Who Wrote the New Testament?: The Making of the Christian Myth Test | Mid-Book Test - Hard

Burton L. Mack
This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 158 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.

Who Wrote the New Testament?: The Making of the Christian Myth Test | Mid-Book Test - Hard

Burton L. Mack
This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 158 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.
Buy the Who Wrote the New Testament?: The Making of the Christian Myth Lesson Plans
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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. Why does Mack think putting aside conventional ideas of the origins of Christianity is difficult for some?

2. Where did Rome place its power in the second and first centuries?

3. What does each of these movements attempt to link Jesus to, according to Mack?

4. In the temple-state model of civilization, what system does the priest represent?

5. What does Mack suggest as a reason that Mark was overly critical of the disciples of Jerusalem?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Paul mean by "freedom from the law", according to Mack?

2. Why does Mack believe early Christians were excited about the concept of the kingdom of God?

3. How did Paul link Christianity to the Greek concept of self control?

4. Why are Paul's letters to the Thessalonians important?

5. What is the first Jesus movement discussed in the book, and what is/are the primary components of the movement's teachings?

6. Explain what was meant by Jesus in referring to his body as the bread, and his blood as the wine.

7. Describe the two major aspects in which the Christ cult differed from the Jesus movements.

8. Explain the three myths merged in Philippians 2:6-11.

9. What myths did the concept of the death and resurrection of Christ draw upon?

10. What is the fifth Jesus movement discussed in the book, and what is/are the primary components of the movement's teachings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the ideas of Marcion of Sinope to the ideas of Valentinus. Who were these individuals? What were their arguments against the centrist concept of Christianity? How do their arguments differ? How are they similar? Combined, how did their ideas influence the rest of the world? How did their ideas lead to the concept that the Jewish scriptures were "really" about Christians?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the cultures of the Greco-Roman times in the Eastern Mediterranean, as explained by Mack in Chapter 1. Be sure to include concepts of the Jewish temple-state, the Greek city-state, and the Roman republic. What were the similarities of these groups? What were the differences? How did these cultural clashes help to form a breeding ground for new social ideas and experiments? What types of social experiments were done? How did these contribute to the creation of a new society?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss, in depth, the three concerns written about in the treatise that is the Epistle to the Hebrews. What three concerns does the author either discuss openly, or imply? Why were these particular concerns? What had happened in society that caused these concerns? How did the letter address these concerns? How are these concerns interrelated, according to Mack? What does Mack claim this shows the author was trying to do? Do you agree? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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