Exam Study Guides

Exam #1 - Monday, April 16, 2007 (Introduction to Religious Studies & Ancient Israelite Religion)

A) Basic Terms for Religious Studies: (see the "Religion" and "Western Religion" PPTs and HTMs linked for the first week of class)

• What are the root meanings (from Greek or Latin) and the definitions of "Philosophy" and "Theology"? ...of "Religion" and "Faith"?
• What is the difference between "Religion" and "Religious Studies"? What kinds of questions are asked by each?
• What are the definitions of the twelve "-isms" listed (types of belief in God or gods)? How are they different from each other?
• What are the four main classifications of world religions? Which are the three main "Western Religions"?
• Be able to match each of the following items (people, books, symbols, founding dates) with the appropriate religion: Moses, Jesus, Muhammad; Tanak, New Testament, Qur'an; Torah, Gospel, Surah; Star of David, Cross, Crescent Moon; 2nd Millennium BCE, 1st Century CE, 7th Century CE.

B) Hebrew Scriptures: (see the ERes reading from Bowley, the Reading Guide intros from CSB, and the "Biblical Glossary" webpage: "Basic Terms" and "Hebrew Bible" sections - up to but not including the section on the "Septuagint")

• Definitions:
  • Scripture, Bible, Canon; Testament/Covenant
  • Hebrew Bible, Tanak, Pentateuch, Torah, Nevi'im, Khetuvim
• Content & Structure & Genres:
  • What are the three main sections of the HB? What are the two sub-sections of the second section?
  • How many books does the HB contain? In which two languages are they written?
  • What are the names (in canonical/biblical order) of the first five books of the HB (a.k.a. the Torah or the Five Books of Moses)?
  • What is the main content & historical context of each of the three sections of the HB?
  • What literary genre(s) does each section primarily include?
• Writings, Translations, and Interpretations:
  • What are some of the main differences between ancient writings (like the HB) and most modern books?
  • What are some of the main reasons why there are so many different English translations of the Bible?
  • What are the main differences between Orthodox/Traditional and Reform/Critical interpretations of the Torah?

C) Historical Overview and Israelite Origins: (see the "History" webpage linked for the second week of class)

• Key Dates: 1800, 1300, 1000, 721, 587, 334, 63, 40, 4 BC/BCE; 30, 70, 1948 AD/CE (esp. the ones in bold)
  • Succession of Ancient Empires: E/A/B/P/G/R
  • Most Traumatic Events? Two centuries of Israelite/Jewish Independence?
• Main Characters:
  • Patriarchs & Matriachs: ABRAHAM, Sarah & Hagar, Isaac & Ishmael, Jacob/Israel, 12 Sons of Jacob (esp. Joseph, Judah, Levi, etc.)
  • Exodus Generation: MOSES, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Judges
  • Kings of the United Monarchy: Saul, DAVID, Solomon
• Foundational Events: Call of Abraham, Sacrifce of Isaac, Passover/Exodus, Giving of Torah on Mount Sinai, Conquest/Settlement of Holy Land, Establishment of Monarchy, Conquest of Jerusalem, Building of First Temple, Destruction of Jerusalem & First Temple, Babylonian Exile & Restoration

D) Theology of Covenant: (see the "Covenants" webpage linked for the second week of class)

• What is a "Covenant"? What are some of the main elements or general features of ancient and/or biblical covenants?
• Three Main Biblical Covenants: with Abraham, Moses, and David: What are the two main parts/promises of each?
• Israelite Monotheism: What is the "Shema"? (see Deut 6) What is "YHWH"? (see Exod 3) How are they related?

Exam #2 - Monday, April 30, 2007 (Fundamentals of Judaism)

NOTE: The exam is not limited to the following highlights; you are also responsible for the assigned readings from the textbooks (esp. Judaism: A Very Short Introduction) and the course website (esp. the pages highlighted in bold). In addition to the materials from the "Judaism" section of the online Schedule of Readings, it would also be very good (i.e., strongly suggested!) to review the "Judaism" column of the "Introduction to Western Religions" webpage already linked on 4/9/07.

