Last Church History Test

Question 1

The major reason Isidore of Seville can be called the outstanding Christian leader of the Visigoth Kingdom is because Isidore was…?

Answer 1

A scholar

Question 2

What caused Attila the Hun, as he moved his army on the city of Rome, to change his mind, turn his army around, and head back north instead?

Answer 2

The Pope talked to him

Question 3

The title “Pope” is rooted in a Latin word that means…?

Answer 3

Father

Question 4

The people-group called the Visigoths: what was the religious of their leaders?

Answer 4

Arian Christianity

Question 5

What happened at the “Battle of Tours” under the leadership of Charles Martel in 732?

Answer 5

The Moslem army was defeated

Question 6

The most significant contribution Benedict makes to the development of monasticism is … ?

Answer 6

His book of rules

Question 7

In Benedictine the great majority of later monasteries, how many assigned times are there per day set aside for gathering and prayer?

Answer 7

Eight

Question 8

Where did Benedict of Nursia, along with several others, go after it was clear the cave he had been living in for some time would not work because of the number of disciples who had come to learn from him?

Answer 8

They went to monte cassino

Question 9

The Merovingian Dynasty (line of Kings), at least theoretically, ruled over which of the following kingdoms?

Answer 9

Franks

Question 10

For which of the following Late Medieval Roman Catholic doctrines does Gregory the Great play an important in developing?

Answer 10

Purgatory

Question 11

How is that Irish monasteries will excel in preserving Christian and Latin writings from the first six or seven centuries of the church, when compared to other monasteries in England and Europe?

Answer 11

Ireland was far more peaceful than Europe or England in this era

Question 12

The main outcome of the Synod of Whitby in 663 can be summed up as…?

Answer 12

England will follow European traditions instead of Irish traditions regarding dates of Easter and other Christian rites

Question 13

What is “Saint Peter’s Patrimony?”

Answer 13

The city of Rome and the land around it under the direct control and oversight of the Pope.

Question 14

One important way that Gregory the Great influence the framework for understanding salvation in ways that moved beyond Augustine was in the idea ….

Answer 14

That confession, contrition, penance (things you do to show you are really sorry), and absolution by a Priest are needed. If (for a Christian) those are not done before they die, they must be completed through suffering in purgatory

Question 15

As González makes clear, the major thing that was driving Gregory to increasingly think and act like the ruler of the city of Rome was….

Answer 15

The city was falling apart and there was nobody else to turn to.

Question 16

What are the 3 great differences between western (Catholic) monasticism and eastern (Orthodox) monasticism?

Answer 16

Eastern monasticism placed a high priority on the monk being alone, unlike Western monasticism.
Eastern monasticism existed with much greater tension and conflicts with bishops than western.
Western monasticism was more practical and used less extreme forms of acesticism.

Question 17

Early leaders in Islam were often called “Caliphs.” What does Caliph mean?

Answer 17

Successor

Question 18

In what year did Mohammed escape angry Merchant in Mecca and take refuge in the settlement of Medina?

Answer 18

622

Question 19

How many years after the Hijrah [look it up if you don’t know what that word means] before Jerusalem fell to Islamic military forces?

Answer 19

About 16 years

Question 20

One of the major disagreements that caused (and maintains) the division between the Sunni and the Shi’ite Muslims would be which of the following choices?

Answer 20

Is it necessary that a true Caliph must be a descended of Muhammad

Question 21

One reason Nestorius, the Bishop of Constantinople, was openly criticized and verbally attacked by Cyril of Alexandria was…

Answer 21

He was of the Antiochine school of thought

Question 22

The position of Eutyches, who was a monk in Constantinople, was condemned by the Bishop of Constantinople, because Eutyches said…

Answer 22

Christ was not one in nature with humanity

Question 23

The focus of tension when it became widely known that Nestorius criticized referring to Mary as the “Mother of God” (Bearer of God) and wanted to use the label Christokos: “Mother of Christ” instead, was…

Answer 23

It was about the nature of Christ: That is, to make it clear that the human part of Christ’s nature was from Mary, while the divine part of Christ’s nature was from God and not from Mary

Question 24

In the complex debates about the human-divine nature of Christ, the Alexandrians tended to be those who … ?

Answer 24

Emphasized the divinity of Christ

Question 25

The final schism between eastern and western Christianity took place in the year …. ?

Answer 25

1054

Question 26

How were the intense Christological controversies viewed in the Latin West?

Answer 26

Didn’t pay much attention to them

Question 27

In the complex debates about the human-divine nature of Christ, the Antiochenes tended to be those who … ?

Answer 27

Emphasized the humanity of Christ

Question 28

Which of the following would summarize the view of Christ’s nature held by Apollinarius?

Answer 28

In Christ, the Divine Logos served as the rational mind within the physical human body of a man named Jesus

Question 29

González briefly summarizes a number of Charlemagne’s actions to help reform and improve the church. What are these reforms?

