SOPHOMORE RELIGION — COMPLETE MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE

SOPHOMORE RELIGION — COMPLETE MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE

UNIT 1 — GOD AND HUMANITY

Empathy

Definition

The ability to understand and enter into another person’s feelings.

Types of Empathy

• Cognitive – understanding someone’s perspective.

• Emotional – feeling what someone else feels.

• Compassionate – feeling + taking action to help.

Four Qualities of Empathy

1. Perspective‑taking

2. Staying out of judgment

3. Recognizing emotions in others

4. Communicating understanding

Active Listening

• Eye contact

• Open posture

• Reflective responses

• Clarifying questions

Barriers to Empathy

• Bias

• Stereotypes

• Distractions

• Judgment

• Self‑focus

Catholic Foundations

Creation

• Humans are created in the image and likeness of God.

• All creation is good.

Divine Revelation

• God revealing Himself to humanity.

• Fully revealed in Jesus Christ.

Salvation History

• The story of God saving humanity throughout time.

Sacred Tradition

• Living transmission of the Gospel through the Church.

Sacred Scripture

• Inspired Word of God.

Incarnation

• Jesus is fully God and fully human.

• “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14).

Key Scripture

• Genesis 1–2 – Creation, human dignity.

• John 1:14 – Incarnation.

UNIT 2 — CRITICAL STUDY OF THE BIBLE

(Expanded with deeper detail and tables)

Unit 2 is the most academically demanding section. You must know vocabulary, Gospel formation, criticism types, audiences, and historical context at a high level.

I. Formation of the Gospels (Three Stages)

L Stage 1: The Life of Jesus (4 BC–30/33 CE)

• Jesus lived as a first‑century Palestinian Jew.

• Taught, healed, performed miracles, proclaimed the Kingdom of God.

• Crucified under Pontius Pilate.

• Resurrection = turning point that made his ministry credible and worth preserving.

Stage 2: Oral Tradition (30–50 CE)

Forms of Oral Tradition

Stage 3: Written Gospels (65–120 CE)

Reasons for writing:

• Eyewitnesses dying

• Need for accuracy

• Combat false teachings

• Provide teaching tools for Christian communities

II. Languages of the Bible

III. People of the New Testament

IV. Types of Biblical Criticism

1. Source Criticism

• Studies where Gospel writers got their material.

• Matthew and Luke used:

  • Mark (written first)

  • Q Source (sayings of Jesus)

  • Their own unique material (M‑source, L‑source)

Sources Used by Gospel Writers

2. Historical Criticism

Examines:

• Culture

• Politics

• Economics

• Religion

• Geography

Explains:

• Why Jesus’ teachings challenged the status quo

• Why certain groups opposed him

• How Roman occupation shaped Jewish life

3. Form Criticism

Identifies literary forms in Scripture.

4. Redaction Criticism

Studies how Gospel writers edited material to shape their message.

V. Synoptic Gospels Comparison

VI. Key Scripture

• Matthew 16:13–16 – Peter declares Jesus the Messiah.

• Luke 9:18–20 – “The Messiah of God.”

VII. Skills You Must Master

• Identify which Gospel matches which audience.

• Identify the type of criticism from a description.

• Compare synoptic passages and explain differences.

• Explain why Gospel formation happened in three stages.

• Explain why the Resurrection is the turning point of Christianity.

• Explain how historical context affects interpretation.

UNIT 3 — THEMES IN THE GOSPELS

Synoptic Gospels

• Matthew, Mark, Luke share structure and stories.

• John is unique with high Christology.

Images of Jesus

• Matthew – Teacher, New Moses

• Mark – Suffering Servant

• Luke – Compassionate Savior

• John – Divine Word (Logos)

Kingdom of God

• Central message of Jesus.

• God’s dream for the world.

• Present and future reality.

Parables

• Stories using everyday images to teach spiritual truths.

• Invite conversion and self‑reflection.

Miracles

Four types:

1. Healing

2. Exorcism

3. Nature

4. Restoration of life

Purpose:

• Reveal God’s power

• Show compassion

• Build faith

Infancy Narratives

• Matthew – Joseph, Magi, fulfillment of prophecy

• Luke – Mary, shepherds, universal salvation

Paschal Mystery

• Passion

• Death

• Resurrection

• Ascension

UNIT 1 — GOD AND HUMANITY

Empathy

• Definition: The ability to understand and enter into another person’s feelings; often described as "feeling with" someone rather than "feeling for" them (sympathy).

• Types of Empathy:

  • Cognitive: Understanding someone’s perspective or mental state. It is an intellectual process.

