Principles of Paganism, Midterm
Principles of Paganism
Mid-Term Examination
The mid-term examination of the Principles of Paganism course covers the first six monthly lessons. One or two questions per lesson will be askedm ten questions in all. You must give satisfactory answers to six out of the ten questions, and in addition you must include a one-page, minimum three-paragraphs statement giving your feedback on the course thus far. The feedback can be positive or negative, but it must be backed up with examples. In other words, I want constructive criticism. Include in the feedback page some suggestion(s) regarding what you like to see presented in the second half of the course. I will try to fulfill your requests.
The mid-term is required for receiving the certificate at the end of the couse, as is the final exam. The final exam will not be comprehensive; it will cover Lessons VII through XII. The mid-term should be emailed to me as an attachment no later than February 1st, 2011. It will not be accepted after that date. My email address is; [email protected].
If you send in your exam early and wish to revise your answers, you may do so, provided you submit the complete exam each time. I must receive the final revision by the end date of February 1st, 2011. If you do not care for such things as certificates, you need not take the exam; but if I receive less than five mid-terms by the expiration date, I may decide not to continue the course.
Please enter your name as you wish it to appear on your end-of-course certificate:
____________________________________
The exam begins on the following page. If not enough room has been provided for your answers, you are welcome to copy paste the exam into a word document and provide spacing more convenient to you.
Lesson 1: Cosmos and Chaos (1 question)
Name at least two features of creation as seen by pagan religions that differ from the views of modern non-pagan religions such as Judasim, Christianity and Islam.
Lesson 2: Will and Fate (2 questions)
How do pagan ideas of fate make room for a limited play of free will? What does it mean to say that someone’s fate is sealed?
Lesson 3: Reading Between the Lines and Our Two Souls (2 questions)
Describe paradigm creep, and how it falsifies descriptions of indigenous beliefs.
Name at least two ways in which the life-soul (suld, siela, p’o) differs from the dream-soul (ami, vele, hun).
Lesson 4: Daimones (1 question)
Describe how changing concepts of the gods, from dynamic earthly forces to ethically pure heavenly beings, brought about the demonization of demigods or daimones.
Lesson 5: Why the Hebrews Ceased to Be Pagans (2 questions)
Why, according to Sir Leonard, were there no grave furniture in the ancestral tombs buried under the brick courtyard at the back of the family shrine in private houses in Ur? Why did Abraham and his family abandon the worship of temple deities when they traveled to the Mediterranean coast?
Lesson 6: Greek Domestic Religion (2 questions)
Why was a Greek house called a hearth? Why was Hestia considered of central importance in the Greek home?
Please describe, in at least three paragraphs, your experience of this course thus far and how, if at all, you have benefited from it. Constructive criticism will be appreciated. Finally, please include one or two suggestions for the direction you would like to see the course take in the second half, lessons 7 through 12.
Thanks for your attention.
Ian Elliott