So, classes are officially over here at UNC, and we are in the Final Exam period. Today I gave my final for the Introduction to the New Testament class. As some of you may recall, back in January 2014 I posted on the blog the pop quiz I give the first day of class for this course. It is here, in case you’re interested: https://ehrmanblog.org/new-testament-pop-quiz/ When I give this quiz on the first day, I tell the students that even if they bomb it (which most of them do), it’s nothing compared to what they’re going to be learning in the class over the course of the semester. Looking at the Final Exam in comparison with this introductory pop quiz pretty much shows it. Anyway, comparisons or not, I thought you might be interested in the exam, to see how you would do. And so I give it below in its entirety
For the i.d.s, anything they’ve read or heard during the semester is fair game. I don’t give them a list of terms ahead of time to study. They have to know every term covered in the reading and that I”ve given in class. For the essays: two weeks ahead of time I gave them fourteen possible essay questions for the exam, and told them I would choose two of the fourteen for the final. I decided to give them some choice, as you’ll see, so they could have some leeway about which essay to write.
I won’t be able to correct your wrong answers or even to tell you the right ones, since each i.d. could take up to 50 words, and the essays, took most students about an hour to write. But I thought you might like to look it over and test your NT knowledge against… some 19 year olds. 🙂
Here’s the exam:
Reli 104 New Testament
Bart D. Ehrman
Spring 2015
Final Exam
IDENTIFICATIONS
Define ten of the following terms in fifty words or less (NOT on this sheet, but state each term and define it in your bluebook). Be concise, but provide as much information in the space allotted as possible
- Alexander the Great
- Beatitudes
- Canon
- Criterion of Dissimilarity
- Docetism
- Extispicy
- Hellenization
- Infancy Gospel of Thomas
- Literary-Historical Method
- Markan Priority
- Nag Hammadi Library
- Theophilus
Extra Credit I.D.’s
- Barnasha
- Demiurge
- Homoeoteleuton
ESSAYS
Write an essay on two of the following questions, one from Section A and one from Section B (you may not write an essay on two from the same section). Provide as much information as you can in your answer, giving as many details as possible. Work to make your essays well-conceived and well written.
Section A
- Choose one of the Gospels and discuss in detail the evidence that has led scholars to doubt the historical accuracy of some of its traditions.
- Resolved: The Historical Jesus was an Apocalyptic Prophet. Take either side of this resolution and argue your case, appealing to the evidence preserved among our early Gospels.
Section B
- Compare and contrast the views of Judaism that are presented in any two of the following early Christian writings: the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Luke, the letter to the Galatians, the book of Hebrews, the letter of Barnabas.
- Choose one of Paul’s undisputed letters (with the exception of Romans) and discuss the following issues: how was the church to which the letter is addressed founded, what problems have emerged since Paul left the community, and how does Paul deal with the problems? Brownie points for specific details.
So this is for 1st year students? Gosh, that seems a lot to cover! (not saying that’s a bad thing – keep up the high expectations!) Curious – are students allowed to take a New Testament into the exam? or notes of some kind?
I’d love to go back to university and study Judeo-Christian Origins in a formal setting and get some further letters next to my name. I just can’t justify the time and money nowadays. I’ve been unofficially studying this stuff for 3 or 4 years now in my spare time. I think I would ace this exam.
No, it’s completely closed book!
Section A.1 – I would choose the Gospel of John and focus on its major discrepancies with the synoptic gospels (raw data – chronology, names and places etc.), the implausibility of accurately recording of private speeches between Jesus and Nicodemus and Pilate etc., the clear theological colourings, and finish with the problem of establishing the likelihood of a miracle via historical methodology.
Section A.2 – I would argue in the affirmative and start by focusing on Mark 13’s claim of the gathering of the elect within the generation. I’d then point out other ‘imminent apocalyptic’ rhetoric scattered in Q, M, L. I’d then explain how the hypothesis makes further sense of passages found in John 21, 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 7, Revelation etc. I’d also remark on the historical context – that imminent apocalyptic Judaism was rife at the time.
Section B.1 – I’d select Matthew and Galatians and focus on their different views on the law and salvation.
Section B.2 – I’d select 1 Thessalonians – Paul is trying to address the problem of the delayed parousia.
“Extispicy” – the really hot sauce at Taco Bell? I have read many of your books, attended a number of your seminars, read books by other Biblical scholars, and yet I’m not sure I would pass your test. Humbling! Still, I know that my knowledge of these subjects is ahead of the general public, including the church-going public. Thanks for the enlightenment!
That’s it: Taco Bell!!!
Wow-I learned TWO new words today.
