BTHEOL Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield BTHEOL facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is 'pneumatology' as a theological discipline? → The study of the Holy Spirit's nature and work
2. Which ethical approach, associated with Stanley Hauerwas, argues that the church's primary ethical task is being a distinctive community? → Narrative/community ethics
3. What does the etymological definition of the word "theology" mean? → It is the study of God and how all things relate to God
4. Which Saint was one of the kids Jesus blessed and held in his arms? → St. John
5. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's ethics is best characterized by which of the following emphases? → Responsible action in concrete historical situations, shaped by Christ's call
6. The first Pope was who? → St. Peter
7. How did Jesus come back from the dead? → In the same body he died in
8. In Christian ethics, the 'golden rule' (Matthew 7:12) commands believers to: → Treat others as you wish to be treated
9. Which of the following best describes secularism? → The allegedly non-religious
10. The Great Schism of 1054 formally divided Christianity into which two branches? → Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
11. In the Catholic understanding of Tradition, which of the following best describes Sacred Tradition? → The living transmission of the Gospel message through the Church under the Holy Spirit
12. The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II, 1962–1965) is best characterized by its embrace of which approach? → Aggiornamento — updating and opening the Church to the modern world
13. Hebrews is mentioned in one of the earliest New Testament copies (p. 46). → in between Romans and 1 Corinthians.
14. Which English reformer is known for producing the first complete English Bible translation and founding the Lollard movement? → John Wycliffe
15. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims a connection to the Old Testament through which biblical figure? → Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
16. The 'beatific vision' in Christian theology refers to: → The direct, unmediated knowledge and sight of God enjoyed by the redeemed in heaven
17. The book of Joshua's incredible triumphs has a recurring motif that → Both a and b
18. What is the Catholic term for the four last things that every person will face? → Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell
19. Which 5th-century church council declared Mary as 'Theotokos' (God-bearer), affirming the unity of Christ's divine and human natures? → Council of Ephesus
20. Which ethical challenge does AI and technology pose that is most relevant to Christian ethics today? → Questions of human dignity, surveillance, algorithmic bias, and the nature of personhood
21. What year was the Jerusalem Council? → 50 AD
22. What is 'exegesis' in biblical interpretation? → Drawing out the meaning from the text as the author intended
23. Which ethical framework holds that an action's morality is determined solely by its consequences? → Consequentialism
24. What literary genre is the book of Revelation primarily classified as? → Apocalyptic
25. The First Great Awakening in colonial America (1730s–1740s) was most closely associated with which preachers? → Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
26. Alvin Plantinga's 'Free Will Defense' responds to the problem of evil by arguing that: → God could not create free creatures who always choose good without contradiction
27. Which early church father wrote 'The City of God' and 'Confessions'? → Augustine of Hippo
28. Fideism, as an approach to apologetics, holds that faith: → Is independent of and superior to rational argument
29. The name of the Holy Spirit is. → Third person in the Trinity
30. Which Gospel opens with the genealogy tracing Jesus' lineage back to Abraham? → Matthew