Each packet produced for RAPTURE will include twenty tossups and zero bonuses of approximately six or seven lines in length (10-pt Times New Roman font). The distribution for this event will be as follows:
11 Abrahamic Religion
2 Old Testament
2 New Testament
1 Old + New Testament
1 Christianity, History + Practice
1 Islam, Scripture
1 Islam, History + Practice
1 Judaism, History + Practice
2 Misc. Abrahamic
3 Non-Abrahamic Religion
1 Dharmic
1 Asian, Non-Dharmic
1 Misc. Non-Abrahamic
6 Misc. / Other
1 Literature
1 Fine Arts
1 Religious Thought
1 Current Events
1 Misc. Religion
1 Popular Culture
This question set will be (hopefully) completed in time for a 2018 Summer Open or Side Event Weekend, whichever materializes. I would like most mirrors to be hosted during that timeslot; however, RAPTURE will also be fully available for use in intramurals, exhibition games, and miscellaneous events for a certain amount of time into the fall semester.
There are no special guidelines on preferred format for individual mirror hosts -- singles, doubles, whatever works. I will not be collecting mirror fees for this event; I ask that, if mirror sites charge an entrance fee, for 100% of revenue to be donated to the most efficient regional hunger relief charity (as chosen by the local host). Soup kitchens, food banks, gurdwaras, I have no preference in this matter so long as people are fed.
Difficulty of this event will be “regular-plus.” The vast majority of answerlines would not be out of place at events generally considered college regular. That being said, this event intends to plumb the depths of the canon and determine who’s the best at quizbowl religion knowledge, so there will be some answerlines that are comparatively rare and quite a few which have never come up before. Where practical, questions will favor common links and in-depth treatment of familiar topics, with a minor leavening of eccentric content as suits my whimsy.
The name “RAPTURE” should not be taken as an indicator of my personal spiritual or eschatological beliefs. I will now answer some questions that you might have.
How come there’s so much Abrahamic religion?
Historical happenstance and the current demographics of the quizbowl community.
Will this be available to run earlier, e.g. at HSNCT or NSC?
Not unless I get really, really motivated.
I object to your division of religious traditions into Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic, as this is not considered best practice among modern scholars!
That’s not a question.
How do we know this event will be fun to play?
You don’t, but I hope that it’ll be fun to write.
Further inquiries may be directed to me through this thread or other channels.
Mirrors
July 29 - VCU Side Event Weekend
August 5 - Boston Summer Open
August 12 - Illinois Side Event Open
August 25 - RAPTURE Online
August 26 - Carleton Side Event Weekend