1. What is meant by the "three worlds of the Bible"? Be able to explain the differences between them. What is textual criticism? What are "autographs"? Where are the autographs of the gospels? What are some of the issues associated with reconstructing the original autographs? What does the word "gospel" mean (give both English and Greek roots)?
2. According to early Christian traditions, who produced the gospels? According to modern scholars, how did the gospels come into being? What are two major types of translations? How do they differ? What are examples of each type?
3. Be able to define source criticism, form criticism, and redaction criticism. What is the synoptic problem? What is the Griesbach hypothesis? What is the two source hypothesis? Why do most scholars favor the two source hypothesis? What is Q? What is the four source theory? Be prepared to find different sources in a parallel and discuss the significance of the differences.
4. What is meant by distinguishing the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith? What are the differences among the pre-quest, old-quest, no-quest, second quest, and third quest for the historical Jesus? Who were some of the pivotal figures associated with each quest? (In particular, know who Reimarus, Schweitzer, Bultmann, and Kasemann are.) What were the reasons that Schweitzer gave for arguing that it is impossible to know the historical Jesus? What does Bultmann mean by saying that the gospels are primarily mythological?
5. What did each quest say about the methodological possibility and the theological necessity of the historical quest?
6. What are the five criteria the second quest uses to determine the historicity of an event, saying, teaching, etc. of Jesus? How does each criterion work (give an example)? What are the strengths and weaknesses you see in these criteria?