Glossary of questions for church history

1st – The long quiz on textbook and factual side of class is just that – a test on facts, concepts,
names. It will not have dates. Rather, people, ideas and formative events. Questions taken from
the textbook will either be matters discussed at length or matters that also show up in lectures.
The quiz is multiple choice and short answer.
2nd - The final exam is a large scale essay test. I am stating all possible questions below, so you
can see what is most important in lectures. Ideally, these will become files that will help you
prepare for ordination exams or to teach a church history class in the church.
All exam questions will be taken from this list, although some questions will be synthetic
(linking two or more questions) or have variation in form – for example, you might be asked to a
question from a part of a glossary question. I urge you to answer these questions daily, after
class, in a compressed, dense form. Work with friends.
Answers should draw on lecture first, then primary sources our textbook.
Lecture 1: Why Church History
What can we gain by studying church history? Why do we study history? Why should we
study widely and let the ongoing meaning emerge, even in unexpected ways?
Consider the Crusades or Zwingli's sausage as a case in point.
Lecture 2: The Setting for the Reformation
Describe key elements of popular theology on the eve of the Reformation
Summarize the principal factors in church and society that prepared the way, not simply for
reform, but for a Reformation that swept Europe and endured, as other reforms did not? Name a
factor that could foster a reformation today.
Is church history shaped by our ideas or by our loves?
Why were so many people passionate about the Reformation? Why were indulgences a flash
point? Consider the diverse ways they showed zeal for Ref.
Lecture 3-4: Luther
Why are conversion accounts important? What role does Luther's conversion story play in his
theology and in the Reformation as a whole?
Explain the role of Luther's various hearings, incl. Diet of Worms, in the life of the
Reformation and in the development of his theology.
How did Luther work out the Reformation: Scripture, worship, marriage
Summarize justification by faith as Luther understands it. Is Luther's soteriology sound?
Does he miss anything say anything especially well?
Read Luther's preface to the Latin Writings, seeking his core convictions and passions.
Which are especially admirable? Did any cause you concern?
Lecture 5 (preliminary) Define the "Magisterial Reformation."
Lectures 5-6 Calvin
 What essential pastoral lessons can we gain from Calvin's experience in Geneva? His
leadership of Geneva? What is the importance of Bucer?
What lessons about pastoral ministry can you glean from Calvin's experience? Include
his interaction with adversaries (e.g. Servetus)
Was Calvin a theologian, a pastor, an educator, a social reformer?
Describe Calvin's view of Scripture, preaching, and the Christian life.
What is the essence of Calvinism in your view? Defend your perspective.
7 Reformation theology
Summarize the view of Scripture in Calvin and Luther. How did they put it into practice?
Why was it essential to the Reformation? What can we learn from them?
Know the "solas" of the Reformation.
8a Radical Reformers
What are the essentials of the radical reformation's Protest against the Reformation?
Label the radical reformers: Evangelical? Legalists? Precursors of USA church?
8b Counter Refomation
What is the genius of the Jesuits? What did they contribute to the church?
What were the core anti-Reformation principles of the Counter-Reformation?
9 Puritans
Contrast Puritan faith and practice to that of the bulk of the church of England.
What can we learn from the Puritans: endurance, refusal to compromise, suffering?
10 Westminster Assembly, Confession and Catechisms
What is the setting, ecclesiastically and theologically, for the Westminster Assembly? How is
Westminster a reaction to the errors of its times? In what ways does it transcend its times?
What are the great strengths of the Confession and Catechisms? The weaknesses?
Compare predestination in the teaching of Calvin, Dordt and Westminster.
11 Protestant developments in the 17th century
What are the causes and results of the Thirty Years War?
Summarize the status of popular religion at this moment. Any lessons?
12 Toleration
Define "Religious Toleration." How the concept arise?
Drawing on the best arguments from Owen, Locke and others, make a case for religious
freedom (or at least tolerance)
13 Orthodoxy and revival
 What leads people to say Lutheran and English churches are marked by dead orthodoxy?
