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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. Chapter five maintains that only God could redeem humanity. Why?

2. What is a being with all of God's properties missing?

3. The second book shows how Jesus could do what?

4. Anselm argues that God must incarnate as one from whose race?

5. Gaunilo's argument is that Anselm's Ontological Argument, if correct, proves what?

Short Essay Questions

1. On Gaunilo's view, why does the argument fail?

2. What is the rational mind?

3. What do Chapters 1, 2, and 3 explain?

4. Why is Anselm's task of defending the Christian faith not complete?

5. What is the purpose of Cur Deus Homo? How do you know this? Describe this book.

6. In what should we believe?

7. Was the God-man born with original sin? How does this affect Him?

8. What does Anselm outline to prepare the reader for Book II?

9. Why must humans be saved?

10. What is Gaunilo's argument?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

God is perfectly just, yet He forgives sinners and has mercy on them.

Part 1) How does Anselm prove that God is perfectly just? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Part 2) Why does Anselm see a contradiction between being just and showing mercy? What does this reveal about him and his culture?

Part 3) How might this contradiction in God compare to gods of other cultures? How does this support Anselm's love of God?

Essay Topic 2

In Cur Deus Homo, Anselm represents his argument in dialogue form.

Part 1) Describe this dialogue. Why might he choose to use dialogue form? Why has he not used it in his other writings?

Part 2) How effective is this dialogue? Explain. How does it support his other writings?

Part 3) What else, besides the dialogue form, is unique to this writing? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Anselm argues that, despite the fact that we cannot truly understand the nature of the Trinity, we should believe in it.

Part 1) Why can one not truly understand the Trinity? Why should one believe in it, even though he or she does not understand it?

Part 2) Is this lack of understanding and need to believe anyway exist in other aspects of Christianity? If so, give an example. If not, why not?

Part 3) In what do you believe? Do you have complete understanding of this? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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