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Quiz for Primary Source 7.4: Gregory of Tours on the Veneration of Relics

Question

1. Which of these best characterizes Gregory’s beliefs about relics?

He believed that very few were from the actual remains of the saints.

He believed that they were false idols that should be shunned.

He believed that they stimulated popular piety, but had no actual healing powers.

He believed that they had miraculous powers.

Correct. The answer is d. Gregory was quite certain that believers could gain access to the power of the saints through the veneration of relics.

Incorrect. The answer is d. Gregory was quite certain that believers could gain access to the power of the saints through the veneration of relics.

Question

2. Which of these relic-related miracles did Gregory claim to have witnessed firsthand?

The extinguishing of a dangerous fire

The prevention of a shipwreck

The curing of blindness

The conversion of pagan tribes

Correct. The answer is a. Gregory claimed to have seen his mother use relics she wore on her person at all times to put out a fire in a grain field.

Incorrect. The answer is a. Gregory claimed to have seen his mother use relics she wore on her person at all times to put out a fire in a grain field.

Question

3. In Gregory’s view, what was the source of the power of relics?

The merits of the believer who calls on the saints for help

The merits of the saints themselves

The merits of the people of Christ as a whole

The deep connection between relics and the forces of nature

Correct. The answer is b. Gregory’s story of his own experience during a storm makes the point that it is in recognition of the merits of the saints, not of those who call upon them, that relics are given miraculous powers.

Incorrect. The answer is b. Gregory’s story of his own experience during a storm makes the point that it is in recognition of the merits of the saints, not of those who call upon them, that relics are given miraculous powers.