RE CHRS

• Creation


  1. God created the entire universe and the contents of it including earth and mankind

  2. The story of creation is told in chapter one in the book of Genesis

  3. Not all Christians believe the creation story is literal, but most accept that God is the creator and that he creates all new life

  4. The Holy Spirit and Son are both referenced in the creation story to show how they are all present from day one
• Belief in creation


  Allows Christians to look and be inspired from nature as signs of God's work
• Christian beliefs about creation


  • The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all present in the creation story (Genesis and John)
  • Source of wisdom and authority: the Bible
• Nature of God


  • Christianity is a monotheistic religion
  • God is referred to as 'he' and 'father' but does not have a gender
  • God is considered holy, meaning something set apart from everything else and worthy of worship
  • God is perfect, omnipotent (all-powerful), omni-benevolent (all-loving), and omniscient (all-knowing)
  • God is the perfect giver of justice, including deciding on right and wrong and being the perfect judge of character
• God is omnipotent


  But he gives us free will, shown in the creation story
• Statement: God cannot be omni-benevolent because there is too much suffering


  • Reason for: Letting people suffer is cruel and not justified
  • Reason against: 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, known as the nativity
  • The most important points are that Mary, Jesus's mother, did not conceive him sexually, and he had the immaculate conception
  • 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'
• Belief about incarnation


  Makes it possible for Christians to follow Jesus's teachings with greater understanding
• Statement: The stories of the incarnation prove that Jesus is the son of God


  Reason for: 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 and be God who would undergo such a process
• Holy Trinity


  • The concept of the Trinity is that there are three persons of God which are equally God but not equal to one another
  • God the Father is 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
• Belief in the Holy Trinity


  Makes Christians feel comforted and not alone when with the Holy Spirit
• Christian beliefs about the Trinity


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


  1. Jesus was arrested by the Romans and charged with treason for claiming to be the king of the Jews

  2. He was sentenced to death by crucifixion, a horrific means of death used by the Romans

  3. While on the cross, Jesus adopted a forgiving approach to the Roman soldiers who mocked and stabbed him, as well as the two criminals being crucified with him

  4. 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
• Belief about crucifixion


  Influences Christians to ask for forgiveness because Jesus died for all sins to be forgiven, so they try to stay sinless and pure by following that
• Resurrection and Ascension


  1. When Jesus's followers went to anoint his body after the crucifixion, they found the tomb empty as he had risen from the dead

  2. Over the next 40 days, Jesus appeared to his followers to spread the news of his return and power, and instructed them to go and share his views, laying the foundations for the Christian church

  3. Jesus then ascended to heaven, leaving his followers
• Belief about resurrection


  Gives Christians faith that they will overcome fear of death
• Statement: The resurrection is the most important belief


  • Reason for: All four gospels have accounts of Jesus's resurrection, so it must be important
  • Reason against: God as creator is more important as we had to be made first in order to undergo what Jesus's resurrection was
• 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 descended from Adam and Eve
  • Salvation means to be saved from sin, and the grace of God makes it possible to live a good life
• Belief about salvation


  Influences Christians to reconcile their sins, as Jesus's salvation allows humans to do the process of atonement and feel remorse for their actions
• Life after Death


  • Many Christians believe in the resurrection, but there are different beliefs about what happens after death
  • Some believe the resurrection is of the soul immediately after death, others believe it will happen in the future with the return of Jesus to judge the dead
  • Underpinning all Christian belief about death is that there is an afterlife, but what that afterlife looks like varies between denominations
  • Christians believe humans receive eternal life as a gift from God, and God will take into account the life of the person, their thoughts and actions, and the extent to which they had tried to bring themselves closer to God
• Belief about life after death


  Is only possible due to Jesus, so Christians should pray and have faith in him
• Christian beliefs about life after death

  • If you succeed a good Christian life, you will be rewarded in heaven (source of wisdom and authority: the Bible)
• Christ in Salvation


  • Salvation means to be saved from sin and its consequences, allowing humans to restore their relationship with God
  • There are two ways this can happen: salvation through good works, and salvation through grace (a gift from God through faith in Jesus)
  • Christians believe Jesus's death makes up for the original sin committed by Adam and Eve, and his resurrection shows that death can be defeated, allowing forgiveness and eternal life with God
• Heaven and Hell


  • Heaven is a place where Christians can experience the presence of God eternally, while Hell is a place where they experience the eternal absence of God
  • Catholics believe in an intermediate stage called Purgatory where souls wait to receive judgment
  • Some Christians believe anyone who believes in Jesus will go to Heaven, while others think it is for anyone who has acted as God wishes even if they are of a different faith
  • Hell is often seen as a place of eternal suffering, terror, fire and torture ruled by the Devil
• Belief about heaven and hell


  Influences Christians to have strong faith and pray to Jesus, as some believe anyone who has faith in Jesus receives salvation and goes to heaven
• Worship


  1. Worship is an act of religious praise, honor or devotion, and may involve prayer, meditation, Bible reading, singing hymns, preaching, and doing things within the community

  2. Weekly public worship takes place on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, while private worship can take place anytime

  3. Liturgical worship follows a set service pattern led by a priest, while non-liturgical worship does not have a set order or ritual, and informal worship may depend on spontaneous prayer or sharing of thoughts
• Ways a Christian might worship


  • Liturgical worship has a set pattern and is usually done within groups
  • Private worship gives Christians a chance to spend time alone with God and make a personal connection
• Ways in which private worship is important for Christians

  • It gives Christians a chance to spend time alone with God and make a personal connection that they're not living up to a certain front with other people (source of wisdom and authority: the Bible)
• Holy Communion (Eucharist)


  • A service of thanksgiving in which the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus is celebrated using bread and wine
  • For Catholics, the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ through transubstantiation, while for Protestants it is symbolic and helps them reflect on Jesus's death and sacrifice
  • Communion is an important act of community, bringing Christians closer to each other and to God, and can give support and encouragement to those going through tough times
• Ways a Christian might receive Holy Communion


  Liturgical communion follows a set pattern, while non-liturgical communion may be more spontaneous
• Transubstantiation


  The bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ through the divine mystery
• Communion (for Protestants)


  The bread and wine is symbolic and acts as a metaphor of the last supper and helps them reflect on Jesus's death and sacrifice
• Communion


  • It is an important act of community, bringing Christians closer to each other and closer to God
  • It is not just remembering historical events, it becomes a present reality that can give support and encouragement
• How Catholics receive communion

  Sacrifice is made real through the process of transubstantiation
• Reasons Christians celebrate communion


  • It symbolizes Jesus's sacrifice
  • It is an important act of community that unites the people and the church
• Prayer


  Communication with God either silently or through words of praise, thanksgiving, confession, or request for God's help and guidance
• Types of prayer


  • Set prayers that have been written down and said more than once by more than one person (e.g. Lord's Prayer)
  • Informal prayer made by an individual pertaining to their own circumstance
• Prayer


  • It may take place in a humble position (e.g. kneeling with hands pressed together)
  • Catholics use a rosary, Orthodox use icons
• Christians believe God will always answer prayer, but the answer may not be clear or in the way they want</b>
• Lord's Prayer


  Jesus's response to the disciples when they asked how to pray, giving a pattern for how to pray and teaching forgiveness and humility