Course 26 · Practice and Scholarship
Comprehensive Assessment
Test your knowledge across the whole program through self-administered examinations, written defenses, a statement of faith, a rule of life and an honest assessment of what remains to be learned.
Overview
This course has no lectures and no new material. It is a structured way of finding out what you know, what you can defend and what you still need to study. Everything is done privately, in your own notebook or documents, and nothing is submitted to this website. No one grades the results except the student.
The course is organized around ten components: an examination in biblical knowledge, an examination in historical theology, an examination in systematic theology, an evaluation of philosophical arguments, an assessment in historical apologetics, a written defense of three Christian propositions, a personal statement of faith, a personal rule of life, a reflection on theological development, and an assessment of intellectual strengths, uncertainties and areas for continued study.
Each module explains how to run its component: how to prepare, how to conduct an honest examination without notes, which questions to try, what a good answer contains and how to evaluate your own work. The knowledge questions below the modules are sample examination questions with outline answers, which show the standard expected.
There is no required thesis, dissertation or thesis defense. The program does not grant a degree, credit, ordination or any qualification, and this course does not either. Its value is clarity: a student who finishes it knows what they believe, why, how well they can defend it, and what to study next.
Objectives
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of the contents, structure and main themes of the Bible by completing a timed examination without notes.
- Explain the major developments in the history of Christian doctrine, from the apostolic age to the Reformation and after, in a timed examination.
- Explain the main doctrines of Christianity systematically and state where Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant teaching differ.
- Evaluate at least four philosophical arguments for and against Christian claims, stating premises, strengths and weaknesses.
- Assess the historical evidence for central Christian claims, distinguishing consensus, debate and personal interpretation.
- Write a documented defense of three Christian propositions that states and answers the strongest objections.
- Write a personal statement of faith that is clear, honest and consistent with your studies.
- Write a personal rule of life with concrete, reviewable practices.
- Describe your own theological development, including changes of mind and the reasons for them.
- Identify your intellectual strengths and uncertainties and draw up a plan for continued study.
Course outline
Module 1 Comprehensive Biblical Knowledge Examination
Test your grasp of the Bible’s books, story, genres, key passages and main interpretive questions.
Topics
- Comprehensive biblical knowledge examination
Lessons
Module 2 Historical Theology Examination
Test your knowledge of how doctrine developed, from the apostolic age through the councils, the medieval church and the Reformation.
Topics
- Historical theology examination
Lessons
Module 3 Systematic Theology Examination
Test your ability to state the main Christian doctrines accurately and fairly across the three great traditions.
Topics
- Systematic theology examination
Lessons
Module 4 Philosophical Argument Evaluation and Historical Apologetics Assessment
Test your ability to analyze philosophical arguments and to assess historical evidence for central Christian claims.
Topics
- Philosophical argument evaluation
- Historical apologetics assessment
Lessons
Module 5 Written Defense of Three Christian Propositions
Choose three propositions and defend each in writing, answering the strongest objections fairly.
Topics
- Written defense of three Christian propositions
Lessons
Module 6 Statement of Faith and Rule of Life
Write what you believe and how you intend to live, in plain, honest and reviewable form.
Topics
- Personal statement of faith
- Personal Christian rule of life
Lessons
Module 7 Reflection on Theological Development
Look back over the whole course of study and describe honestly how your understanding has changed, and why.
Topics
- Reflection on theological development
Lessons
Module 8 Strengths, Uncertainties and Continued Study
Pull the results together into an honest profile of what you know well, what you doubt and what you still need to study.
Topics
- Assessment of intellectual strengths, uncertainties and areas for continued study
Lessons
Suggested schedule
| When | Work |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Module 1: Comprehensive Biblical Knowledge Examination |
| Week 2 | Module 2: Historical Theology Examination |
| Week 3 | Module 3: Systematic Theology Examination |
| Week 4 | Module 4: Philosophical Argument Evaluation and Historical Apologetics Assessment |
| Week 5 | Module 5: Written Defense of Three Christian Propositions |
| Week 6 | Module 6: Statement of Faith and Rule of Life |
| Week 7 | Module 7: Reflection on Theological Development |
| Week 8 | Module 8: Strengths, Uncertainties and Continued Study |
| Week 9 | Independent assignment and self-assessment |
Readings
Required
- Council of Nicaea (325) and Council of Constantinople (381), The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed
The statement of faith confessed by Catholic, Orthodox and most Protestant churches. Learn it line by line before reading anything else on the Trinity.