Wow! Pretty tough but fair.
It would be very interesting to read the best answers for each. Also, you had a class write a gospel earlier in the year. Could you share with us one of those?
I’m afraid I turned them all back!
Wow! That’s a doozy! 🙂
They are very fortunate to be able to take your courses!!
ha! they aren’t so sure!
How do your students usually do? Are there many that do extremely well or many who you realize never did the required reading?
Average is about a B- or low B. I don’t believe in contributing to grade inflation.
I have the definition of parablepsis occasioned by homoeoteleuton burned into memory just from watching your videos as often as I have. I would have at least gotten the extra credit. Hee hee
Excellent. It covers everything in your Introduction to t he New Testament. Gave me a chance to see what I have learned also from your other books.
Is the exam open book? In other words, can the students look stuff up in a Bible during the exam?
It might have been interesting to give the students the option of not only discussing the scholarly arguments about the historical accuracy of a Gospel, but the option of trying to refute those arguments as well. I have spent a lot of time reading the arguments about Gospel discrepancies put forth by the Apologetics Press website. These arguments have their weaknesses, but, at least, they demonstrate some thinking about the issues and students of a certain type might find trying to argue both sides helpful and educational. .
It’s closed book!
Do you have preset rubrics for grading the essays? It woul be interesting to see what you look for!
We don’t have a set rubric. We look for answers that are relatively long, filled with detail, accurate, well reasoned, and well-written. And, well, without mistakes!
I made a hunert.
So how do you grade the identifications? Is it a simple identify Alexander and get the mark, or is it say five things about Alexander and get five?
And I do wonder how on earth you get to extispicy. Is it a metaphor for a peculiar sort of fundamentalist use of the Bible as tantamount to divination?
They are each worth 10 points. The average decent answer is an 8. Something that is quite special is a 9 or 10. sSomething that is lacking is lower.
I think the intensive introduction courses are the only REAL education one should get for the money they pay for school as Chapel Hill. I would expect nothing less from you. I thought the style of questions was right on. I believe if wasn’t as challenging I would be disappointed. These young people are lucky to learn from you. I would probably Hate to see similar courses at some universities. Impressive! Thanks for sharing so much!
I’ve read 4 of your books… countless blog articles.. several debates and lectures. Compared to the average Joe, I’m an expert on the NT. I can talk and bore people to death about the NT (and I have). Yet I would fail your exam miserably . I guess the reason I was never considered college material was that I could only retain things, facts, events that interested me.
I feel like I’ve failed you.
No, you haven’t failed me! You couldn’t be expected to pass the test if you haven’t taken the point!
No, you haven’t failed me! You couldn’t be expected to pass the test if you haven’t taken the text!
You can’t be expected to pass the test if you haven’t taken the course!
I’ve read about everything on the test. At various points in time I could have answered everyone of those questions. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate the blog and the way that you write and teach. From one book to the next you keep hitting points that seem to help retain me the information. I assume that’s by design.
I think that everybody should know these things, and I encourage people to join the blog and to buy the books of yours that I’ve read. Thanks for your response.
I don’t remember any of the questions from Meek’s final, lo these many years ago (I graduated in ’76). But, I *do* recall the gist of the first question on Geanakoplos’s History of the Byzantine Empire exam: he invited us, essentially, to tell everything we knew about the rise *and* decline of the Byzantine Empire!
My (no doubt, exaggerated, lol) recollection is that I could fill four or five blue books in my allotted three hours back then.
My other recollection from college finals (well, the other one I’ll share) is from Ozment’s History of the Reformation class. I outraged the poor TA who had to grade my effort by misspelling “Anabaptist” on page after page after page. I spelled it phonetically, with *two* b’s instead of a b and a p.
Ah, bright college years, indeed! 🙂
Dr. Ehrman, I am pleased to see that I was right — your classes are extremely challenging. Courses that made me work hard were my favorite kind when I was working on my BA. I wish I could enroll in one or more of your classes but distance and disability will never allow that to happen.
I have watched all of your videos on Youtube, several times each. Don’t take offense, but after watching them a few times, they proved to be an excellent soporific. I have always had trouble getting to sleep and I evidently find your voice very relaxing. I would not, of course, ever fall asleep while I was in any of your classes.
I am delighted to have found you. Because I became bedbound in a nursing home five years ago I finally have the time to study and learn new things whenever I please. Since I love learning, I’m very happy.. Thank you for your kindness and for using your time and effort to get your teachings available to people like me. I appreciate that, as I’m sure many others do.
Thank you for posting this! I tend to give my students lengthy review guides to forestall objections that the exam was unfair, but maybe your example will stiffen my spine!