Introduction to Christianity

RelS 133 Summer 2003 Quiz #2 makeup 7/1/03Name:______________________

Respond to three of the following essay questions. Be succinct -- information is much more important than volume. This is due in class on Tuesday, July 8.

What is orthodoxy? To what extent can we talk about orthodoxy in Christianity through the medieval period? Describe some of the primary 'heretical' beliefs that have shaped Christianity as we know it (again, up through the medieval period). How did the Church's response to heresies change after the legalization of Christianity under Constantine?

Discuss the use of relics in Medieval Christianity. How is it related to the veneration of the saints? What is the 'two tiered model' associated with David Hume, and why is Peter Brown critical of it? How is saint veneration related to the issue of syncretism, and even polytheism? How was it view by the Protestants during the reformation?

The Holy land Crusades might be described as 150 years of very bad decisions. Exercising 20/20 hindsight, what kinds of different decisions would have radically transformed the outcome (other than the obvious - just say no)? Of the various popes involved, which one, had he made the right decisions, do you think could have managed to keep Jerusalem in Christian hands at least until the Turkish conquests? Why?

What is apocalyptic literature? What sort of worldview is characteristic of this literature? What kind of communities were(/are) likely to find it appealing and why? What are the two main topics addressed in apocalyptic literature?