GCSE Religious Studies AQA Christianity

• When analysing markets, a range of assumptions are made about the rationality of economic agents involved in the transactions
• The Wealth of Nations was written

  1776
• Rational


  (in classical economic theory) economic agents are able to consider the outcome of their choices and recognise the net benefits of each one
• Rational agents will select the choice which presents the highest benefits
• Consumers act rationally by


  Maximising their utility
• Producers act rationally by


  Selling goods/services in a way that maximises their profits
• Workers act rationally by


  Balancing welfare at work with consideration of both pay and benefits
• Governments act rationally by


  Placing the interests of the people they serve first in order to maximise their welfare
• Rationality in classical economic theory is a flawed assumption as people usually don't act rationally
• Marginal utility


  The additional utility (satisfaction) gained from the consumption of an additional product
• If you add up marginal utility for each unit you get total utility
• Christians have found a way of reconciling their beliefs about the nature of God with the existence of evil and suffering
• Theodicy


  A defense of God
• Paul writes to the Romans that when Adam sinned, sin entered the world and death spread to everyone
• Paul also writes to the Romans that suffering produces perseverance
• Saint Augustine said that a runaway horse is better than a stone
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that suffering is the result of original sin
• Free Will defense


  • Moral evil is caused by humans, not God
  • God has given humans free will, and some misuse it
• Original sin


  • Evil and suffering are caused by Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden
  • All people are born sinful as a result
• Soul-making theodicy


  • Evil and suffering are needed for human growth and development
  • They are part of God's plan for us to become perfected and enter Heaven
• The Trinity is the three parts of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
• The Trinity is represented as a triangle, with the three parts in perfect harmony
• The Trinity


  • The central belief of Christianity that underpins every other Christian belief
  • It shows that Jesus is the Incarnation of God
  • It teaches that God is present in the world today through the Holy Spirit
• The Apostles' Creed is an important statement of belief about the Trinity
• Jesus: 'I and the Father are one'
• Jesus: 'The Father will send the Holy Spirit in my name, who will teach you all things'
• God the Father Almighty


  Powerful Creator
• Jesus Christ


  God's only son, important because of his incarnation and act of atonement on the cross
• Holy Spirit


  Invisible power, The Giver of Life, source of inspiration
• Genesis 1:1: 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth'
• John 10:30: 'I and the Father are one'
• John 14:26: 'The Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you'
• Matthew 28: 'Jesus gives the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit'
• Creation ex nihilo


  The belief that God created everything out of nothing due to his omnipotence
• The spirit of God was hovering over the waters at creation
• Jesus was present at creation as the Word of God
• The seven days of creation

  • Day 1: Light created
  • Day 2: Sky created
  • Day 3: Dry land, sea, plants and trees created
  • Day 4: Sun, moon and stars created
  • Day 5: Creatures of the sea and air created
  • Day 6: Land animals and humans created
  • Day 7: God rested
• Fundamentalist/Literalist view of creation


  Believe the Genesis account is literally true, reject scientific discoveries like the Big Bang
• Liberal/Modernist view of creation


  Believe Genesis is a metaphorical myth with a moral message, see no conflict between religion and science
• Resurrection of Jesus


  Foundational Christian belief, shows Jesus conquering sin and death, opens the door to eternal life