How to use it: Use as a checklist for the statement of faith and for the systematic examination. Be able to explain each clause.
Read the creed (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) In the library - Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church
The authoritative modern summary of Catholic teaching. Read it to understand what Catholics actually claim, in their own words.
How to use it: Use as a reference for the Catholic position in the systematic examination. Read selectively.
Read online (Vatican) In the library - Westminster Assembly, The Westminster Confession of Faith
The classic confession of English-speaking Reformed and Presbyterian Protestantism. It is printed in Schaff’s volume of Protestant creeds; use the contents list to find it.
How to use it: Use as a reference for a Protestant (Reformed) position. Read selectively.
Creeds of Christendom, vol. 3 (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) In the library - Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, eds., The Seven Ecumenical Councils (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, vol. 14)
The decrees and canons of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon with the surrounding history. The primary text for Courses 5, 6 and 9.
How to use it: Review the canons and creeds of the councils before the historical theology examination.
Read online (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) In the library - Alister E. McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction
A clear textbook that surveys doctrine and its history across traditions.
How to use it: A single survey to use for revision across history, doctrine and method.
Find in a library or bookstore catalog (Open Library) In the library
Recommended
- Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity
A standard one-volume or two-volume survey of church history from the apostles to the present.
How to use it: A survey of church history to review the timeline.
Find in a library or bookstore catalog (Open Library) In the library - J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines
A standard account of how Christian doctrine took shape in the first centuries.
How to use it: For revision on the formation of doctrine in the early centuries.
Find in a library or bookstore catalog (Open Library) In the library - Timothy (Kallistos) Ware, The Orthodox Church
A widely used introduction to Orthodox history, worship and belief written by an Orthodox bishop.
How to use it: For revision on Orthodox belief and practice.
Find in a library or bookstore catalog (Open Library) In the library - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Fallacies
A scholarly guide to logical fallacies. Use it to sharpen argument checking.
How to use it: For the philosophical argument evaluation.
Read online (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) In the library - N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God
A major scholarly argument about what the first Christians meant by resurrection and why they believed it happened. Long and demanding.
How to use it: A major scholarly case on the resurrection, to review for the historical apologetics assessment. Read critically and alongside critics.
Find in a library or bookstore catalog (Open Library) In the library - Bruce M. Metzger, The Canon of the New Testament
A standard history of how the New Testament canon was formed.
How to use it: For revision on how the New Testament canon took shape.
Find in a library or bookstore catalog (Open Library) In the library - Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of St. Benedict
The short, sensible rule that shaped Western monastic life. The best model for writing a personal rule of life.
How to use it: A model for the rule of life.
Read online (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)Another translation (Project Gutenberg) In the library
Passages in the Scripture Study
- 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching. A text for the doctrine of Scripture.
- Luke 24:27 Jesus interprets the Scriptures concerning himself. A model of reading the Bible as one story.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3 The earliest summary of the gospel, with the resurrection as part of it.
- John 20:31 These things are written that you may believe. The stated purpose of the fourth gospel.
- Romans 10:9 An early and brief confession of faith.
- Matthew 28:19 The baptismal command in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Jude 1:3 Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Relevant to the written defense.
- 1 Peter 3:15 Be prepared to give a reason for hope, with gentleness and respect.
- 2 Timothy 2:15 Rightly handling the word of truth. A text on careful interpretation.
- Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet. A text for the rule of life.
- Micah 6:8 Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly. A summary for conduct.
- Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this, but I press on. A text for continued growth.
- Mark 9:24 I believe; help my unbelief. A text for honest statement of uncertainty.
- Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron. A text for the value of correction by others.
Independent assignment
The Final Independent Assessment
- Purpose
- To test and document what you know, what you can defend and what you still need to study. There is no mandatory thesis, dissertation or thesis defense. Everything is done privately, and nothing is submitted to this website.
