Christianity Essay

INTRO TO CHRISTIANITY ESSAY QUESTION OPTIONS
Choose 2 and only 2 of the following essay questions and prepare yourself to be ready to answer the 2 off your choice on the mid-term exam. You will not be able to use notes or book but should prepare your mind. Use 1-2 pages for each essay; stick with the material from your notes and the study materials—do not go digging around for extraneous information on the Internet.

1. What is the “Synoptic Problem” and explain how the “Four Source Hypothesis” is the standard answer to this question.

2. What were the 4 Jewish sects at the time of Jesus. Explain who they were; where they were; and what they believed.

3. Explain some of the differences between the 2 Creation Stories in the Old Testament (Genesis 1 & Genesis 2). Explain when scholars believed they were first composed (the sources) & why. Explain some of the ways they are similar to and different from other Ancient Near Eastern Creation accounts among the Mesopotamians & Egyptians.

4. What kind of writing (genre) is a “gospel?” Explain some of the differences between the 4 gospels in terms of A. where the good news begins. B. Where the good news ends and C. some themes each gospel emphasizes and D. the kinds of Christian communities for which each gospel was written.

Textbook: Lopez, Penny, Jonas, English, Christianity (Macon, GA: Mercer UP, 2010)

No format needed (APA, MLA, references etc), just use the book, powerpoints and what ever sources you choose and type a page and half about one essay topic and a page and a half about another

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Christianity
Question 2: The 4 Jewish Sects at the Time of Jesus
Judaism was the main religion that was established from the olden Hebrews and was described by a strong belief in one supreme God who exposed himself to Abraham. The belief was passed down to the generation of David who was the ancestor of Jesus. Jews were Hebrew descendants who lived in the times of Jesus and comprised of four main sects which are as follows.
Sadducees
This was a group of people comprising of the upper social and economic echelon of the Jews and was responsible for fulfilling diverse social, political roles (aristocrats) and religious (temple priests) such as maintaining the Temple in Jerusalem. The Sadducees were conservative and often got into conflict with the teachings of Jesus because they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. However, they believed in the Laws of Moses other traditional Jewish concepts of Sheol for those who die. They were more active in the kingdom of Judah (Judea) (Lopez, 2010)….