  • Emotional: Sharing an emotional experience. You feel the distress or joy of the other person.

  • Compassionate: Moving beyond feeling to action. It involves the drive to help the person in need.

• Four Qualities of Empathy (based on Bren) Brown):

  1. Perspective-taking: Recognizing someone else's perspective as their truth.

  2. Staying out of judgment: Not evaluating the person's experience as right or wrong.

  3. Recognizing emotions in others: Identifying what they are feeling.

  4. Communicating understanding: Letting the person know you understand their emotion.

• Active Listening: Techniques include maintaining eye contact, open body language, avoiding interruptions, and using reflective statements (e.g., "What I hear you saying is…").

• Barriers to Empathy: Psychological and social factors such as cognitive bias, stereotypes, physical or digital distractions, judgmental attitudes, and excessive self-focus.

Catholic Foundations

• Creation and Imago Dei: Humans are created in the "image and likeness" of God. This means every person has inherent dignity, intellect, and free will.

• Divine Revelation: God’s self-communication to humanity.

  • Natural Revelation: Knowing God through nature and reason.

  • Divine (Supernatural) Revelation: Knowing God through Sacred Scripture and Tradition, fully realized in Jesus Christ.

• Salvation History: The unfolding of God's plan to save humanity from sin and death, beginning with the Covenants in the Old Testament and reaching its climax in Jesus.

• Sacred Tradition: The living transmission of the Church's Gospel message, handed down from the Apostles through the Magisterium.

• Incarnation: The mystery wherein the Son of God became man to effect our salvation. Jesus is $100\%$ divine and $100\%$ human.

UNIT 2 — CRITICAL STUDY OF THE BIBLE

I. Formation of the Gospels (Three Stages)

1. The Life and Teachings of Jesus ($4$ BC–$30/33$ CE): Jesus' actual words and deeds.

2. Oral Tradition ($30–65$ CE): The period where Apostles and disciples preached the Gospel through:

   • Kerygma: Preaching to non-believers.

   • Didache: Further teaching for those who accepted Jesus.

   • Liturgy: The way the community worshipped and celebrated the Eucharist.

3. The Written Gospels ($65–110$ CE): The movement from oral stories to fixed texts to ensure accuracy and consistency for future generations.

II. Languages and Groups of the New Testament

• Languages:

  • Aramaic: The everyday language spoken by Jesus and the disciples.

  • Hebrew: Mostly for liturgical and scriptural use in the Temple.

  • Greek (Koine): The common Greek of the Roman Empire; the language used to write the New Testament.

• Socio-Religious Groups:

  • Pharisees: Experts in the Law who believed in the resurrection; often disagreed with Jesus on legalism.

  • Sadducees: Priestly class centered in the Temple; did not believe in the resurrection.

  • Essenes: Ascetic group who lived in the desert; wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls.

  • Zealots: Revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow Roman rule by force.

III. Types of Biblical Criticism

1. Source Criticism: Investigates the origin of the material.

   • Synoptic Problem: The question of why Matthew, Mark, and Luke are so similar.

   • Two-Source Hypothesis: Matthew and Luke used Mark and a lost collection of sayings called the Q Source (from Quelle, meaning "source").

2. Historical Criticism: Determines the historical, cultural, and social context of the text. It asks: "What was happening in the world when this was written?"

3. Form Criticism: Analyzes the literary genre of a passage (e.g., parable, miracle story, genealogy, or hymn).

4. Redaction Criticism: Looks at how the Gospel writers edited and organized the material to address the specific needs of their unique audiences.

IV. Synoptic Gospels Comparison

UNIT 3 — THEMES IN THE GOSPELS

The Kingdom of God

• This is not a physical place but a way of living where God's will is done. It is "already but not yet"—it began with Jesus but will be completed at the end of time.

• Parables: Short stories utilizing metaphors from daily life (seeds, sheep, coin) to convey radical spiritual truths about the Kingdom.

Miracles (Signs and Wonders)

• Healing: Shows God's power over illness (e.g., healing the blind man).

• Exorcism: Shows God's power over evil/Satan.

• Nature: Shows God's power over the physical world (e.g., calming the storm).

• Restoration of Life: Shows God's power over death (e.g., Lazarus).

Infancy Narratives

• Matthew's Gospel: Focuses on Joseph, the Magi (showing Jesus as King), and parallels to Moses (fleeing to Egypt).

• Luke's Gospel: Focuses on Mary, the Shepherds (the poor), and the birth in a manger (universal salvation).

The Paschal Mystery

• This is the core of the Christian faith, encompassing the Passion (suffering), Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus. It represents the ultimate victory of life over death and sin.