CORE TEXTS FINAL EXAM |75 COMPLETE AND GRADED
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026 LATEST UPDATED | 100% GRADED
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Short Answer: Explain Augustine's understanding of the restless heart; "only God can satisfy the
deepest human - (ANSWER)Augustine teaches that the human heart is restless because it is
created for union with God. Humans constantly seek fulfillment in created things (pleasure,
reputation, achievement, even sinful acts like the pear theft), but these desires leave them empty.
Only God, who is the source of goodness and being, can satisfy this longing. Restlessness is
therefore evidence that the soul is oriented toward something beyond this world. Fulfillment
comes only when the will is reordered through grace and returns to God.
Short Answer: What is natural law according to Aquinas? - (ANSWER)For Aquinas, natural
law is humanity's rational participation in the Eternal Law, God's ordering of creation. Because
humans possess reason, they can discern what aligns with their proper good: pursuing what
preserves life, seeking truth, living in community, and doing what is virtuous. Natural law is
universal, objective, and accessible through reason; it provides the moral foundation for human
law and directs people toward their proper end: virtue and ultimately union with God.
Short Answer: How does Dante use allegory to depict the human soul? - (ANSWER)Dante's
journey is not only a literal movement through the afterlife. It represents the spiritual journey of
the soul toward God. Hell reflects disordered love and the consequences of sin. Purgatory
displays correction, discipline, and healing of misplaced desire. Paradise represents perfected
,desire as the soul reaches union with God. Virgil represents human reason, while Beatrice
represents divine grace. The entire narrative symbolizes conversion from confusion to spiritual
fulfillment.
Short Answer: What is Christian freedom according to Luther? - (ANSWER)Christian freedom
means that the believer is justified by faith alone and not through human works. Because
salvation is received as a gift, the believer is spiritually free from having to earn righteousness.
This freedom does not produce selfish living but produces humble service. Luther describes the
Christian as the freest person because faith releases them from spiritual fear, yet at the same time
the Christian becomes a servant who acts in love toward others.
Short Answer: Compare the Heavenly City and Earthly City in Augustine. - (ANSWER)The
Heavenly City is grounded in love of God above self. Its members seek peace that lasts forever
and embrace truth and humility. The Earthly City is shaped by self-love and pride. Its citizens
pursue power, domination, and temporary peace. The two cities exist together throughout history,
yet only the Heavenly City has true justice because it orders love correctly. The Earthly City can
achieve outward order, but it lacks the ultimate good that comes from loving God.
4 fold method - (ANSWER)literal, allegorical, moral, anagogical
Literal Sense - (ANSWER)What actually happens in the story
, This refers to the surface-level events of the narrative. In The Divine Comedy, it is the account of
one man, Dante, traveling through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. He meets historical figures,
literary characters, and saints, and he receives guidance from Virgil and Beatrice.
In short: A real, narrated journey through the afterlife.
Allegorical Sense - (ANSWER)What the story symbolizes
The entire journey symbolizes the movement of the human soul toward God.Examples:
Dante wandering in a dark wood represents spiritual confusion.
Virgil represents reason.
Beatrice represents divine grace.
The ascent upward symbolizes conversion and sanctification.
In short: The universal human struggle to leave sin behind and return to God.
Moral Sense - (ANSWER)How the story teaches us to live
From Dante's encounters, we learn what rightly ordered life looks like:
Hell shows the consequences of disordered love, vice, and refusal to repent.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026 LATEST UPDATED | 100% GRADED
CORRECT | 100% GUARANTEED TO PASS | GET A+
Short Answer: Explain Augustine's understanding of the restless heart; "only God can satisfy the
deepest human - (ANSWER)Augustine teaches that the human heart is restless because it is
created for union with God. Humans constantly seek fulfillment in created things (pleasure,
reputation, achievement, even sinful acts like the pear theft), but these desires leave them empty.
Only God, who is the source of goodness and being, can satisfy this longing. Restlessness is
therefore evidence that the soul is oriented toward something beyond this world. Fulfillment
comes only when the will is reordered through grace and returns to God.
Short Answer: What is natural law according to Aquinas? - (ANSWER)For Aquinas, natural
law is humanity's rational participation in the Eternal Law, God's ordering of creation. Because
humans possess reason, they can discern what aligns with their proper good: pursuing what
preserves life, seeking truth, living in community, and doing what is virtuous. Natural law is
universal, objective, and accessible through reason; it provides the moral foundation for human
law and directs people toward their proper end: virtue and ultimately union with God.
Short Answer: How does Dante use allegory to depict the human soul? - (ANSWER)Dante's
journey is not only a literal movement through the afterlife. It represents the spiritual journey of
the soul toward God. Hell reflects disordered love and the consequences of sin. Purgatory
displays correction, discipline, and healing of misplaced desire. Paradise represents perfected
,desire as the soul reaches union with God. Virgil represents human reason, while Beatrice
represents divine grace. The entire narrative symbolizes conversion from confusion to spiritual
fulfillment.
Short Answer: What is Christian freedom according to Luther? - (ANSWER)Christian freedom
means that the believer is justified by faith alone and not through human works. Because
salvation is received as a gift, the believer is spiritually free from having to earn righteousness.
This freedom does not produce selfish living but produces humble service. Luther describes the
Christian as the freest person because faith releases them from spiritual fear, yet at the same time
the Christian becomes a servant who acts in love toward others.
Short Answer: Compare the Heavenly City and Earthly City in Augustine. - (ANSWER)The
Heavenly City is grounded in love of God above self. Its members seek peace that lasts forever
and embrace truth and humility. The Earthly City is shaped by self-love and pride. Its citizens
pursue power, domination, and temporary peace. The two cities exist together throughout history,
yet only the Heavenly City has true justice because it orders love correctly. The Earthly City can
achieve outward order, but it lacks the ultimate good that comes from loving God.
4 fold method - (ANSWER)literal, allegorical, moral, anagogical
Literal Sense - (ANSWER)What actually happens in the story
, This refers to the surface-level events of the narrative. In The Divine Comedy, it is the account of
one man, Dante, traveling through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. He meets historical figures,
literary characters, and saints, and he receives guidance from Virgil and Beatrice.
In short: A real, narrated journey through the afterlife.
Allegorical Sense - (ANSWER)What the story symbolizes
The entire journey symbolizes the movement of the human soul toward God.Examples:
Dante wandering in a dark wood represents spiritual confusion.
Virgil represents reason.
Beatrice represents divine grace.
The ascent upward symbolizes conversion and sanctification.
In short: The universal human struggle to leave sin behind and return to God.
Moral Sense - (ANSWER)How the story teaches us to live
From Dante's encounters, we learn what rightly ordered life looks like:
Hell shows the consequences of disordered love, vice, and refusal to repent.