A) Jewish Scriptures & Later Literature:

• Hebrew Bible / HB:
  • Review everything in Section B from Exam #1 Study Guide (above), esp. TaNaK
• Septuagint / LXX:
  • Definition, 4-part structure, content, origin (date&place), language?
  • How is the LXX related to the HB (similarities & differences)?
  • What are the "Apocrypha" or "Deuterocanonical Books"?
• Other Second-Temple or Inter-testamental Jewish Literature:
  • Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus (basic identifications only)
• Rabbinic Jewish Literature:
  • Oral Torah vs. Written Torah: What are they? How are they related (in traditional rabbinic views & in modern scholarly views)?
  • Mishnah, Gemara, Talmuds - What? When? By whom?

B) Jewish History & Branches of Judaism:

• Main Eras: [Pre-Historic], Hebrew/Israelite, Second Temple, Rabbinic & Medieval, Early Modern & Modern
  • Hebrew/Israelite Era: review the dates, names & events from Section C of Exam #1 Study Guide (above)
  • Second Temple Era:
    • Persian Period: Restoration after Babylonian Exile; Ezra & Nehemiah; Book of Esther
    • Greek Period: Alexander the Great; Antiochus IV Epiphanes; Maccabean Revolt (167-164 BCE); Book of Daniel
    • Roman Period: King Herod the Great, various Jewish groups (esp. Pharisees & Christians); revolt/war against Rome (70 CE)
  • Rabbinic & Medieval Eras:
    • Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi ("the Prince"); Maimonides; Ashkenazi & Sephardic Jews
  • Early Modern & Modern Eras:
    • Enlightenment; Zionist Movement; Holocaust/Shoah; Establishment of modern State of Israel (1948)
    • Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative, Orthodox, Hasidic branches; also secular/humanistic Jews
    • Demographics: How many Jews in world today? In which countries mainly?

C) Jewish Beliefs:

• Core Statements of Beliefs:
  • SHEMA (Deut 6:4ff; no other universally accepted "Creed"; various groups debate, argue, differ, and divide)
  • Maimonides: Thirteen Principles of the Faith (ca. 1160; Judaism: VSI, Appendix A)
  • Reform Judaism: various "Platforms" (e.g. Judaism: VSI, Appendix B)
• Covenant: Special relationship between the "Chosen People" and God:
  • covenants of Abraham, Moses, and David (two main parts/promises each)
  • cycles of obedience, disobedience, punishment, repentance, forgiveness, restoration, etc.
  • hope for God's future intervention in history through an "anointed" leader (Messiah)

D) Jewish Practices:

• Time: Hebrew Calendar ("luni-solar" year with "leap months" added every few years in 17-year cycle)
  • 12 "months" (begin at New Moon); each with 29 or 30 "days" (begin at sunset)
  • Year 1 A.M. ("Anno Mundi") = which year on Western/Gregorian calendar? Which year is now?
• Feasts & Commemorations:
  • Shabbat/Sabbath: weekly day of rest; "no work"; remember & observe; at home & in synagogues; festive meals, candles, etc.
  • Main Annual Holidays: what are they? what events (biblical?) do they celebrate or commemorate?
    • "Days of Awe" and "High Holy Days" (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur)
    • Three annual "Pilgrimage Festivals" (Pesach/Passover, Shavu'ot/Weeks, Sukkot/Booths)
    • Other important/popular holidays (Hanukkah, Purim, Simchat Torah, Tisha B'Av, Tu B'Shevat, etc.)
  • Synagogue services (prayers & readings) & buildings (Congregation/Temple; Ark; Torah scrolls; Ner Tamid light; etc.)
• Mitzvot (Commandments):
  • 613 total Commandments (ethical, dietary, ritual, etc.) in the Torah: 365 negative; 248 positive
  • More than just the Decalogue ("Ten Utterances" - two versions in Exod 20 & Deut 5)
  • Kashrut = Kosher food regulations; Sexual Purity; Human Nature (Good vs. Evil Inclinations)
  • Different levels of "observance" by various branches of Judaism today?

