth of things,
including and especially Gods existence? Is there a single, irrefutable proof
for Gods existence?
Explain Augustines argument from Desire. Give some reasons (with
examples) of why the Catholic religion does not conflict with science.
What is Dei Verbum, and why is it important in the life of the Church?
Understand that the Bible is the written record of Gods self-revelation in
history.

Understand the development from oral tradition to written tradition.


Understand what is (and is not) meant by the terms canon and
inspiration.
Know the major divisions of the Old and New Testaments (Hebrew and
Christian Scriptures).
Understand, in general terms, how the canon of the Old Testament
developed.
Understand what is (and is not) meant by inerrancy (the word of God in
the words of men).
Understand literalism vs. contextualism, and which approach Catholic
theology prefers.
Know the different literary forms, or genres, in the Bible, and why it is
important to distinguish them from one another.
Know the four senses of scripture (Latin, Sensus Plenior), and how they build
upon each other.
Understand the unity within the Bible and where it comes from (Rev 5: the
lamb who was slain, who alone is worthy to open and read the scroll sealed
with seven seals).
Know that the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) was written predominantly
in Hebrew, and that the New Testament (Christian Scriptures) was written
entirely in Greek.
Know how the physical form (and availability) of the Bible has changed over
the course of the Churchs history.
Know a couple facts about some historically significant translations of the
Bible: the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the King James Bible, or Authorized
Version.
Know a couple facts about some modern Catholic translations of the Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, and the New American Bible.
Understand different methods of Bible translation: formal equivalence,
dynamic translation, and paraphrase.

From the Text Book:


Section 1, Part 1: The Desire to Know God
Section 1, Part 2: Natural Revelation
Section 1, Part 3: Divine Revelation

Video:
Catholicism: Episode 1, The Ineffable Mystery of God

UNIT 2: INTRODUCTION TO THE PENATEUCH AND GEN 1-11


From the Lectures:

The meaning and origin of Torah and Pentateuch


The names of the five books of the Torah/Pentateuch and (very briefly) what
they contain
What is the Historical-Critical Method generally, as well as its forms (Textual
Criticism, Source Criticism, Form Criticism, Redaction Criticism, and Historical
Criticism)
Why Historical-Critical scholars think that Moses did NOT write the
Torah/Pentateuch
Who was Julius Wellhausen
The four sources of the Pentateuch (Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, Priestly)
and (briefly) some distinguishing characteristics of each
Literary forms in the Torah/Pentateuch (myth, legend, legal code) and (briefly)
some distinguishing characteristics of each
Themes and motifs in the Torah/Pentateuch
Generally, how some people misread Genesis, and how to interpret it properly
The two creation stories in Genesis (Priestly and Yahwist) and some
distinguishing characteristics of each
Some similarities and differences between the Priestly Creation Story and the
Enuma Elish
The significance of the poetic structure of the Priestly Creation Story (i.e., the
six days of creation)
What is meant by God giving man dominion over creation (Pope Francis
encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si)
The symbolism of various elements of the Yahwist Creation Story (the
Adama and the Ruah, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge, womans
creation from mans rib, etc.)
The symbolism of various elements in the story of the Fall (naked without
shame their eyes were opened, the snake, etc.)
How sin affects the man and woman individually and in their relationships
(Gods judgement)
What is a Midrash, and (generally) how does the Legend of the Golem serve
as a midrashic interpretation of the Yahwist Creation Story?
How the story of Cain and Abel in Gen 4 continues and deepens the story of
the Fall in Gen 3
Distinguishing characteristics of the story of Noah and the Flood (composite
of J and P, repetitions and contradictions in the text, etc.)
Was there really a Flood?
How the Flood story follows the structure of the Priestly Creation Story
How God reestablishes his covenant with humanity through Noah
What Hams sin against Noah says about sin generally

Videos (posted to Haiku):

NOVA: The Bibles Buried Secrets


Kingdom of David: By the Rivers of Babylon

From the Text Book:


Section 2, Part 1: Understanding the Scriptures
Section 2, Part 2: Interpreting Scripture
Section 2, Part 3: Overview of the Old and New Testaments
Section 3, Part 1: The Book of Genesis

Readings to Review:
Genesis 1-4, 6-9
Ennuma Elish (handout)

UNIT 3: PATRIARCHS
From the Lectures:

To what literary genre does Genesis 11-50 (Patriarchs) belong, and what are
some characteristics of this form?
What some distinguishing characteristics of Gods relationship with Abram (J
Source)?
What is the significance of God calling Abram away from his fathers house
and into the land of Canaan?
What are the four elements of Gods covenant with Abraham (Blessing,
People, Land, Circumcision)?
In what ways does Abram and Sarais sojourn in Egypt foreshadow Israels
enslavement in Egypt and the Exodus that follows?
Who is Melchizedek (King of Salem)? Whom does he worship (El Elyon, God
Most High)? What does this say about how Israels faith in the one God
(monotheism) developed over time?
What is the symbolism of the ritual by which God seals his covenant with
Abram (cutting up animals)? What is the significance of God, but not Abram,
walking between the pieces?
What does Abraham mean, and how does this new name reflect its owners
new calling from God?
What is circumcision, what is its original purpose, and what religious
symbolism did it acquire over time?
Isaac sounds like what Hebrew word meaning laughter (Yishaq), and why
do Abraham and Sarah give this name to their son?

