Christian practices

• The entire of AQA GCSE RS Christianity key points and exam questions
• This video took over four weeks to compile and create resources
• GCSE RS Christianity is split into two sections: beliefs and teachings, and practices
• 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, commonly told as the nativity
  • The most important points are that Mary, Jesus's mother, did not conceive him sexually, and 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 his more unnatural actions such as miracles and resurrection
• 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 believed to be the creator of the universe
  • God the Son is Jesus, a person of God who became incarnate human on earth while still being God
  • 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 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. Jesus 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

  Christians 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, 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
  • The devil tempted Adam and Eve, and Christians believe the devil's desire is to continue to tempt humans away from God in revenge for losing his wings
  • Salvation means to be saved from sin, and the grace of God makes it possible to live a good life
• Belief about salvation

  Reconciles Christians' 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
  • The Catholic and Orthodox churches suggest the resurrection will occur with body and soul, with the body transformed into a glorified state with no suffering
  • Underpinning all Christian belief about death is that there is an afterlife, but what that afterlife looks like varies by denomination
  • 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 live 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, which is 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
• Belief about salvation

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

  Some Christians believe anyone who has faith in Jesus receives salvation and goes to heaven, so Christians thus have strong faith and pray to Jesus
• Worship

  • Worship is an act of religious praise, honor, or devotion, and may involve prayer, meditation, Bible reading, singing hymns, preaching, or doing things within the community
  • Weekly public worship takes place on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, while private worship can take place anytime
  • 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
• Holy Communion (Eucharist)

  • Holy Communion is 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 they are symbolic and help reflect on Jesus's death and sacrifice
  • Holy Communion is an important act of community, bringing Christians closer to each other and to God, and can provide support and encouragement to those going through tough times
• Ways a Christian might receive Holy Communion

  Some Christians believe the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ, while others see it as symbolic
• Transubstantiation

  The bread and the 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 becomes a present reality, giving support and encouragement to Christians going through tough times
  • It calls on Christians to love and break bread with one another
• How Catholics receive communion

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

  It symbolizes Jesus's sacrifice
• 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
  • Informal prayer