Exam #3 - Monday, May 14, 2007 (Fundamentals of Christianity)

NOTE: As usual, the exam is not limited to the following key points; you are also responsible for the assigned readings from our textbooks (esp. Christianity: A Very Short Introduction) and the course website (esp. the pages highlighted in bold). In addition to the materials from the "Christianity" section of the online Schedule of Readings, it would also be very good to review the "Christianity" column of the "Introduction to Western Religions" webpage.

A) Christian History:

• Dates: 4 BCE; 30, 50, 70, 90, 110 AD/CE; 312; 1054; 1517; 1962-65 AD/CE - see the Christian History page
• People: King Herod, Jesus of Nazareth, Mary & Joseph, Elizabeth & Zechariah, Peter & James & John, Mary Magdalene, Saul/Paul, Emperor Constantine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, King Henry VIII
• Branches: Eastern Orthodox; Roman Catholic; Western Protestant; [also Nestorians & Monophysites in the East; also Anglicans, Restorationists, and many Independent Churches in the West] - see the Branches of Christianity page
• Types of Christianity (from L. Woodhead's textbook): Church Christianity, Bible Christianity, Mystical Christianity

B) The Bible:

• OT Canons: differences between HB, LXX, Vulgate; Catholic OT vs. Protestant OT - see CSB-RG; Hebrew-Xn Bibles and Biblical Glossary pages
• NT Canon: language? dates? writing materials & formats? main genres: 4 Gospels (Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn); Acts (by Lk), 21 Letters (14 attrib. to Paul; 7 others); Revelation (Apoc.) - see ERes: Metzger & NT Canon Webpage

C) Christian Beliefs & Practices:

• Review the "CHRISTIANITY: Overview" webpage thoroughly, esp. (but not only) the highlighted elements of parts I & II (skip part III)
• See also the online "Course Schedule" - from April 30 to May 11:
  • Can you give a basic definition for each of the terms in column 2?
  • Do you know the main points of each of the webpages linked in column 5?
• Nicene Creed: Trinity (three main sections); core Christian beliefs (about God: Father, Jesus, Spirit & Church) - see bottom of Creeds webpage

Exam #4 - Wednesday, May 30, 2007 (Fundamentals of Islam)

NOTE: As usual, the exam is not limited to the following key points; you are also responsible for the assigned readings from our textbooks (esp. Islam: A Very Short Introduction) and the course website (esp. the pages highlighted in bold). In addition to the materials from the "Islam" section of the online Schedule of Readings, it would also be very good to review the "Islam" column of the "Introduction to Western Religions" webpage.

• Life of Muhammad: What major events happened in 570, 610, 622, 630, and 632?
• After Muhammad: What happened after his death? Four Rightly Guided Caliphs? Abu Bakr vs. Ali?
  Leadership dispute between groups that eventually come to be known as Sunnis & Shi'ites?
• Geography: Where did Islam begin (names of earliest cities; located in which modern countries)?
  Be able to identify the regions and countries with the earliest and/or largest Muslim populations on an outline map of the Middle East and Asia.
• Demographics: How many Muslims live in the world today? in the USA? Which countries have the largest Muslim populations? What percentage of Muslims are Arabs?

• Five Pillars of Islamic Practice (for Sunnis): be able to name them (in Arabic and English) and explain each one in some detail.
  What is the full text of the Shahada? What is the "sixth pillar" added by some Muslims (esp. Shi'ites)?
• Six Core Beliefs of Islam (for Sunnis): be able to name them (English only), and explain each one in some detail

• The Qur'an:
  • What basically is the Qur'an, according to Muslim belief? What does the word Qur'an mean?
  • When was it first "revealed"? By whom? Through whom? To Whom? For how long? In what language?
  • How was it transmitted? When was it written down? When eventually compiled and arranged?
  • How is it structured and arranged? What is the main content of the earlier surahs (from Makka)? the later Surahs (from Madinah)?
  • What is the important of Surah 1? Surah 96? Surah 97?
  • How does the Qur'an view Jews and Christians? Moses and Jesus (in relation to Muhammad)?
  • How do Muslims view the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (in relation to the Qur'an)?
• Other Muslim Literature:
  • What are the Hadiths? How are they related to, and different from, the Qur'an?