- Instructions
- Set a schedule of several weeks. Do not take all components in one sitting, and rest between them.
- Take the biblical knowledge examination: set a timer, close your notes, and answer 25 to 30 questions on the books, story, genres, major passages and interpretive questions of the Bible. Mark your answers afterward against the Bible and your notes.
- Take the historical theology examination: write short answers to 20 to 25 questions on periods, councils, controversies, figures and primary texts. Include dates, using ‘c.’ where uncertain.
- Take the systematic theology examination: write answers on God, Christ, humanity, salvation, the church and last things, stating the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant positions on at least five points of difference.
- Complete the philosophical argument evaluation: choose four arguments (two for Christian claims and two against), set out each in standard form, and write a half-page evaluation of premises, strengths and weaknesses.
- Complete the historical apologetics assessment: choose two central claims (for example the resurrection or the reliability of the gospels), list the main sources, state what is consensus, what is debated and what is personal interpretation, and give your own conclusion.
- Write a defense of three Christian propositions of your choice: for each, define terms, give your case, state the strongest objections and answer them. Cite sources.
- Write your personal statement of faith (one to two pages) and your personal rule of life (one page, with concrete practices and review dates).
- Write a reflection on your theological development (about 1,000 to 1,500 words) and an assessment of your strengths, uncertainties and areas for continued study, with a plan for the next year.
- Score yourself using the criteria below, wait two weeks, then reread everything and mark anything unfair, vague or unsupported. Revise as needed.
- Required sources
- The library readings listed for this course and for any earlier course relevant to a component.
- At least one primary text from each of the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions for the systematic examination.
- At least one source from a critic of Christianity for the philosophical and historical components.
- Length and scope
- Examinations: a few hours each, under timed conditions. Written defenses: about 800 to 1,200 words per proposition. Statement of faith: one to two pages. Rule of life: one page. Reflection: about 1,000 to 1,500 words. Keep everything in your own notebook or documents. Do not send it anywhere.
- Questions to address
- What do I know well, and what have I only half learned?
- Which of my beliefs can I defend, and which do I only hold?
- Have I stated opposing views in forms their holders would accept?
- How has my understanding changed, and what caused the change?
- What do I still doubt, and what will I do about it?
- What practices will I keep after this program, and how will I know whether I kept them?
- Expected output
- Notes from the examinations with a self-score for each, three written defenses, a statement of faith, a rule of life, a reflection on development and a profile of strengths, uncertainties and plans for continued study.
- How it will be evaluated
- Answers are accurate, with dates, names and references checked against sources.
- Doctrines are stated fairly across the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions.
- Philosophical arguments are set out with premises and evaluated honestly.
- Historical claims are distinguished as consensus, debate or personal interpretation.
- The written defenses state and answer the strongest objections.
- The statement of faith and the rule of life are clear, honest, consistent with each other and reviewable.
- The assessment names real uncertainties and sets a concrete plan for continued study.
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Taking the examinations with notes open and then scoring them as if closed.
- Choosing only easy propositions for the written defenses.
- Describing another tradition from its critics instead of its own texts.
- Writing a statement of faith in borrowed language the student does not understand.
- Confusing a rule of life with a list of aspirations that cannot be checked.
- Hiding uncertainties out of fear that they count against the work.
Knowledge check and self-assessment
Sample biblical question: Outline the major divisions of the Old Testament and the New Testament and give one theme of each division.
Outline answer: The Old Testament in the Christian arrangement has the Law (Genesis to Deuteronomy: creation, covenant and the giving of the law), the historical books (Joshua to Esther: Israel in the land and in exile), the wisdom and poetry books (Job to Song of Solomon: worship and wisdom) and the Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi: judgment and hope). The New Testament has the Gospels (the life, death and resurrection of Jesus), Acts (the spread of the church), the letters (teaching and conduct) and Revelation (the final hope). A good answer is accurate and shows how the parts relate.
Sample historical question: Explain why the Council of Nicaea (325) was called and what it decided.
