Tuesday, February 8, 2011

An Exegesis Test for Mikey!




Well, I managed to dig up an old test on biblical Exegesis from Loyola University's second year course. The question remains whether a guy schooled and spoiled in simpleton-ish online schools can make it through a full bore university-level exam. That remains to be seen, though we can expect to see loads of excuses if he can't! ("Well, we don't really cover such material in a biblical school!" - so I will understand if he has to punt).
WHY put forward such a test? Because I'm more convinced than ever, following his recent responses, that Mikey doesn't know 'Jack' about Exegesis- he only tosses out the word to make gullible folk believe he does. He blathers about "giving these answers before" like from his pathetic I-Net church site, but he never did provide anything substantive in any of that material. He merely launched jeremiads and farcical attacks on those who were too rigorous of mind to accept his palaver. Sure he provides some answers to our queries, but as I showed in the previous blog, these have all been found wanting: they're either devoid of proper exegetical basis (in the textual analysis, especially appreciation of language differences) or are shot through with shoddy reasoning I'd more expect from a 7th grader. Such as it is! So here is Mikey's chance to shine, though he will likely say he ain't taking any tests prepared by any "Hitler-Nazi backed Jesuits". Which is fine, because it'll merely confirm Mikey knows nothing and isn't worth the time of day in such issues.
The time is 2 hours. Each question entails 10 marks. I want to see a minimum of 70%, Mikey - if you're man enough to take it! But ....if you're a mouse, terrified of Jesuit tests, well....we'll understand! BOW -WOW and GRRRRRRRRR!

1. Estimate the percentage of the Qumran scrolls that are copies of books of the Bible. Of which proto-canonical books were there copies or fragments? Of which deutero-canonical books? Define each type of book, making clear any unfamiliar terms.

2. WHY are the Qumran scrolls of such great importance? Why would it be erroneous to conclude that these scrolls provide us with the original reading of the New Testament books?

3. What aids did biblical scholars already possess toward reconstructing the original reading of the Old Testament books? How have the discoveries at Qumran enhanced the value of the Septuagint translation as a reliable aid for reconstructing the original reading of the Old Testament that appears in the scrolls?

4. How (not how much) have the Qumran scrolls contributed to our knowledge of the history of Judaism? What caution(s) must we keep in mind when reconstructing Israelite history from these scrolls?

5. Three fourths of the Dead Sea Scrolls are writings composed by the Essenes themselves, treating their religious views and way of life. What have we learned from them about the Essenes' beliefs to do with the "angel of light" and the "angel of darkness"? What have we learned about their beliefs concerning the Messiah?

6. Discuss the moral views and practices of the Qumran sectarians as they might have impacted their texts-scrolls. Give at least two specific examples and expand on them at length, including likely copyist errors.

7. Half the original manuscript witness sources, including a Bodmer papyrus and Beza's Codex, omit the last line (accorded to Jesus) from Luke 23:33-34. What does this omission convey concerning the textual tradition of this sentence? What general caution does this provide concerning exegesis for the synoptic gospels in general?

8. Some Protestant biblical scholars used to hold that St. John's Gospel could not possibly have been written by a Jewish Christian living at the time of Christ. They asserted it was more likely written in the 2nd or 3rd century A.D., because of the terminology and ideas in St. John's Gospel reflecting an abstract dualistic theology (e.g. emphasizing the conflict between light and darkness).

Explain how the Qumran documents smashed this theory. Why would Jesus (as reported in his speeches in St. John's Gospel) have used such terminology and ideas?

9. Discuss fully the new insight for interpreting the 'Epistle to the Hebrews' which we get from the Qumran scrolls.

10. The word "mystery" (Greek 'musterion': 'what is known only to the initiated') occurs twenty seven times in the official New Testament and almost all these occurrences demonstrate the "secret infrastructure of a nascent cult". Further, a careful reading of the Pauline Epistles, and Gospels (supplemented by modern documentary discoveries- such as at Qumran) shows Christianity began as a mystery religion, replete with initiations, secrets and multiple levels of indoctrination.

The 'mystagogoue' element is also very evident in passages such as 1 Cor. 2:6 ff.

Explain the nature of a "mystery religion". Do you concur that Christianity - from the scriptural elements, passages noted- qualifies as such? Why or why not? If the negative, provide an alternative exegesis to make sense of 1 Cor. 2:6 ff.

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