• Key Individuals: Muhammad, Abu Talib, Khadijah; Fatima & Ali; Four Caliphs (esp. Abu Bakr); Husayn/Hussein
• Important Groups: Sunnis, Shi'ites, Sufis - Who/what are they? What are the main characteristics of each, and differences between them?
• Places: Arabian Peninsula; Makka (Mecca) & the Ka'bah; Madinah (Medina) & the Mosque of the Prophet; Jerusalem & the Dome of the Rock & the Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Basic Words: Islam, Salaam, Muslim, Islamic; Arabic
• Pillars: Shahada, Allah; Salat, Adhan; Zakat; Sawm, Ramadan; Hajj; Jihad
• Literature: Qur'an, Fatiha, Surah, Aya; Hadith; Sunna
• Misc. Words: Caliph, Eid, Hijrah, Imam, Masjid/Mosque, Minaret, Shari'ah

• Describe the basic features of the Islamic Calendar: Days? Months? Years? When was Year #1 A.H.?
• How is the Islamic calendar different from the Western/Gregorian calendar?
• What are the two main feasts that all Muslims celebrate? When? What do they commemorate?
• What other (kinds of) feasts are celebrated by some Muslims, but not all?

FINAL EXAM (comprehensive):

• The Final Exam is on Monday, June 11, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m., in our regular classroom. Three hours are available, but most students will probably only need two.
• Bring one LARGE "BLUE BOOK" (available in the SCU bookstore) in which to write your essays.
  • Write your name, the course name, and the date only on the front cover of the Blue Book..
  • Do not write your name anywhere on the inside, so all essays can be graded anonymously (fairer for everyone).

Format / Preparation:

• Part I - one shorter essay (about 30-40 minutes) - on one of the topics listed below, focusing on only one religion.
  • There will be different versions of the exam, distributed randomly, with similarly formulated questions; for example:
  • "What does Judaism believe about...?" or "What does Christianity believe about...?" or "What does Islam believe about...?"
  • Similar questions might be asked for each topic listed below, so you need to be prepared to write on any of them..
• Part II - one longer essay (about 60-80 minutes) - comparing all three religions on one of the topics listed below.
  • Each version of the exam will only have one long essay, but you need to be prepared to write on any of the topics.
  • The more specific your essay (with names, dates, religious terminology, other relevant details), the better.
  • The more comparative your essay (discussing similarities and differences, not just three separate blocks), the better.
• The exam will be open-Bible and open-Qur'an, so you will be expected to include specific scriptural references and some brief quotations.
  • You are strongly encouraged to prepare one page (back-to-back) of hand-written notes in advance (main points you plan to cover, specific examples to illustrate, scriptural refs. to support your answers; etc.).
  • These preparatory notes must be hand-written in compact, bulleted lists, not full sentences.
• Review the major webpages linked on our course syllabus, esp. our Overview of Western Religions.

Topics / Possible Questions for Part I:

1. Describe what Judaism believes about God and about the major prophets.
2. Describe what Christianity believes about God and about the major prophets.
3. Describe what Islam believes about God and about the major prophets.
4. Describe the foundational scriptures (history, structure, content, use, etc.) of Judaism.
5. Describe the foundational scriptures (history, structure, content, use, etc.) of Christianity.
6. Describe the foundational scriptures (history, structure, content, use, etc.) of Islam.
7. Describe the religious calendar and the major feasts and holy seasons of Judaism.
8. Describe the liturgical calendar and the major feasts and holy seasons of Christianity.
9. Describe the religious calendar and the major feasts and holy seasons of Islam.

Topics / Questions for Part II:

1. Compare and contrast what Judaism, Christianity, and Islam believe about God and about the major prophets.
2. Compare and contrast the foundational scriptures (history, structure, content, use) of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
3. Compare and contrast the religious calendars and the major feasts and holy seasons of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

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