religious studies

• Creation


  Christians believe that God created the entire universe and the contents of it including earth and mankind
• The story of creation is told in chapter one in the book of Genesis, where it begins "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1)
• The story gives a breakdown of how God created the universe which could be summarized in seven days
• Not all Christians believe the creation story is a literal story, although some do
• Most Christians do accept that God is the creator and that he creates all new life
• The Holy Spirit and Son are both referenced in the creation story to show how they are all present from day one
• Explain two ways belief about creation might influence Christians today

  1. Belief in creation allows Christians to look and be inspired from nature as signs of God's work

  2. The creation story shows the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which relates to the Christian belief in the Trinity
• Nature of God


  Christianity is a monotheistic religion, as explained in the Nicene Creed
• Christians believe that God does not have a gender, as he shows both male and female characteristics
• God is considered holy

  Meaning something set apart from everything else and worthy of worship
• God is omnipotent


  All-powerful, shown in the Bible quote "nothing is impossible with God"
• God is omni-benevolent


  All-loving, as shown in the Bible quote "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16)
• God is omniscient


  All-knowing
• God is just


  The perfect giver of justice, including deciding on right and wrong and being the perfect judge of deciding character
• Explain two Christian beliefs about the nature of God

  1. God is omnipotent but he gives us free will, shown in the creation story

  2. God is omni-benevolent and all-loving
• Statement: "God cannot be omni-benevolent because there is too much suffering"


  • Reason against: Letting people suffer is cruel and not justified
  • Reason for: If God constantly interfered to prevent suffering it would remove free will, which is another important part that God has given us
• Incarnation


  Jesus is the most important figure in Christian liturgy, as he was God in human form - God incarnate
• The gospels of Matthew and Luke explain the birth story of Jesus, commonly told as the nativity
• The most important points are that Mary, Jesus's mother, did not conceive Jesus sexually, and that he had the immaculate conception in which his mother was still a virgin
• The gospels of Mark and John make no reference to the birth of Jesus, perhaps because they thought the events were unimportant compared to the meaning of it
• An important quote is "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"
• The explanation of Jesus as God incarnate makes it much easier for Christians to understand and accept Jesus's more unnatural actions such as miracles and his resurrection
• Explain two ways belief about incarnation might influence Christians today

  1. The belief that Jesus was God incarnate makes it possible for Christians to follow his teachings with greater understanding

  2. The miracle nature of Jesus's immaculate conception with the virgin Mary could only have been God, and it would only have been with God that he would undergo such a process
• Holy Trinity


  The concept that there are three persons of God which are equally God but not equal to one another
• God the Father is believed to be the creator of the universe, God the Son is Jesus who became incarnate human on earth while still being God, and God the Holy Spirit influences, guides and sustains the earth and all life
• Explain two ways Christians' belief about the Holy Trinity might influence Christians today


  1. Belief in one person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, makes Christians feel comforted and not alone

  2. Even though Christians are monotheists and believe in one God, they believe God is revealed through three parts that are all equally God
• Crucifixion


  Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion, a horrific means of death used by Romans in which the criminal is nailed to a cross made of wood and is left to die
• The four gospels all tell the story of the crucifixion, however details differ in all four
• While on the cross, Jesus adopted a forgiving approach to the Roman soldiers who stabbed and mocked him, as well as having conversations with the two criminals being crucified alongside him
• The crucifixion teaches Christians that sin will no longer destroy their lives because Christ (God) will forgive all those who sin against him as long as they faithfully ask for forgiveness
• A key quote is "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"
• Explain two ways belief about crucifixion might influence Christians today

  1. Christians ask for forgiveness because Jesus died for all sins to be forgiven, so they try to stay sinless and pure by following that

  2. The crucifixion shows Jesus's forgiving nature, which Christians try to emulate
• Resurrection and Ascension


  After Jesus died on the cross, his followers were shocked to find that his body was not in the tomb where he had been placed, as he had risen from the dead
• Over the next 40 days, Jesus appeared to his followers to spread the news of his return and apparent power, and instructed them to go and share his views, which laid the foundations for the Christian church
• Jesus then left his followers by ascending to heaven, as described in the gospels of Mark and Luke
• Explain two ways belief about resurrection might influence Christians today

  1. The resurrection gives Christians faith that they will overcome the fear of death

  2. The resurrection is the most important belief, as all four gospels have accounts of it
• Sin and Salvation


  Sin is any action or thought that separates humans from God, as it is against God's principles or morality
• Christians believe all humans are born with original sin, which suggests we all have an inbuilt tendency to do wrong as we are all descended from Adam and Eve who committed the first sin
• Christians believe the devil's desire is to continue to tempt humans away from God in revenge for losing his wings because he was an angel archangel who disobeyed God
• Christians do not blame God for the existence of evil, nor do they lay responsibility at God's feet, as God gave humans free will