View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What are the two main tools that God uses to teach men what to do, as identified by Augustine?
(a) Priests and Rabbis
(b) Scripture and nature.
(c) Wars and rumors of wars.
(d) Angels and human communities.

2. What is the source of teaching Augustine most advocates?
(a) Human teachers in human communities.
(b) Christ dispensing special gifts without communities.
(c) God directing the student to understand His role in Scripture.
(d) Angels guiding human teachers in spiritual communities.

3. What are the three things that Augustine claims that interpretations of Scripture should build up?
(a) Special gifts, community, and signs.
(b) The inner eye, love, and illuminated truth.
(c) Faith, hope and love.
(d) Hope, signs, and the inner eye.

4. What is the step that Augustine identifies an individual should take before entering into a proper relationship with God?
(a) An individual must leave their mother and father and cleave to the Church.
(b) An individual must repent of their sins and be baptized.
(c) An individual's eyes must be purged and God's plan and healing must be followed.
(d) An individual must sell all possessions and give the money to the Priest.

5. What does Augustine consider as God's typical means of delivering His illumination?
(a) Using the"still quiet moments" to deliver His illumination.
(b) Using adversity to deliver His illumination.
(c) Using nature to deliver His illumination.
(d) Using humans to deliver His illumination.

6. Of these influences on personal thought, which does Augustine claim Scripture teaches can lead a Christian to positive patterns?
(a) That "leaving and cleaving" that forms marriage is a reflection of God's character.
(b) That Priests are a model of what St. Paul inferred in Hebrews was the "Priesthood of Believers," and are therefore a legitimate source of guidance.
(c) That God always calls His chosen people to work productively.
(d) That God uses angels to direct men to human communities to learn.

7. When Augustine focuses on one of the types of criticism he expects to receive, what does he suggest to the reader?
(a) That these types of critics are stagnant in their thoughts and threaten to limit the influence of Divine guidance.
(b) That these types of critics are a threat to the true Church.
(c) That these types of critics will either understand Scripture or believe they do.
(d) That these types of critics, if they gather a following around their criticism, are dangerously close to practicing heresy.

8. According to Augustine, what are competing influences on an individual's thinking?
(a) Priests and Rabbis.
(b) Laborers and land owners.
(c) The devil and angels.
(d) Husbands and wives.

9. What does Augustine use to illustrate a thing to be used?
(a) Community that develops among friends during a delicious meal.
(b) A friend who has the special gift to cook a delicious meal.
(c) A delicious meal used to to bring friends together.
(d) A pot for cooking a delicious meal.

10. What doctrine does Augustine introduce to explain how Truth can be seen?
(a) The doctrine of "special gifts of seeing" that God grants when individuals seek eternal truths illuminated by God.
(b) The doctrine of the "inner eye" that can see eternal truths even when tainted by sin because it is illuminated by God.
(c) The doctrine of "things and signs" helps an individual know which things and signs illuminate eternal truths.
(d) The doctrine of "community vision" is achieved when individuals join their desires to seek eternal truths illuminated by God.

11. What comes of loving oneself for reasons other than that which Augustine specified?
(a) It will prevent one from enjoying things of God.
(b) It leads to destruction.
(c) It will result in loss of special gifts.
(d) It will inhibit the ability to hear God's guiding.

12. What setting does Augustine recommend for sound Scriptural learning?
(a) Human communities.
(b) A properly sanctioned site of Scriptural education.
(c) An ecclesiastical structure.
(d) A private audience with a well-trained Priest.

13. Upon what does Augustine focus most of his efforts in the Preface of "On Christian Doctrine"?
(a) Criticism from those who believe it is not needed.
(b) Criticism from those who claim that Augustine relied too much on training and not enough on divine guidance.
(c) Criticism that his demands for linguistic studies were too exclusive.
(d) Criticism from those who refuse or are unable to apply it.

14. What is the doctrine that Augustine claims critics of human teaching defend?
(a) That God will communicate through signs and symbols.
(b) That God will communicate through the in dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
(c) That God will communicate the meaning of Scripture through "special gifts."
(d) That God will communicate through tongues.

15. What does Augustine conclude are the only things that can be enjoyed?
(a) Only things that are used with special gifts to prove Truth can be enjoyed.
(b) Only eternal and unchangeable things can be enjoyed.
(c) Only wisdom and Truth can be enjoyed.
(d) Only things that reveal Truth can be enjoyed.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Augustine relate Truth and God?

2. How does Augustine characterize the argument that his teaching is not needed because it comes from a human source?

3. What is an important distinction that Augustine teaches students to understand through three Books of "On Christian Doctrine?

4. What was the second type of criticism that Augustine suggests "On Christian Doctrine" would face?

5. What does Augustine reason is the consequence to human teaching if learning comes from Divine gifts?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,061 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample