Monday, May 21, 2007

Study Guide Part One


Sorry for the delay in posting - There will be a second part tomorrow, so get started on this...



1. Complete this sentence: “Human Beings are different from other existents in that they are able to…”
2. What is required for the human to live an integrated and authentic existence?
3. List the six periods of Church History and provide their dates.
4. What event is considered the birth of the church?
5. In the Early Church Period, Peter and Paul met in Jerusalem to decide on an important issue that would shape the future of the Christian Church. Paul argued very strongly and persuasively for position. What was the issue, and how was the matter resolved?
6. Where did Peter and Paul end their lives? How did they end their lives of service to the Church?
7. St. Paul worked hard to spread the good news of Christ. He traveled on _____ missionary trips and _____ of his letter are recorded in the New Testament.
8. How many books are contained in the Canon of the New Testament? Explain the term “canon.”
9. List the three struggles or challenges of the Persecuted Church Period.
10. Provide one example of a misunderstanding that led to the persecution of Christians.
11. In a short essay, explain the events surrounding Constantine’s decision to make Christianity legal in the Roman Empire.
12. Constantine shifts the capital of the Empire to ________________ in the year ________. What impact did this have on Rome?
13. What groups, desiring the more ordered and happy life of the empire, were creeping across the Rhine and beginning to disrupt the empire? Provide two examples of these groups.
14. When did the Roman Empire collapse in the West?
15. What important monastic rule was written in the Roman period?
16. Gregory the Great became the Bishop of Rome in _________. Explain the condition of Rome when Gregory begins his service.
17. Gregory wrote a very important document about Christian leadership. What is the document, and what does it stress about Christian leadership.
18. In the medieval period, what three institutions emerge from the rubble of the Roman Empire.
19. Charles Martel was named the “King of the Franks” by the Pope in the year _________. What forged document emerged from this arrangement?
20. Charlemagne becomes the King of the Franks in ________. He is crowned the Holy Roman Emperor in ________. His empire is centered in the city _____________.
21. Charlemagne wants to improve learning and the arts in the empire. This rebirth of education has been called the ____________________ _______________________.
22. Throughout the Medieval period there is a struggle between two institutions. Who is struggling? Give an historical example of this struggle.
23. What is the basic problem that is the source of the conflict through the Medieval period?
24. What is a mendicant order and provide two examples of these orders that began in the medieval period?
25. Thomas Aquinas has been called the author of a concept titled the “Great Synthesis.” What is this synthesis? How does it impact us today in our own study of religion?

Section II
1. Provide a definition of Sacrament.
2. List the Seven Sacraments celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church. Which of the seven are the Sacraments of Initiation?
3. Sacraments are rituals. Define ritual. Isn’t “ritual” a pre-modern, pre-enlightenment activity? As we are very rational people, shouldn’t we get rid of ritual in the Church?

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Sample Immigration Reform Letter

This is the sample letter proposed by the United States Catholic Bishops:

I write to urge you to support the enactment of comprehensive immigration reform in 2007.

It is vital that Congress address the issue of immigration as soon as possible. Our current immigration system is seriously flawed and must be repaired. Migrants continue to be subject to exploitation, abuse, and death in the desert. States and local communities are beginning to fill the void left by federal inaction.

It is important, however, that any legislation that is passed contains the elements necessary to solve our immigration crisis. In this regard, any just and humane legislation should include the following components endorsed by the U.S. Catholic bishops:
• An earned legalization program for the undocumented population is workable and that includes a path to citizenship which is fair and achievable;
• A future worker program that permits migrant workers to enter safely and legally and that includes worker protections and the option for participants to pursue a path of citizenship;
• Family-based immigration reform that reduces backlogs and waiting times for family reunification
• The restoration of due process protections for immigrants taken away by the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA); and
• Policies which address the root causes of migration, including economic development in sending countries.

Legislation which encompasses these elements will help address the problem of illegal immigration to our nation by replacing illegality with legality. It also would enhance national security by bringing the large undocumented population “out of the shadows” to identify themselves to the government.

I firmly believe that the rule of law is necessary for a just civil society. However, it is clear that our government’s inability to enact reform has contributed greatly to the current unsafe and dangerous situation, and to the needless mistreatment of undocumented families that can only be described as un-American

I ask that you support a comprehensive immigration reform bill, consistent with these elements, and work toward its enactment in the near future.

Thank you for your consideration of my views.

Monday, May 7, 2007

Potential Popping...


One never knows, but one should know the following:

Apostolic Tradition - What the Apostles 'handed over' about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ

Two means by which they 'traditio-ed' - Living Tradition and Sacred Scripture

The Sacred Scripture - 46 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament

The Living Tradition - Preaching, Liturgy, Institutions, Saints

Three stages in the production of the Gospels - Life and Teachings of Jesus, Oral Tradition, Written Gospels

The Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke

Reading Assignment for Tonight


Read St. Mark's Gospel Chapters 5 through 8 and answer the following questions:

1) What happens to the herd of swine?
2) What does 'Talitha koum' mean?
3) What was Jesus' experience in his hometown synagogue?
4) How does John the Baptist die? Who was responsible for his death?
5) What do the Pharisees ask for in chapter 8?
6) What are the conditions for following Jesus found in verse 34-35 of chapter 8?



BONUS: What famous building is this, which is dedicated to St. Mark?
BONUS FOR FOR THE DARING: Where did the four horses over the main door come from?

Sapere aude!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

The blog is about to reawaken...


After a brief hiatus, the class blog is about to reawaken. Watch the blog for more information about the coming week and our study of the New Testament. Also watch for plans about our early Utah Catholic History walking tour. Remember, especially in these final weeks of school, Sapere aude!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

YES!! There is a review for the test on Thursday!

