And Now, a Word about Religion In Western society, there can be little question that Judeo-Christian religious belief and texts have been of paramount importance in the formation of our literature, our art, our values, our ways of looking at the world. Regardless of what your or your family’s religious beliefs are (or are not), within this society generally, people are expected to be familiar with a core set of fundamental texts and ideas. Notice that I said “be familiar with” and not “believe.” What you and your family believe (or not) is your business and only yours, unless you choose to share it. What I believe (or not) is my business and my family’s alone. You will not know what I truly do or do not believe with regard to religion because my beliefs are not an appropriate focus of instruction as an English teacher. I am not here to instruct you in belief or disbelief or unbelief; I am here to make the texts of English literature clear to you.
In short, I will expect you to understand references to the Old and New Testaments as well as to the mythology and history of ancient Greece and Rome. You are free to believe these texts or not; it makes no difference to me or to your grade. You are by no means required to believe (or disbelieve) in the deities referred to in these texts. Although I expect you to participate in discussion, you are free to keep the exact nature of your beliefs (or lack of beliefs) to yourself alone or to those around you, as you choose. You are also free to state what those beliefs are and respond politely to those whose beliefs differ from your own, just as I expect others to respond to you.
How You Should Very Probably Study Although you are free to study these terms or questions and do the work entirely on your own, my strongly-urged suggestion is that you play Scavenger Game with members of a self-chosen group. (For example, if there are twenty terms and four people, each person can be responsible for looking up the information on five of the questions and then distribute his or her answers to the rest of the group.) Please be aware that however you choose to study for this work, you will be assessed individually about your knowledge. Therefore, choose the members of your group wisely. If Bob from the next seat over tells you that Athena is the goddess of war (but leaves out that whole “goddess of wisdom” stuff), neither you nor Bob will be happy with your grade.
As for the myths and stories, you are welcome to use whatever works. I would NOT actually recommend film versions of The Odyssey or The Iliad because they actually do a great deal to distort the story. (Don’t even get me started on the Disney version of Hercules or the dreadful Rick Riordan.) I’ll make recommendations. You’ll notice that in some cases, I’ve recommended the kids’ versions of the stories. Please don’t feel offended or talked down to: quite often, these are lushly illustrated and faithfully-done retellings that are worth a look even by dignified teenagers. In short, they’re really cool.
Directions For each of these questions, I have included key words or phrases, sometimes italicized for your convenience in looking up these phrases or ideas on the Internet, which make allusions to well-known stories or ideas you should, as a culturally aware person, recognize and understand. You should be able to answer these questions and express the meaning of the expression, event, person, or myth to which they refer. YOU WILL HAVE TO DO RESEARCH. My advice is to evaluate answers from multiple sources, not just one.
Example: What is the value of a virtuous woman? Answer: Her price is far above rubies. General Meaning or Implication: A woman with strong ethics is incredibly valuable.
Would it be proper for you to refer to a man with a very large family as an Abraham?
Why would the name Isaac be a good one for a comedian?
What does the title of a William Faulkner novel, Absalom, Absalom suggest about the events of the novel?
What was Abraham’s test?
Who could claim to be the titular character of the movie Adam’s Rib: Spencer Tracy or Katharine Hepburn?
Which city is associated with exile – Jerusalem or Babylon?
Which is a larger unit of liquid measurement – a quart or a Balthazar?
When someone is distressed, should you offer them the balm of Gilead?
If you and your friend Bob are fighting, would it be a more peaceful idea for you to beat your swords into plowshares?
Why could William Golding’s novel about young boys on a desert island also have been called Beelzebub?
If your friend (a poor driver) ironically got a job as a driving instructor, why could you quip that this was a situation of the blind leading the blind?
If your work hours got substantially longer (and your pay was substantially cut), would it be correct to say that you are being forced to make bricks without straw?
If the teacher encourages you not to hide your light under a bushel during class discussion, what is she advising you to do?
Who was the first murderer?
What is harder than making a camel go through the eye of a needle?
Who has the right to cast the first stone?
If you were feeling upset, why would you not want to be consoled by a Job’s comforter?
Could you describe a successful lawyer as a Daniel come to judgment?
Could “Delilah’s Place” be a good name for a barber shop?
Why would Doubting Thomas have liked the website Snopes.com?
Which philosophy do you agree with more: turn the other cheek or an eye for an eye?
What does the expression, “Keep your eye on the sparrow” refer to?
Could that yummy Twinkie be described as forbidden fruit if you’re on a diet?
What does it mean to give up the ghost?
In Kanye’s “Mercy,” what does the line “Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” refer to?
Give an example of the kind of act a good Samaritan would perform.
What does it mean to go the extra mile?
Would your expression be correct if you were to look at formerly attractive celebrities who have not aged well and exclaim, “What a shame that they’ve gone the way of all flesh”?
Who, in answer to a question about identity, replied, “I am who I am”?
If your right eye offends you, what are you supposed to do?
What is an immaculate conception?
Why might a bookstore owner be very fond of the opening lines of the book of John?
Would Ishmael be a good name for someone who is or who feels that he is an outcast?
How likely is it that a perpetually happy person would be delivering a jeremiad?
If your future mother-in-law refers to your lovely bride as a Jezebel, should you be glad?
If someone tells you that you have the patience of Job, is it a compliment?
Would a ship’s captain want someone on board who could be described as a Jonah?
If a fictional character is named Judas, what is the author probably suggesting about him?
When two women, both claiming to be the mother of a baby, came to Solomon to ask who should ultimately get custody of the child, what was Solomon’s unique solution to the problem?
When you have guests coming over, is it good for you to (proverbially) kill the fatted calf?
What does it mean when you say that by their fruits you will know them?
Is it good when the land is flowing with milk and honey?
What is the Last Supper?
Fill in the blank with the appropriate phrase or expression: “The management at my last job was so incompetent – the left hand didn’t know _________________.”
What does it mean to say the lion lies down with the lamb?
If people live by the sword, how will they die?
Man cannot live by what alone?
What is manna from heaven?
What is the mark of the beast?
What do you really not want to wear a millstone around?
The love of money is the root of…?
There’s nothing new under what?
What does it mean to offer someone the olive branch?
Would most people consider it a good thing to out-Herod Herod?
What does the expression a pearl of great price mean?
What does Pontius Pilate’s act of washing his hands symbolize or suggest?
What does pride go before?
According to Ecclesiastes, the race is not always to whom? Also, what happens to us all?
During income tax time, why might someone exclaim that one must “render unto Caesar”?
What happens when the scales fall from one’s eyes?
Why would it be somewhat funny if the price for a can of lentil soup was “one birthright” – especially if your name was Esau?
Why should you enter in by the strait gate?
What does it mean to be a stranger in a strange land?
What was purchased with thirty pieces of silver?
Should most people take the writing on the wall seriously?