Last Saturday the New Church History Fun Facts team was present at Bryn Athyn College’s Family Fun Fair, part of the annual Alumni Weekend. The history major table included a New Church History Quiz, a Fun Facts signup box, and an “archaeological dig” for children. The table was staffed by three history majors from the College: Kendra Knight, Alison Cole, and Lamar Odhner (pictured left to right).

The New Church History Quiz generated considerable interest, and resulted in six winners. Regular readers of New Church History Fun Facts had a decided advantage, since many of the answers could be found in Fun Facts published over the last six months! However, this was an “open book” quiz—a notebook with all the Fun Facts published since last August was on hand for those with an unquenchable thirst for New Church trivia.

The editors have magnanimously decided to offer the New Church History Quiz—and prizes—to our online readers. Just send the answers to the quiz (below) to info@newchurchhistory.org. Everyone who correctly answers all ten questions before May 16th will be sent four free tickets (a $28 value) for a Saturday Highlights Tour at Glencairn Museum. These tours, offered four times every Saturday, are 75 minutes long, and are teeming with “fun facts” about New Church history. 

You may have noticed that in recent weeks the editors of NewChurchHistory.org have added a search engine that indexes the entire site, including the complete archive of Fun Facts. This may help you with some of the trickier questions. The answers will appear on the site next week (after May 16th).

NEW CHURCH HISTORY QUIZ

NOTE: Answers now appear at the bottom of this page (5/19/2007)

1. Which two members of the Academy of the New Church took an extended tour of Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land in 1877, returning with hundreds of objects for the Academy’s museum?

a. Walter Childs and Felix Boericke
b. John Pitcairn and William F. Pendleton
c. William Henry Benade and John Pitcairn
d. Frank Ballou and William Henry Benade

2. Before Emanuel Swedenborg’s summerhouse (in his garden) was moved in 1896 to its present location at Skansen, an open-air museum in Stockholm, the building was

a. owned by a man who displayed a life-like figure of Swedenborg lying inside a coffin. He covered the interior walls and ceiling with stars, and charged admission to the public to view it.
b. rented out to a poor family as living space.
c. used by a gang of thieves as a hideout.
d. all of the above

3. In 1791 a riotous mob came to attack the New Church Temple in Birmingham, England, because they believed that the New Church was “against Church and King.” After the minister “put a few guineas in their hands” the crowd left, proclaiming,

a. “Huzza to the New Jerusalem forever!”
b. “Hurrah for Emanuel Swedenborg!”
c. “A pox upon the Unitarians!”
d. all of the above

4. What significant date was once the basis of a unique New Church calendar?

a. The founding of the Academy, June 19, 1876
b. Swedenborg’s birthday, January 29, 1688
c. The disciples being sent out into the spiritual world, June 19, 1770

5. When was Charter Day first celebrated at the Academy of the New Church?

a. 1917
b. 1890
c. 1910
d. 1945

6. In which city was a bronze bust of Swedenborg unveiled in 1924?

a. London, England
b. Calcutta, India
c. Chicago, Illinois
d. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

7. Who was the early New Church person, and noted architect, who designed the first New Church place of worship in Philadelphia (1817) and many other famous buildings in that city?

a. Henry Stroh
b. William Strickland
c. William Kirk
d. Charles McKim

8. Which of the following led to William Henry Benade’s resignation from his congregation in Philadelphia in 1854?

a. dispute over colors for ministerial robes
b. disagreement over the importance of corporal punishment
c. placement of church cornerstone in the northwest

9. In the original design for the Academy of the New Church’s seal, the animal on top of the shield was not a lion, but a

a. turkey
b. eagle
c. lamb
d. giraffe

10. The Academy of the New Church’s Swedenborgiana collection

a. houses the world’s largest collection of Swedenborg’s works.
b. is used by Swedenborg scholars from around the world.
c. was saved by a human chain of student volunteers during the Benade Hall fire in 1948.
d. all of the above

Photo: Wendy Closterman

Next week’s Fun Fact: The origin and meaning of the Academy of the New Church lion (the symbol atop the Academy’s seal).

The complete archive of New Church History Fun Facts is here.

More information about Bryn Athyn College of the New Church is here.

More information about Glencairn Museum is here.

Questions and comments may be addressed to the editors at info@newchurchhistory.org.

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ: