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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Based on Augustine's Preface, what is the perception of critics toward learning?

2. What is the subject that Augustine addresses in Book One and Book Two?

3. Upon what does Augustine focus most of his efforts in the Preface of "On Christian Doctrine"?

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

5. What basic fact do the critics discussed in the Preface ignore by discounting teaching from Augustine and others?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Augustine's view of "special gifts"?

2. What categories does Augustine use to define spheres of natural knowledge?

3. What are the first two points that Augustine uses to begin his refutation of the critics he focuses upon in the Preface?

4. Why does Augustine suggest that the critics he focuses on in the Preface do not believe his teaching is necessary?

5. How does Augustine suggest interpretations of Scripture should affect the subject about which he wants to answer many questions and how should that affect the student seeking to interpret Scripture?

6. What are the two subject matters into which Augustine divides the four books in "Of Christian Doctrine"?

7. What are the tasks of the orator according to Cicero?

8. What does Augustine identifies as three things that students need to use to develop responsible interpretations of Scripture?

9. What is a technique that Augustine uses to determine the meaning of a passage that cannot be discovered by simply reading the passage?

10. What Christian virtue does Augustine claim that can keep negative traits in check?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Augustine devotes the preface to answering criticism he expects to receive from a sect known as the Donatists. Compare Augustine's position to what you know of the Donatists from the preface (those who believe that "special gifts" were necessary to interpret Scripture). What are the benefits of the two beliefs? What are the disadvantages of each? Which system of interpretation do you consider more beneficial to the general public and particularly to the growth and development of the Christian Church. Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

In Book Two, Augustine identified challenges of translating the original languages of Scripture into the Roman-Latin language of his day. Explain the difficulty with translating older English versions of the Bible, such as the King James version, into the type of terms and phrases that students use today. How can translating the Bible from old English style to modern jargon be done while preserving the integrity of Scripture?

Essay Topic 3

Augustine wrote of the unchangeable nature of Truth and Wisdom, yet many of the most useful things for learning today, (computers, smart phones, mp3 storage devices, the Internet) change at a rapid pace. Compare learning from Truth and Wisdom. Explain how things that are used for learning today can be used to validate what Augustine defines as Truth and Wisdom, as well as how they can be misused to lead someone away from those virtues.

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