Here are 33 questions based on Ehrman Ch. 1 (4th edition! The edition matters in the future although Ch. 1 has the same content in both 3rd and 4th editions). As we decided in class, each of you should write out (blog out?) an answer to one of these questions on a first come first served basis. For me to have time to read and respond, everyone should get the job done by 6 PM Thursday (Jan. 11), but I shall read and respond on a running basis.

MML

Thinking/Talking/Study points based on Ehrman, Ch. 1 and Fredriksen 3-8

1.Define the term canon. What does the 4th-century process of canon formation tell us about the nature of early Christianity?

2. Why were the Jewish/Christians called Adoptionists?

3. Contrast/compare beliefs of Jewish-Christian Adoptionists/ vs. Marcionites on the following points:

1. canonical books; which ones and why?

2. nature of Jesus? Divine or human or both?

3. attitude to Jewish Scripture, Law?

4. attitude to God of Jewish Scripture?

4. Explain the etymology of the term “Gnostic” as it relates to the beliefs of this particular Christian (and Jewish, Persian, etc) group.

5. What was the Gnostic position on 1) the humanity vs. the divinity of Jesus? 2) the God of the Jewish Scripture? Relate these Gnostic positions to their attitude toward the material world and the relationship of the body to the soul.

6.How would a Christian Gnostic define salvation? What, in their view, was Jesus’ contribution to salvation?

7. What was the Gnostic position on monotheism? Define the term “Demiurge” in your answer to this last question.

8.Be able to define monotheism, ditheism, polytheism.

9. What was the Gnostic position toward the literal meaning of sacred texts?

10. Look up the word ‘antinomianism” (if you don’t already know it). Gnostics are often antinomian. Why does this make sense in view of their beliefs?

11. Look at the Gospel of Thomas for an example of Gnostic Christianity. What is meant by “esoteric” teachings. Check the etymology of the term esoteric in a good dictionary.

12. Give some titles of Gnostic sacred texts? Why are the majority of these texts absent from the NT canon today?

13..Degine the terms proto-orthodoxy, orthodoxy, and heresy. Why/how is the process of canon formation central to the development of an orthodoxy?

14.What was the proto-orthodox position on the humanity or divinity of Jesus? the esotericism of Jesus’ teachings?

15. What is gained (by Christianity or any religion) from canonization and orthodoxy? What, if anything, is lost?

16. What is the time frame and original language of the current Christian canon?

17. What is the etymology of the term Gospel/Evangelium?

18. How many books in the NT canon? Describe their 4 different literary genres or themes.

19. What is the theological advantage gained by attributing the authorship of the 4 Gospels directly to disciples of Jesus or associate of famous early apostles?

20. Define the term “Apostolic Fathers.”

21. What are he Nag Hammadi texts and why are they important for our understanding of early Christianity?

22. Who was Athanasius and what was his role in the formation of the Christian canon. Why is 367 CE an important date for this?

23.Why did Proto-Orthodox Christianity eventually settle on Four Gospels for the orthodox canon? Did these Four Gospels agree in every way? Any ideas about the consequences of this understanding of early Christian diversity for your readings in the 4 Gospels?

24.Think about the theological consequences of the protoOrthodox decision to keep the Jewish Scriptures (OT) in its canon. What was the advantage/drawback of this position? What implications did this decision have vis a vis the relationship of Christianity to the OT text? Vis a vis the relationship between Judaism and Xianity in subsequent times?

25. Regarding the above question, what is the difference between theology and religion? Does every religion require a theology?

26. In what way does our knowledge of early Christian diversity affect the scholarly understanding of the canonical gospels as historical sources? Or to put it another way, What major changes in conceptualizing first century Xianity (Jesus & Paul) emerged as the result of applying historical method to NT research?

(Fredriksen) answers: *New scholarly question then became: Relation of Xian theology of 4^th c. to own origins? Where were these origins to be found?” Can you explain in your own words what she means.

27.Describe canon of Hebrew Scripture. Types or genres of writing? Process of canonization? Differences between Hebrew, Catholic, Protestant canons? Number of books?

Terms to define: BC/AD= BCE/CE; Canon, Orthodoxy/Heresy, Jewish-Christians/Ebionites/Nazarenes/Adoptionists, Marcionites, Gnostics, Antinomianims, Proto-Orthodox Christians; Deuterocanonical Books, Apocrypha, ditheists, monotheists, polytheists, Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament; New Testament

Questions On Fredriksen 3-8, NT Source Criticism:

(on NT Source Crit, Fredriksen 3-8)

28.Describe what we mean by “Source Criticism” or “Higher Criticism” as it pertains to the synoptic gospels?

29.Which are the “Synoptic” Gospels? Why are they so called?

30,What is the basic hypothesis of the “Two Source Theory” for the Synoptic Gospels? (Include order of composition and named sources in your answer.)

31. What does Q stand for?

32.Be able to explain the following source critical criteria (and their problems!): dissimilarity (“anything embarrassing is probably earlier”); coherence; multiple attestation; linguistic suitability.

33. Be able to paraphrase this quote in your own words:

“For the canon…represents an attempt on the part of one branch of the second-through fourth-century church to produce order, to authorize only some of the growing quantity of Christian writings for its members. The canon thus reflects the political and theological controversies of this later period more than it reflects either the historical situation of those controversies or the period that the canonical texts purportedly describe. The four gospels collectively stand as the survivors of a process whose principles of selection have more to do with competition between different Christian groups than with disinterested concern for history.” (Fredriksen, p.6)