Answer 29

Sunday is set aside for rest and worship
Preaching must be in the native language of the people
A tithe was required of all families
He appointed Benedict of Aniane to help restore the Benedictine Rule to all monasteries

Question 30

The works identified as being from Dionysius the Areopagite (now commonly called “Pseudo-Dionysius) that were popular and widely read among the well education during the Carolingian era and beyond, helped to spread which of the following philosophical systems?

Answer 30

Neoplatonism

Question 31

Why is the council called by Pope Stephen VI in 897 known as “The Cadaveric Council?”

Answer 31

The body of a previous Pope was brought out and paraded around

Question 32

In discussing the conflict that would arise through contact between the Mozarab Christians of Spain and broader Latin Christianity, González discusses “adoptionism.” What, in classic terms, is adoptionism.

Answer 32

Jesus was a man and a great man who was then adopted by God the Father. Adoptionist often taught that this adoption occurred at the time of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River.

Question 33

The Mozarabs were Christians in Spain who created a conflict within western Christianity over which of the following things:

Answer 33

The liturgy used in worship

Question 34

Following the death of Charlemagne, as the Carolingian dynasty fell into rapid decline, what was the status of Papacy?

Answer 34

The Papacy grew in power as the only stable authority that held sway over much of Europe

Question 35

Why does one historian summarize the condition of Europe in the tenth century as “a dark century of lead and iron?”

Answer 35

Because of the brutal invasions of the Scandinavians and Hungarians

Question 36

During the Carolingian era, González notes that John Scotus Erigena was the greatest (and almost only major) systematic thinker and theologian. Where was he raised?

Answer 36

Ireland

Question 37

One of the underlying cause of the rise of feudalism was… ?

Answer 37

The increasingly scarcity of money (typically in coins) meant that land became the primary way the nobility had wealth and rewarded lesser nobility within their realm

Question 38

What is a “Cistercian?”

Answer 38

A monk in an order dedicated to the strict observance of the Rule of St. Benedict.

Question 39

In the long controversies between the Emperor and the Papacy over investiture and power of local Bishops, the Popes increasingly saw the Emperor and the Holy Roman Empire as an enemy. Where did these Popes turn for support?

Answer 39

France

Question 40

After many years of controversy, what great issue was finally settled between the Pope and the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at the Concordat (Agreement) of Worms in 1122?

Answer 40

Investiture Controversy

Question 41

At the height of their devotion to the daily hours of prayer, how many Psalms were read in a single day?

Answer 41

138

Question 42

The two primary focuses of the broad reforms initiated by Pope Leo IX (Bruno of Tours) are:

Answer 42

Prohibiting simony and requiring clerical celibacy

Question 43

One key reason the Cluniac Reforms often failed on the issue of freeing the church from the temptations and abuses associated with wealth was because…?

Answer 43

The reformers accepted that monks must be in poverty and clergy were encouraged to be in poverty. But, monasteries and churches could own huge amounts of treasure and property.

Question 44

The potential problems faced every time there had to be a new Pope caused a great deal of concern. Appointment by the Emperor opened the church to Imperial control. Election by Bishops opened the church up to Popes who paid bribes or were simply well-liked. What solution was enacted at the Second Lateran Council?

Answer 44

Election by “Cardinals”

Question 45

Other than being the one who placed the document of excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in 1054, and thus starting the Great Schism; Humbert was also widely known in Europe for…?

Answer 45

His tireless campaign against Simony

Question 46

What were the key areas of focus by reforming Popes and Bishops who wanted to broaden the Cluniac reforms to include the whole church?

Answer 46

Obedience to the Pope as the head of the Church by all Christians
Church must be free from control of civil authorities
Abolition of simony

Question 47

The most significant Christian leader in this era to arise out of the Cistercian monastic order would be?

Answer 47

Bernard of Clairvaux

Question 48

Bruno of Toul was criticized by some for accepting the appointment to be Pope from the distant Emperor. But, perhaps to counter any suspicion about simony, how did he first come into the city of Rome on his way to becoming Pope Leo IX?

Answer 48

Bare foot

Question 49

The Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory (Hildebrand) fell into a conflict because the Emperor had deposed a bishop and replaced him with another. How was the conflict resolved?

Answer 49

The Emperor did public penance and begged for forgiveness

Question 50

The reforming Pope Leo IX (Bruno) is noted in González for two serious errors in his Papacy. One of these, of course, is sending the uncompromising Humbert to try and reach an accord with Constantinople. What was the other major error?

Answer 50

Going to war against the Norsemen in Sicily

Question 51

What happened right after Christians breached the walls and captured the city of Jerusalem on July 15, 1099?

Answer 51

An unimaginable massacre of men, women, and children throughout the city

Question 52

What prompted large groups of children to leave their homes and embark on the long journey to the Holy Land to join in the Crusades?

Answer 52

So-called holy men and others related dreams and visions that the crusades only failed because of sin and that, if innocent children were to go forth, God would reveal his power by their absolute victory.

Question 53

What is the relationship between Santiago and the Reconquista?

Answer 53

The tomb of St. James fostered increased Christian pressure in northern Spain and become a rallying figure for the conquest of the Spain by Christians

Question 54

The Islamic people that long control the Iberian peninsula (Spain) are called the ___?

