Instructions for the essay:
        Answer one of the following three questions (A, B, or C) in a well-organized essay.  A good essay will have a clear argument or thesis and a coherent structure, and it will support its thesis by citing evidence.  I do not expect direct quotations on a closed book exam essay, but you should refer whenever possible to specific events, dates, people or primary source texts we have read that illustrate or substantiate your arguments. As you prepare, spend time outlining possible answers and making lists of supporting evidence you might use.  (Study Hint:  If you prepare responses to each of the essays listed below, you will also be reviewing almost all of the material from the second half of the semester!) 
        Your response must be typed, and it should be no longer than 2 1/2 double-spaced pages in length; shorter is certainly acceptable.  (After you prepare and outline your response, you should close all books and spend no more than an hour writing the actual essay.)   Bring your typed, stapled essay with you to the exam and hand it in before taking the objective/short answer part of the exam.

If you write your response to options B or C it is recommended (but not absolutely necessary) that you respond in the form of a letter.  Have fun!

A.    How did Christianity’s rise to cultural dominance in western Europe affect the church’s stance toward and views of “outsiders” to the dominant Roman Catholic faith and ecclesiastical order?  Obviously the Crusades provides the context for a number of encounters with different cultural and religious groups, but there were other forms of interchange as well.  Discuss three or four examples of the Roman Catholic response to “outsiders” or “others” (e.g., Muslims, Jews, Byzantine Christians, heretics, women, etc.) in the medieval period.  No more than one example may be from material covered in the first half of the semester, and you must not focus exclusively on the context of the Crusades.  Finally, how would you evaluate these interchanges?  (E.g., what was gained and/or lost to medieval Christians and/or Christianity through these encounters?)

B.    It is the fifteenth century and your dear cousin Umberto is about to be installed as Pope Scholarius X.  You are writing to commend to him the great glory and responsibility of the pontificate and to warn him about potential dangers he will face as pope.  Toward this end you encourage him to learn from the history of his office, highlighting three or four important developments.  In your letter to Umberto review for him the rise of the Roman papacy.  You might reflect on theological, political or cultural factors involved in the emergence and development of this institution.  What can he learn from the relationship between popes and emperors in preceding centuries?  You will want to describe the factors that led the papacy to the height of its power in the Middle Ages as well as some factors which challenged or threatened papal authority, i.e. high points as well as low points in the history of the papacy.  (Whenever possible refer to key individuals, institutions, documents and incidents in the history of the papacy.)  Finally, what particular warning or advice do you wish to offer to your cousin as he prepares to assume the papal dignity in this period?   

C.     Disillusioned by the world, and especially by the wantonness of university life, a devout Christian friend at FSU (or the college of your choice) has decided to abandon it all and pursue a monastic life; but he/she is confused about the various ways in which one might pursue a religious vocation.  Knowing that you have just completed a survey of the history of Christianity, your friend writes to you to ask for clarification and advice.        
        As you now well know, throughout Christian history Jesus’ words, “If you will be perfect, go sell all you have and give it to the poor, ...and come and follow me” (Mt. 19.12), have inspired new lifestyles and large and small scale attempts to bring about a life of Christian devotion or perfection.  In a letter to your friend, describe three or four such movements, whether monastic or semi-monastic, approved by the church hierarchy or suspected of heresy.  One example may be from the third to sixth centuries, but the others must be from the seventh to the fourteenth.  In each case include descriptions of leaders, goals, opponents and long term effects or influence of the movements in question.  Finally, in light of the situation of America at the beginning of the twenty-first century, in a few sentences at the end explain to your friend which of these models you commend most highly for his or her consideration.