St. Augustine “On Christian Doctrine” Student Edition Prepared by: Dr. Kay Picart Assistant Professor of English & Humanities

Name that Augustinian Trivia!

On Christian Doctrine... A. Locates Augustine as a semiotician (semiotics is the study of signs) and literary theorist B. Asserts that if all signs are things, then all things are signs. C. signifies, to Augustine, the Holy Trinity D. shows how signs are valuable not because of the pleasure they give but because they point to the ineffability of God E. shows how pleasure comes from the difficulty of discovery F. All of the above G. All of the above except E H. All of the above except B

Which of the following statements is true? A. All doctrine concerns either things or signs, but signs are learned by things. B. All signs are things but not all things are signs. C. Some things are to be enjoyed, others to be used; others, to be enjoyed & used. D. To enjoy something is to cling to it with love for its usefulness E. To use something is to employ it to obtain what you love F. Only A & C only G. Only B & C H. Only B, C & E I. None of the above fits perfectly

Which of the ff. is true, according to Augustine? A. The things universally enjoyed by all are the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. B. The signs that are universally enjoyed by all are the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. C. The Father, Son & Holy Spirit are three separate substances with no connection. D. The Father, Son & Holy Spirit are completely one & not separate at all. E. The Father, Son & Holy Spirit are three unique entities and yet One God. F. B, C & D are false G. B & E are true H. None of the above fits perfectly.

According to Augustine, the Ineffability of God: A. is such that to speak of “ineffability” is to fall short of it B. because if something were truly ineffable, one would not be able to speak of it C. The only way to resolve this contradiction is through silence D. Deus is a poor tribute to the excellent, immortal nature of God, but it evokes this idea universally E. A-C only F. C-E only G. A-D only H. None of the above fits perfectly

Bonus Question!

What I would like to do this weekend is: A. hang out at a beach B. go to the movies with friends C. spend an intimate evening with a special other D. catch up with work E. travel to get away for a while F. go mountain climbing G. go dancing at a club H. read several good books I. Some combination of the above (specify) J. Something else (specify)

According to Augustine, which of the following is true? A. The end of Sacred Scriptures is for us to learn how to love God and our neighbors, who can love us in turn. B. The temporal object of desire is loved less before we have it & begins to grow once we have it C. The eternal object of desire is less ardently desired once it is acquired D. A & C only E. A – C F. All except A G. A & B only H. B & C only I. None of the above fits perfectly

What is true about signs, according to Augustine? A. Signs cause us to think of something else besides the signs themselves. B. Natural signs point to something beyond themselves without desire or intention. C. Conventional signs are used by living creatures to convey something they have sensed or understood. D. Conventional signs are passed on through the senses. E. A & C only F. B & D only G. A & B only H. C & D only I. None of the above fits perfectly

According to Augustine, which is of the following is true? A. The sins of pride & human dissension account for why signs are not common to all people. B. The reason why Scriptures allow for ambiguity is because God does not care. C. Augustine uses the analogy of Christ as similar to teeth that cut off men from their errors, like sheep being washed and shorn. D. The reason why Scriptures allow for conflicting interpretations is to confuse us. E. A & B are true F. All are true except D G. All of the above are false

Reading Sacred Scripture... A. is easy and open to any interpretation B. is difficult and was provided by God to combat pride and disdain C. is effortless and therefore boring D. is difficult and therefore joyless & frustrating E. B & D are true F. C-D are true G. A-D are false H. None of the above fits perfectly

According to Augustine, which of the following are true: A. Knowing the scriptures is very important, even if we do not understand them B. Knowing the scriptures is more important than loving them C. Two reasons why written things are not understood are because they are obscured by unknown or ambiguous signs. D. Two reasons why written things are not understood are because their writers chose to be obscure and God cannot do anything about that E. A & C only F. B & D only G. None of the above fits perfectly

Signs... A. Are either literal or figurative B. They are literal when they designate those things for which they were created C. An example of a literal sign is the Latin word bos [ox], which refers to the animal, as communally agreed upon D. They are figurative when that thing which we designate by a literal sign is used to signify something else. E. An example of a figurative sign is the word “ox”, which then refers to the animal, and also Christ F. A-C are true G. D-E are true H. A-D are true