RE KEY CONCEPTS

• Creation ex nihilo


  “Creation out of nothing” Only God can create out of nothing
• Evolution 


  The process of mutation and natural selection leads to changes in species over time to suit their environment
• Imago Dei


  “In the image of God”. The belief that humans are uniquely a reflection if God
• Inspiration


  “God breathed”. God’s spirit guides someone to write and act what is good and true
• Omnipotence


  The belief that God is all powerful
• Revelation 


  The ways that God reveals himself to humans and he does this finally and fully in Jesus Christ
• Stewardship


  The duty to care for creation responsibly for future generations
• Transcendence 


  God exists outside of time and space.
• Conscience


  The knowledge of what is right and wrong and the God-given compulsion within all human beings to do what is right and avoid evil
• Evil


  The absence if good and to seek our own desires at the expense of the good of others which often leads to suffering
• Free-will 


  A will is free when a person knows what is right and wrong without being controlled by an external force
• Goodness


  The quality of being like God:seeking good in others selflessly
• Incarnation


  “Made flesh”. The belief that God became man in Jesus, fully human and fully divine
• Natural Law


  The belief in natural law is the belief that moral law is discoverable by everyone and is the same in all places at all times
• Privation


  The absence or loss of something that is usually there. Evil is a privation of good
• Suffering


  Pain or loss which harms humans which can be caused by moral evil or natural evil
• Death


  The end of physical life where the body ceases to function
• Eternal life 


  Life in heaven after death also what Jesus describes a state of living as God intended
• Heaven


  Those who have accepted God’s grace will have eternal life with God. The face to face encounter is called ’heaven’
• Hell


  Those who have chosen to reject God through free will. The eternal lack of God’s presence is called ‘hell’
• Judgement


  The decision of whether we accept God or not will decide whether we get sent to heaven or hell
• Magisterium 


  The teaching authority of the church exercised by bishops in union with the Pope.The Holy Spirit has given them grace to interpret scriptures and traditions
• Resurrection 


  The raising of the body back to life after death. Christians believe that Jesus resurrected and everyone will resurrect at the end of time
• Soul


  The eternal part of the body that lives on after death.
• Absolutism


  The belief that laws exist eternally and are not just human inventions
• Eucharist


  ‘Thanksgiving’. Catholics use this to describe the rite that the bread and wine turn into the boy and blood of Jesus
• Evangelisation


  Spreading the good news. The sharing of the Gospel and life of Jesus with others
• Forgiveness 


  The act if pardoning someone for the offences they have caused you
• Punishment 


  The consequences of a wrong decision and a penalty imposed by someone if higher authority.
• Relativism


  The belief that what is right and wrong are human inventions and change from place to place
• Salvation


  The belief that through Jesus‘ death and resurrection, humanity has a possibility of an eternal life with God
• Sin 


  Acting against the law or will of God
• Synagogue 


  The house of assembly for Jewish public prayer, study and assembly
• Shekhinah 


  The place where God’s presence rests and can be felt
• Shabbat


  A day of rest and spiritual renewal which begins on Friday night to Saturday evening
• Torah


  The first five books of Moses which is regarded as the mist holiest book of the Tenakh