How did people we discussed in class respond to dead orthodoxy?
Who is Jacob Spener? Explain how his form of Pietism was a sound reform movement.
14 The early American church
What are the first three waves of Christianity in America?
Summarize the vision of the first Puritans of New England.
Describe the sources and results, positive and negative, of the 1st Great Awakening.
Was America founded as a Christian nation? What are the tenets of Deism? Is Deism a weak
form of Christianity or another faith?
Define common sense realism.
15 Wesley
Was Wesley converted at Aldersgate? Defend your view. Why might this matter?
What are the essentials for the method of revival by the Wesleys, Whitfield, and others?
What are the distinctives of Wesley's theological vision? Why are heart commitment and
holiness so important to him?
How does Wesley's insistence on daily holiness create theological difficulties for him?
13-15 Synthetic question: What problem did Spener, Wesley and Edwards all try to solve? What
do their reform movements have in common?
16 Missions
Why were the first Protestants slow to missions? Why were Catholics (Jesuits) faster?
Summarize the problems caused by the link of imperial and missional impulses among
European Christians as they try to evangelize the world.
List the abiding principles established by Ziegenbalg and Carey.
17 The Enlightenment
What is the Enlightenment? Its central tenets?
What Christian doctrines are most repugnant to Enlightenment thinkers, and why?
Summarize Kant's attack on Christianity. Same with Lessing's attack.
What is the abiding significance of the Enlightenment? How can it be friendly with Deism?
What are the first elements of your reply to the Enlightenment?
18 The Anti-Christian "isms"
What social conditions promoted the rise of secularization? What are its effects?
What is Darwinism? What are the effects of Darwinism?
What is Marxism? How does it, along with Freudianism, lead to a hermeneutic of suspicion
(please define that concept)?
19 Christian Liberalism
How did critical NT studies and Schleiermacher prepare the way for liberal theology?
What is the core message of Harnack? How does he epitomize the spirit of liberalism?
What is the program of Bultmann? How have critical NT scholars followed his approach?
20 Orthodox and New-orthodox responses to Liberalism
Why is Kierkegaard plausibly called a Christian existentialist?
What is sphere sovereignty, according to Kuyper? Why is it an important idea that he was
well-positioned to develop?
Summarize Barth's reaction to liberalism and the events of World War 1. What is the strength
in his Christo-centric theology? The danger?
Why is a young, marginal theologian like Bonhoeffer so noticed today?
What is the core of Machen's critique of liberalism?
21 America, 1800-1900
In what sense did the faith reach its peak in the USA from 1860-1900+
What is revivalism? Know its value and its flaws.
What is Fundamentalism? Describe and appraise its view of Christians and society. In what
sense is Covenant a fundamentalist school? In what sense is it not?
22 Romanticism
Define Romanticism. How is its influence still with us?
What is expressive individualism? How is Christianized? How is it a heresy?
23 Fundamentalists and evangelicals
In what sense is separation the essence of Fundamentalism? In what sense not?
Differentiate evangelicalism and fundamentalism. In what sense are they the same to a liberal
Christian? To a secular Westerner?
Where are Fundamentalists right? Is evangelicalism pure? Is there a place for separation?
Where are Fundamentalists wrong?
24 Diachronic studies -as time permits
Scripture through the ages
Distill the orthodox view of Scripture thru the ages. Know views of Luther, Calvin, Wesley
In what sense does the RCC share the historic Protestant view? How does it differ?
What is the essence of the liberal challenge to a high view of Scripture?
How can an orthodox view of Scripture function? How can it be a merely formal matter?
Work through the ages
 Trace the unfolding concept of work from Reformation era "Catholicism" to Luther, Calvin,
and Kuyper
25 Presbyterian and Reformed tradition
What are the great strengths of the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition in recent decades?
What are the chief weaknesses of the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition?
26 Challenges of the church today
What are the most salient challenges to the church, from the inside? From the outside?
How does our study of church history give us hope in the face of adversity?