Answer 54

Moors

Question 55

What does “Deus vult” mean and how was it used?

Answer 55

God wills it! And it was a rallying cry calling men to join in the First Crusade

Question 56

For all its grand promises and the untold tens of thousands of lives poured into it, how long did the crusaders or European Christians actually control the Holy Land?

Answer 56

For about a century

Question 57

What Islamic leader was responsible for the recapturing of Jerusalem in the year 1187?

Answer 57

Saladin

Question 58

Which of the following roles did “Peter the Hermit” play in the First Crusade?

Answer 58

He led a mob that killed thousands of Jews

Question 59

What was the first major town or city recaptured by Christian armies during the era of the crusades?

Answer 59

Nicea

Question 60

When the Christians found themselves besieged by a newly arrived Turkish army within the walls of Antioch (which was not even completely under Christian control), why did finding a spear change the course of the battle?

Answer 60

Someone had prophesied they would find the “Holy Lance” and then told them where to dig. When the old Roman era spear was found, the Christian army was overwhelmed with confidence and attacked the besieging Turks.

Question 61

Pope Innocent III excommunicated King John (Lackland) of England because the King of England would not accept … ?

Answer 61

The Pope’s appointment to be Archbishop of Canterbury

Question 62

St. Dominic came into contact with Albegensians in 1203. Which of the following statements describes the Albigensians?

Answer 62

It is another name for the Cathars or Bogomils, a heretical group in France

Question 63

What is true of the followers of Peter Waldo?

Answer 63

They were devoted to living in radical poverty
They eventually identified themselves with the Protestants
They were persecuted by the Catholic church
They survived as a movement by withdrawing into the Alps
They defied orders by Bishops to stop preaching

Question 64

What causes Pope Innocent III to place the entire nation of France under interdict?

Answer 64

Because King Philip Augustus had remarried while his second wife was still alive

Question 65

Why were some Franciscans eventually called the “Spiritual Franciscans?”

Answer 65

They followed the prophetic teachings of Joachim of Fiore and believed they were heralds of the Age of the Spirit

Question 66

González demonstrates that the broad and sweeping reforms and laws enacted through the Fourth Lateran Council are evidence of the tremendous power of Pope Innocent III by pointing out that … ?

Answer 66

The council was complete in only three one-day sessions

Question 67

The formal name of the monastic movement commonly called “The Dominicans” is….”

Answer 67

The Order of Preachers

Question 68

Who did Francis of Assisi end up marrying?

Answer 68

Poverty

Question 69

Once he had gathered a few followers around him, why did Francis of Assisi leave his hometown and journey to Rome?

Answer 69

To seek the Pope’s permission to found a new monastic order

Question 70

The Mendicants were…

Answer 70

Monks who went about begging

Question 71

Which of the following statement is true regarding Pope Innocent III?

Answer 71

He is the most powerful Pope in history

Question 72

As universities came into their prime and would provide the main center of scholasticism’s influence on the church, the two most important universities for the study of theology were … ?

Answer 72

Paris and Oxford

Question 73

What philosopher from ancient Greece played a large part in the development of Late Medieval scholasticism?

Answer 73

Aristotle

Question 74

In his introductory comments to the section on church buildings, González says that the great church buildings of the High Middle Ages served two purposes. What were these two purposes?

Answer 74

Cultic and Didactic

Question 75

When Anselm of Canterbury comes up in study, it is usually because of his argument applied to the existence of God, the so-called Ontological Argument. Although González mentions that, the primary thing he notes about Anselm is . . . ?

Answer 75

He is a pioneer of Scholasticism

Question 76

Which of the following ideas is increasingly evident in Late Medieval culture?

Answer 76

Nationalism

Question 77

What seemingly important thing occurred at the Council that met in 1438 (in the town of Ferrara) and 1439 (in Florence)?

Answer 77

Reconciliation of the Eastern Orthodox church with the Roman Catholic church

Question 78

Where did the trial and execution of the French leader Joan of Arc take place?

Answer 78

In the French city of Rouen

Question 79

After the Papacy returned to Rome from Avignon, what did the next Pope, Urban VI, declare regarding the bishops who formed part of the Papal court?

Answer 79

They were traitors of Christ

Question 80

How did the Council of Constance in 1414 resolve the now-expanded crisis of having three Popes, each claiming to be the one true Pope?

Answer 80

They effectively removed or did not replace all three of the men then claiming to be the Pope and appointed a single new Pope that just about everyone recognized

Question 81

Where was John Wycliffe teaching during most of adult life?

Answer 81

Oxford

Question 82

Which of the statements below best summarizes John Wycliffe’s views on “dominion?”

Answer 82

The right to govern rests with God and is bestowed by Him upon certain people for the good of all. Anyone who uses a position of authority for their own profit and benefit is not a legitimate authority, but a usurper.

Question 83

Those who believed an ecumenical council, one that would have authority even over the Pope, could resolve the crisis of rival Popes faced one major problem. What was that?

Answer 83

The question of who really had the authority to call for and convene an ecumenical council