Exam Study Guides

FINAL EXAM:

• Section 1 - Friday, December 8;  Section 2 - Wednesday, December 6.
• Both exams will be 1:30 – 4:30 p.m., in Bannon 331 (our regular classroom).
• Three hours are available, but most students will probably only need two hours.
• Bring one large "BLUE BOOK" in which to write your essays (available in the SCU bookstore).

Format / Preparation:

• Part I - two shorter essays (about 30 minutes each) - on some of the topics listed below, but 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 God & the major prophets?" or "What does Christianity believe...?" or "What does Islam believe...?"
  • Similar questions might be asked for each of the other topics listed below.
• Part II - one longer essay (about 60 minutes) - comparing all three religions on the topics listed below.
  • Each version of the exam will only have one long essay, so you need to be prepared to write on all of the topics.
  • The more specific your answer (with names, dates, religious terminology, other relevant details), 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 notes should be written in compact, bulleted-lists, not full sentences.
• Review the major webpages linked on our course syllabus, esp. the Overview of Western Religions.

Topics / Questions:

1. Compare and contrast what Judaism, Christianity, and Islam believe about God & the major prophets.
2. Compare and contrast the foundational scriptures (history, content, use) of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
3. Compare and contrast the major feasts and holy seasons of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
4. Compare and contrast what Judaism, Christianity, and Islam say about human life & destiny (ethics, judgment, salvation, etc.).

Exam #3 - Monday, Nov. 6, 2006 (Introduction to Islam)

• Life of Muhammad: 570, 610, 622, 630, 632
• Five Main Practices or "Pillars" of Islam: be able to list them and explain each one in detail
• Main Beliefs of Islam: again, be able to list them, and explain each one in a good bit of detail
• Demographics: total number of Muslims in the world & in the USA; which are the largest Muslim countries/areas? what about Arabs?
• Geography: be able to identify the earliest and largest Muslim countries and regions on an outline map of the Middle East and Asia.
• Be able to identify or define the following important Islamic terms:
  • Words: Adhan, Allah, Arabic, Eid, Fatiha, Hadith, Hajj, Imam, Islam, Islamic, Jihad, Masjid/Mosque, Minaret, Muslim, Qur'an, Ramadan, Salaam, Shahada, Sunnah, Surah
  • People & Groups: Muhammad, Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Ali; Sunnis, Shi'ites, Sufis
  • Places: Makka (Mecca); Kabah; Madinah (Medina), Mosque of the Prophet; Jerusalem; Dome of the Rock
• Questions: Be able to answer the following in good amount of detail:
  1. What is the Islamic calendar and how is it different from the Western/Gregorian calendar?
  2. How do Muslims view Jews and Christians?
  3. How do Muslims view Moses and Jesus?
  4. How do Muslims view the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament?
  5. The Qur'an: what? by whom? when? where? how? why?
  6. What are the main differences between Sunnis and Shi'ites? Who are the Sufis?

Exam #2 - Monday, Oct. 23, 2006 (Fundamentals of Christianity)

• History:
  • Dates: 4 BCE; 30, 50, 70, 90, 110 AD/CE; 312; 1054; 1517; 1962 AD/CE
  • People: Herod, Jesus, Mary & Joseph, Elizabeth & Zechariah, Peter & James & John, Saul/Paul, Emperor Constantine, Martin Luther
• Bible:
  • OT Canons: differences between HB, LXX, Vulg; Cath OT vs. Prot OT - see LTB 2; CSB-RG; Hebrew-Xn Bibles webpage
  • NT Canon: language? dates? main genres: 4 Gospels (Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn); Acts (by Lk), 21 Letters (14 attrib. to Paul; 7 others); Revelation (Apoc.) - see LTB 4 & NT Canon Webpage
• Beliefs & Practices:
  • "Christianity: Overview" webpage, especially (but not only) the highlighted elements of parts I & II (skip part III)
  • "Course Schedule" webpage - from Mon, Oct. 9, to Fri, Oct 20:
    • Can you give a short answer to each of the questions in column 2?
    • Can you give a basic definition for each of the terms in column 5?
  • Nicene Creed: Trinity (three main sections); core Christian beliefs (about God, Jesus, Spirit & Church) - see bottom of Creeds webpage

Exam #1 - Monday, Oct. 9, 2006 (Intro to Religion & Basics of Judaism)

A) Basic Terms for Religious Studies : (see the two Powerpoint Presentations from the first week of class)

• What are the root meanings (from Greek) and the definitions of "Philosophy" and "Theology"?
• What is the root meaning (from Latin) of "Religion"? What are some ways of "defining" religion?
• Know the definitions of the ten "-isms" (types of belief in God or gods).
• Which world religions are considered "Eastern Religions" vs. "Western Religions"?
• Study the two slides listing introductory differences between the three main "Western Religions."

B) Jewish Scriptures:

• Definitions: Scripture, Bible, Canon; Testament/Covenant; Hebrew Bible, Old Testament; Tanak, Torah (narrow & broader defs.); Written Torah (Mikra) vs. Oral Torah (Mishnah & Talmuds)?
• Content & Structure & Genres: What are the three/four main divisions of the HB (and the corresponding four main divisions of the Christian OT)? What is the main content & historical context of each section? What literary genre(s) does each section include?.
• Composition & Canonization: be able to say something about this very long & complex historical process
• Range of Interpretations: be able to explain the basic differences between Orthodox/Traditional and Reform/Critical interpretations

C) Israelite & Jewish History:

• Main Eras: [Pre-Historic], Hebrew/Israelite, Second Temple, Rabbinic & Medieval, Early Modern & Modern
• Key Dates: 1800, 1300, 1000, 587, 164 BCE; also 70, 1945/1948 CE
• Main Characters: Patriarchs, ABRAHAM, Isaac, Jacob/Israel, 12 Sons of Jacob, MOSES, Joshua, DAVID, Solomon, EZRA, Herod the Great, Jesus, Josephus, Judah the Prince, Maimonides
• Central Events: Call of Abraham, Passover/Exodus, Giving of Torah on Mount Sinai, Conquest/Settlement of Holy Land, Establishment of Monarchy, Buildling of First Temple, Destruction of Jerusalem & First Temple, Babylonian Exile & Restoration, Maccabean Revolt, Destruction of Jerusalem & Second Temple, Holocaust, Foundation of State of Israel
• Contemporary Branches: Hasidic, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Secular/Non-Religious

D) Jewish Beliefs:

• Monotheism: Shema; YHWH
  • no other universally accepted "Creed"; so various groups debate, argue, differ, and divide
• Covenant: Special relationship between the "Chosen People," the "Children of Abraham," and God;
  • esp. covenants of Abraham, Moses, and David (two parts/promises of each?)
  • cycles of obedience, disobedience, punishment, repentance, forgiveness, restoration, etc.
• Messiah: waiting for God's future intervention in history through an "anointed" leader

E) Jewish Practices:

• Time: Hebrew Calendar ("luni-solar" with "leap months"); Jewish "day" (begins at sunset)
• Feasts: "High Holy Days" (RH & YK); three "Pilgrimage Festivals" (Passover, Weeks, Booths); other important/ popular holidays (Hanukkah, Purim, Simchat Torah, Tisha B'Av)
• Shabbat: Sabbath Regulations (no work) & Synagogue Services (readings & prayers)
• Law & Ethics: Decalogue, 613 Commandments, Kosher Foods, Sexual Purity, Human Nature (Good vs. Evil Inclinations)
   
• [Note: we didn't cover "Life Cycle Events": Birth/Circumcision, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Weddings, Death/Funerals]

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