1. Compare and contrast the Jewish communities in Thessaloniki and Athens.

2. Drawing upon several of the communities that we have visited, discuss the ways in which both distinct identity from and shared unity with the majority population have contributed to the survival of minority religions.

3. Discuss the role that tombs and gravesites play in linking people to both their past and present.

4. Discuss how specific elements of archaeological art in Byzantine churches served both symbolic and practical purposes.

5. In what ways did Pagan religious narratives contribute to Christian religious narratives.

6. Discuss similarities in the use of sacred space among the 3 Abrahamic religious traditions as represented in the temple (and later synagogue), church, and mosque.  How are certain elements of these structures similar, and what does this mean in regards to the relationships between the 3 faiths?

7. Throughout the progression of Aegean Civilizations, how have religious narratives of one religion influenced the next or another group?

8. Throughout the centuries and across religions, sacred spaces have been designed with specific purposes in mind.  For example, to focus attention on God or those speaking for God, or to physically separate men from women, congregation from clergy.  Choose one such purpose and briefly discuss the architectural features used to make it possible in various churches, temples, synagogues, or mosques.

9. Discuss the changing architecture, focusing on its religions significance for the worshippers, of churches that were changed into mosques by using 3 sites we visited.

10. Explain the significance of politics on religious narratives using either the Byzantine empire Constantine or the Greek city states.

11. The architecture and use of sacred space” in the religious buildings of the Abrahamic religions display the influence of the Jewish Temple and the human desire to designate and set apart certain areas as holy and sacred.

12. Compare and contrast how the architecture in the places of Jewish / Christian / Muslim / Pagan worship we visited represents and / or symbolizes the presence of God (s).

13. List 3 ways in which animals have been used to portray religious symbols and why.

14. Describe the history of 2 historic religious sites and how they have been affected by other religions.

15. How have invasions and conquest affected religious structures and communities in Turkey, Greece and Italy?

16. Describe the purposes of directional orientation in the pagan temple, synagogue, church and mosque in relation to one another and their individual traditions.

17. Discuss the role of water in sacred geography, giving specific examples from paganism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

18. Using examples from frescoes we have see in Basilica or rock cut churches, explain some of the narratives which were most important and formative for Byzantine Christianity.

19. Discuss different ways in which minority groups worked to preserve their identities.

20. How did Paganism continue to play a role in Christianity?  (art, architecture, etc.)

21. Discuss how a region’s culture reflects its conception of sacred space even if the site is of a different religious tradition.

22. Discuss the accuracy of this statement:  Majority religious traditions often find sacrality in the holy space of past religious traditions (or minority religious traditions).

23. Discuss the architectural importance of the dome including the decoration that is placed in/on/around the dome in the various Abrahamic tradtions.

24. Trace the development of art through the early, middle and late Byzantine periods noting the possible outside influences on the changes and evolution of the art.

25. Citing three places visited and studies, compare and contrast the methods of Orthodox Christians and Muslims in taking control of sacred space and converting the space from a previous faith.  Analyze the political and religious reasons behind the methods for both faiths.

26. Compare and contrast the different stages of Byzantine Art.

27. Explain how the element of divine mystery / transcendence / otherness has played a role in the religious traditions we have studied (i.e. pagan, Islam, Christianity, Judaism)

28. Compare the impact of the Holocaust on Thessaloniki and Athens and its affect on the present day Jewish community in each respective city.

29. Discuss the three architectural features of sacred space: a) directional orientation b) decorations used to focus one’s attention on God or the gods and  c) presence of separation within the pagan, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish traditions.

30. Explain the use and significance of the “Holy Relics” we observed on the trip?  Why do you think people feel a connection to these relics?

31. How do Orthodox icons and western religious art (i.e., Italy) compare as artistic expressions of religious feelings?  (i.e., what is the purpose of Orthodox art? Western/Catholic art?  Is it purely religious in nature, or somewhat political?  Discuss.

32. Describe specific features of architectural art in the Greek Orthodox church and how those features reflect the beliefs and practices of Greek Orthodox Christians.

33. Discuss the transition from one religion to another in the regions that we have traveled.  Pay close attention to the elements adopted and rejected during the transitions.  Use specific sites visited as supporting evidence for your thesis.

34. Choose two architectural features and compare and contrast them within the pagan, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim buildings.

35. Discuss methods used in religious buildings that draw worshipper’s attention toward God or the gods.

36. Explain how architecture art reveal religious narratives using specific examples?

37. What are the most formative religious narratives apparent in the sites we’ve seen for paganism, Christianity, Islam?