The Gothic Era

1) List an event that coincides with the following dates:
476

527

590

632

726 – 843

732

751

768

800

814

843

846

910

919

1054

1073 – 1085
1095 – 1272
1152 – 1190
1170

1182


2) The Gothic Era, a period of time within the Medieval Period extends from roughly ________ to _______, and is sometimes described as the ____________________________.
3) A major development of the Gothic Era was in the field of Architecture. Three characteristics of Gothic Architecture are _________________________, _____________________________, and _______________________________. What was the motivation for this new architectural style, who is thought to have begun the movement, and where did the first Gothic church appear?
4) The University also developed in this period. Why? _______________________________________________________________________________
5) List three cities where Universities were established and the approximate number founded during this period.









6) The Scholastic or Dialectical Method was used to answer ___________________________________. The three basic steps of this process involve creating a ______________________________, an ____________________________________, and a _____________________________________.
7) The Black or ________________ Plague ravaged Europe from _______ to ________, killing almost ___________ of the population.
8) The papacy resided in Avignon from __________ until ____________. Pope Clement V appoints a large number of __________________, leaving the papacy practically under the control of the ________________________. At the urging of St. ______________________, Gregory IX returns to Rome, only to create another problem. The Great Western Schism lasted from _________ until _______ and involved two different concurrent popes: one in ____________ and one in ________________.
9) Gregory VII, in an attempt to strengthen the role of the Pope, especially in light of the problem of _____________________________, published 27 statements asserting the authority of the papacy known as the ___________________________. William the Conqueror, ruling England from 1066 resists Gregory VII’s wishes, and appoints ________________ as his Archbishop of Canterbury. St. Anselm is appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in ________, but goes into exile in _______ because of disagreements with the King.
10) St. Anselm of Canterbury (Dates _________ -- _______) was born in _______, ________, served as an Abbot in ___________, and eventually becomes the leader of the church in ________________. Known as one of the first scholastic philosophers, three important books written by Anselm are _____________________, _____________________, and _____________________________. Anselm’s goal was to _____________________________________________________________. Anselm believed you must start from the position of ______________________. He also asserted that those who have found faith should ________________________________________________.
11) Anselm argues for the existence of God in his work Monologium. A summary might include the following three points:
 ____________________________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________________________
Unsatisfied, Anselm further argues in his work Proslogium, including his celebrated proof for the existence of God known as the _________________________. The is an argument that God’s existence can be proved _______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
12) What analogy does Anselm use to explain the Doctrine of the Trinity?

13) What is Anselm’s greatest work, and what does it attempt to do?

14) His theory for the necessity of the Atonement rests on three positions. They are:




15) What are three great questions for thinkers in this Gothic Era?




16) What do Nominalists believe about reality?

17) What do Realists believe about reality?

18) How is St. Thomas Aquinas’s argument from the existence of God approached differently than St. Anselm’s? Please Explain…

19) List the five ways St. Thomas Aquinas argues for God’s existence.


Renaissance and Reformation Church

1. Dates for periods of history are always speculative. What are some possible dates for the period described as the “renaissance”?
2. What does the word “renaissance” mean?
3. Define more completely the renaissance that took place in the latter years of the medieval period.
4. Two developments made books more accessible to people in this period. What are these developments?
5. List three ancient languages that were of great interest to scholars of this period.
6. Historians interested in literature would consider whom responsible for the renaissance?
7. List the dates and two accomplishments of the following:
a. Dante Alighieri
b. Giovanni Boccacio
c. Francesco Petrarch
d. Ghiberti
e. Brunelleschi
f. Michaelangelo

8. Where did the term ‘humanista’ originate?
9. What five topics were eventually considered the humanities?
10. List the dates, two saints, and a quote that summarizes the Reformation Period of Church History.
11. The Reformation was a response to corruption in the Church. List three areas of corruption.
12. What three problems exist at the end of the Medieval period?
13. The Reformation has been said to have two motivations. What are they?
14. What was the symbolic beginning of the Reformation?
15. What was Martin Luther’s primary concern?
16. List Luther’s dates and three facts about him.
17. Summarize the positions in the Faith versus Works controversy.
18. Luther was greatly concerned about the role of the Bible in the life of the Church. What made this concern possible in this period?
19. What is the title of Luther’s tract on the Sacraments?
20. The Renaissance Papacy is perhaps the lowest point for the persons occupying the See of Peter. How did Leo X respond to the concerns expressed by Martin Luther?
21. List the dates and two facts about the following:
a. Desiderius Erasmus
b. Ulrich Zwingli
c. John Calvin
d. King Henry VIII
e. John Knox
22. The Counter-Reformation was the Catholic Church’s response to the concerns of the Reformation. Who was St. Ignatius of Loyola and what did he do?
23. What Church Council was convened to address these concerns? List the title and dates for this important Council.
24. The Council addressed many concerns and initiated many reforms. List 8 areas of reform.
25. Who promulgated the Roman Missal, Breviary and Catechism?
26. Who promulgated the Roman Ritual?

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Another of the Wonders of the Medieval Period


Earlier in the term, we looked at the Irish monks who were 'furiously copying' and the process for creating a book. We specifically looked at the Gospel Book that is known as the Book of Kells.

Click on the link http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/pharos/sections/making_art/manuscript.html and view an interactive program from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England. It will provide you with a detailed look at the creation of a Pontifical - the book that is used by a Bishop when he celebrates Sacraments and Rites that are particular to his ministry (for example, Ordinations, the Dedication of Churches, etc.)