Who are the three mysterious visitors to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre (three
theories)?
How are Gods covenant promises thrown into doubt in the Akedah (Binding
of Isaac), and how is God ultimately justified and the covenant renewed?
How does the Akedah demonstrate a fundamental shift in how the Israelites
understand sacrifice (sacrificial cycle)?
Give a basic genealogy of the Patriarchs (Abraham > Isaac > Jacob/Israel >
Twelve Sons of Jacob/Israel)
Explain the symbolism of Jacob and Esaus gestation and birth (Israel vs.
Edom)
Explain the significance of Jacob taking Esaus birthright (Bekorah), and then
his covenant blessing (Berakah)
Explain how Jacob steals the covenant blessing from Esau. Why is he well
named Jacob (Yaakov = supplanter)?
Explain Jacobs dream at Bethel. What does this say about the sacredness of
the Land of Israel?
Explain the irony in Jacob being tricked into marrying Leah before Rachael.
How do the twelve sons of Jacob symbolize the Twelve Tribes of Israel?
Explain the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel, and why he is named
Israel (= wrestles with God)

Readings to Review:
Gen 12, 14, 15, 17, 18:1-15, 22, 25: 19-34, 27, 28:10-22, 29:1-30, 32:23-33

UNIT 4: MOSES AND THE EXODUS


From the Lectures:

What is the significance of the Israelites multiplying in Egypt, and the new
Pharaohs attempts to stop their increase?
What is the significance of Moses being placed in a basket (Hebrew, ark),
among the reeds?
What is some of the irony in the story of Moses birth, adoption, and infancy?
What does Moses name mean in Hebrew, and how does it encapsulate his
story?
What is the difference (if any) between Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai?
What are the two theophanies on Sinai with which the Exodus story is framed
(Burning Bush and the Sinai Covenant)?
What is the meaning of the name YHWH, and what does this say about Gods
nature?
Are the plagues of Egypt miracles or signs? What are they meant to
demonstrate?

What makes Israelite monotheism unique (from, for instance, the religion of
Pharaoh Akhenaten, who also worshipped only one God)? How does Israels
faith in the one God evolve over time?
What are the basic elements of the Passover, as commanded by God in
Exodus? What does it mean for the Passover to be a day of remembrance?
Be familiar with the fact that Torah refers to both the first five books of the
Bible, and the law that God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai
How many mitzvot, or commandments, are there in the Torah (613), and what
areas of Jewish life do they govern (moral, social, religious)? Also know that
while the social and religious law is changeable (e.g., not marrying a Gentile,
eating pork), the moral law is not (i.e., not murdering anyone).
Understand the transition of the Israelites from the slave mentality to
freedom through the law (hence the 40 years of wandering in the
wilderness)
Understand how the tying together of religion and morality makes Judaism
unique amongst ancient religions.
What is the meaning of Decalogue (Greek, ten words = 10
commandments)?
Know that the Decalogue is a summary of the entire Torah.
Know that the numbering and division of the Decalogue differs according to
religious affiliation. What is the traditional Jewish way of numbering and
dividing the 10 Commandments.
Understand how the animated film The Prince of Egypt functions as a
Midrashic reinterpretation of the Moses/Exodus story.

Video:
The Prince of Egypt

From the Text Book:


Section 2, Part 2: The Book of Exodus

Readings to Review:
Ex 1-15, 19, 20, Deut 5:6-21

UNIT 5: JOSHUA, JUDGES, AND KINGS


We have not yet covered this material in class. I will give you this information as an
addendum to the study guide at a later date

Essay
1. Discuss the concept of Revelation. Be sure to:

Explain what is meant by Divine Revelation and Natural Revelation, as well as


the relationship between faith and reason.
Discuss two Christian theologians who wrote about Gods existence.
Explain at least two of the proofs from nature (i.e., not from Scripture) that
they used.

2. Discuss how the Bible developed. Be sure to:

Discuss the progression from oral to written tradition. During what phase of
Israels history were the oral traditions first written down?
What are the four sources of the Torah, and what are some of their
distinguishing characteristics? What is the earliest to be written, and which is
the latest?
Beyond source criticism, discuss four other methods of Biblical scholarship.
What does the Historical Critical Method ultimately help us to understand?

3. Discuss Biblical Contextualism vs. Fundamentalism. Be sure to:

Explain what is meant by both contextualism and fundamentalism.


Address whether Catholic exegesis favor contextualism or fundamentalism,
and why.
Discuss how one would interpret the two creation accounts in Genesis
according to Catholic exegetical principles.

4. Discuss the Sensus Plenior. Be sure to:

Explain what is meant by the literal sense of Scripture. How does this differ
from Biblical literalism? How can the Historical-Critical Method help our
understanding of the literal sense?
Explain what is meant by the spiritual sense of Scripture. The spiritual sense
is further subdivided into what three senses?
Unpack the meaning of the Siege of Jericho in Joshua according to its literal
and spiritual senses (all four).

5. Discuss the Biblical concept of Monotheism. Be sure to:

Explain the nature of Israelite monotheism. What distinguishes it from


merely, the worship of one God?
Explain how two key texts, the first creation account in Genesis, and the
revelation of the Divine Name to Moses in Exodus, develop on the theme of
Israelite monotheism.

Discuss the historical origin on the Hebrew word El, its two meanings, and
how this demonstrates the gradual development of Israels understanding of
God.

6. Discuss the Biblical concept of Covenant. Be sure to:

Explain what a covenant is, who could establish a covenant, and how one
established a covenant in the Ancient Near East (i.e., What does it mean to
cut a covenant?).
Discuss briefly Gods covenants with Noah, Abraham/Isaac/Jacob, Moses (the
Sinai Covenant), and David.
Discuss in detail Gods covenant with Abraham. What are the four parts of
this covenant? What is the spiritual significance of circumcision?

You might also like