Outline answer: A dispute arose in Alexandria over the teaching of Arius, who said the Son was a creature brought into being by the Father. Emperor Constantine called the bishops to Nicaea. The council affirmed that the Son is begotten and not made, of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father, and issued a creed, later expanded at Constantinople (381) to include the Holy Spirit. A good answer names the issue, the main party on each side, the key term and the later development, and does not exaggerate the details that are debated.
Sample systematic question: Compare Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant teaching on the authority of the church and Scripture.
Outline answer: Catholic teaching holds that Scripture and sacred tradition together are the word of God, interpreted authoritatively by the teaching office of the church, including the pope. Orthodox teaching holds that Scripture lives within the church’s tradition, expressed above all in the councils and the Fathers, without a single universal teaching office. Protestant traditions hold that Scripture is the final authority (sola scriptura), though they differ over how much weight tradition and confessions carry. A good answer uses each tradition’s own terms and avoids caricature.
Sample philosophical question: Set out the cosmological argument in standard form and identify one objection.
Outline answer: A common form, the Kalam version, is: whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore the universe has a cause. Another form argues from contingency: every contingent thing needs an explanation; the universe is contingent; so it has an explanation outside itself. Objections include questioning whether the first premise applies to the universe as a whole, whether science can establish a beginning, and whether the cause is God. A good answer states premises clearly, notes validity, and evaluates a premise honestly.
Sample historical apologetics question: What kinds of evidence are used in discussing the resurrection of Jesus, and which parts are widely agreed?
Outline answer: Evidence includes early creedal material (such as 1 Corinthians 15:3-8), the gospel accounts, the origin of the early church and the claims of the first witnesses. Most historians, including many skeptics, agree that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate and that his followers soon came to believe he had risen. Whether the best explanation is a real resurrection, hallucination, legend or something else is debated. A good answer separates consensus from interpretation and names serious opponents.
Sample question on written defense: What makes a written defense of a proposition fair and strong?
Outline answer: It defines its terms, states the proposition so that it can be tested, gives reasons and evidence from credible sources, and states the strongest objections in forms their holders would accept before answering them. It admits what it cannot show, distinguishes established doctrine from personal conviction, and avoids appeals to authority that settle nothing. A strong defense also states what would count against the proposition. A weak one answers only easy objections.
Sample question on the statement of faith: What should a personal statement of faith contain, and how should it relate to the creeds?
Outline answer: It should state in the student’s own words what is believed about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, Scripture, humanity, salvation, the church and the final hope, along with the reasons. It should be compared openly with the Nicene Creed and with at least one tradition’s confession, noting where it agrees and where it differs. It should be short, honest and free of borrowed phrases the student cannot explain, and it should mention what is held firmly and what is held with uncertainty.
Sample reflection question: How can a student assess intellectual strengths and uncertainties honestly?
Outline answer: Score each component of this assessment, noting which topics produced accurate answers without notes and which did not. List the claims that could not be defended well, and the objections that could not be answered. Separate gaps in knowledge (which study can fix) from open questions (which may remain) and from doubts about conviction (which call for reflection and counsel). Then set a plan for continued study with dates for review. Honesty about uncertainty is a mark of mastery, not failure.
Judge your own progress
- Take each examination component under honest conditions: a timer, no notes and no looking things up until you have finished. Then mark your answers against the sources and record a score for each component.
- Aim for 70 percent or better on each examination. If a component falls below that, review the relevant courses and retake a different set of questions after at least one week.
- Rate each written piece (the three defenses, the statement of faith, the rule of life and the reflection) against the evaluation criteria as strong, adequate or weak, and write one sentence on how to improve each weak one.
- Return to your results after 1 day, 7 days, 30 days and 90 days. At each point, review the lowest-scoring component, re-answer five questions from it from memory, and check progress on the plan for continued study.
- You can answer questions across the Bible, church history and doctrine accurately and without notes.
- You can state opposing positions fairly, evaluate arguments honestly and defend your own with evidence.
- Your statement of faith and rule of life are clear, consistent and reviewable.
- You can describe your strengths and uncertainties honestly and have a concrete plan for continued study.