GCSE Religious Studies Christian Beliefs. Revision Booklet. Paper 1: Religious Beliefs and Practices

Transcription

1 GCSE Religius Studies Christian Beliefs Revisin Bklet Paper 1: Religius Beliefs and Practices

2 This persnalised learning checklist (PLC) is t help identify what and hw t revise. The middle clumn asks hw cnfident yu feel abut each tpic. Red Help! Amber Nt 100% but nearly there. Green - Bring it n! I knw this! What yu need t knw 1.1 I can explain ideas abut the Nature f Gd. 1.2 I can explain the what Christians beliefs abut Gd being mniptent, lving and Just 1.3 I can explain what is meant by the trinity and the ne-ness f Gd. 1.4 I can retell the Genesis creatin stry and explain what it means fr Christians. 1.5 I can explain what is meant by the incarnatin and link it t Jesus being the Sn f Gd. 1.6 I can retell the events f the Crucifixin and explain its imprtance fr Christians then & tday. 1.7 I can retell the stry f the resurrectin and ascensin f Jesus, and explain hw this affects the Christian beliefs and actins tday. 1.8 I can link the resurrectin t what Christians believe abut life after death, 1.9 I can explain what is meant by life after death and what Judgement means fr Christians. Red Amber Green 1.10 I can explain Christian beliefs abut Heaven and Hell I can define the terms sin and salvatin, and explain what they mean fr Christians tday I can explain hw Christians believe Jesus saved them frm sin. I can identify at least 3 rganisatins that wrk in lcal cmmunities t help thers. I can explain wh CAFOD are and the wrk they d in the wider wrld.

3 Key Terms Agape Key Wrd Apstles Creed Anglican Ascensin Atnement Baptism Catechism f the Cathlic Church Crucifixin Denminatin Fundamentalist Gencide Gspel Grace Histric Truth Incarnatin Lrd s Prayer Messiah Miracles Missin Nicene Creed Nn-liturgical wrship Omniptent Oneness f Gd Penitence Prtestant Recnciliatin Religius Truth Resurrectin Rman Cathlic Salvatin Sanhedrin Secular St Paul Trinity Christian lve. Definitin A statement f Christian belief frm the Early Church. A wrldwide denminatin that includes the Church f England. Jesus being taken up t heaven n the 40 th day after Easter. The actin f making amends fr wrng ding. A ceremny t welcme a persn int the Christian religin. A summary f Rman Cathlic teaching. A capital punishment used by the Rmans which nails a persn t a crss t kill them. The name fr the different branches f the Christian church. Christians wh take the Bible literally, i.e. wrd fr wrd true. The deliberate and indiscriminate killing f a grup f peple, belnging t a particular ethnic grup r natinality. The names f the bks abut the life f Jesus in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and Jhn. Uncnditinal lve that gd shws t peple wh d nt deserve it. Facts abut histric events, usually frm evidence Gd in human frm. The prayer Jesus taught his disciples t shw them hw t pray. The aninted ne wh is seen as the saviur by Christians. Events that have n scientific explanatin fr them happening; these were perfrmed by Jesus and described in the Gspels. An rganised effrt t spread the Christian message. A statement f belief used in Christian services. Infrmal structure fund in sme church services. The idea that Gd is all-pwerful. The idea that Gd is ne. T feel regret fr smene s sins. A branch f the Christian church that brke away frm the Rman Cathlic Church. The prcess f making peple in cnflict friendly again. Knwledge gained thrugh interpretatin f religius texts, rather than taking them literally The physical return f Jesus n the third day after he died. The largest Christian grup, based in Rme with the Ppe as its leader. The saving f the sul frm sin. The ruling cuncil f Jews in Israel. Relating t wrldly as ppsed t religius things. A man wh taught the teachings f Jesus riginally Saul f Tarsus befre his cnversin. The belief in Gd the father, Gd the Sn and Gd the Hly Spirit.

4 Questin 1 The 1 mark questin Multiple chice There will always be fur ptins given This style f questins features n bth paper 1 and paper 2 The distractrs will nt be trivial Paper 1 example frm Christian beliefs Which ne f the fllwing is the idea that Gd is three-in-ne? A) Atnement B) Incarnatin C) Salvatin D) Trinity Mark scheme cntent: D) Trinity Questin 2 The 2 mark questin One mark fr each relevant pint A shrt answer is expected Paper 1 Example frm Christian beliefs Give 2 qualities which Christians believe describe the nature f Gd Mark scheme cntent: Omniptent/ lving/ just/ ne/ trinity/ merciful/ frgiving/ mniscient/ eternal Questin 3 The 4 mark questin Influence tested in beliefs sectin f Religin paper Yu need t give tw answers each ne is wrth 2 marks 1 mark = Simple explanatin f a relevant and accurate answer 2 marks = Detailed explanatin f a relevant and accurate answer Influence Paper 1 Example frm Christianity beliefs. Explain tw ways in which belief in the resurrectin f Jesus influences Christians tday. Influence 1: Belief in the resurrectin f Jesus gives Christians faith that they will be raised frm the dead. This helps them vercme fear f death and encurages sme t lay dwn their life fe their faith. (2 marks) Influence 2: It als creates faith that gd can triumph ver evil. This helps Christians face persecutin and suffering (2 marks)

5 Here tw influences are explained in detail. In each instance, the first sentence ffers a basic explanatin ; the secnd turns this int a detailed explanatin Questin 4 The 5 mark questin Different frm the 2 mark questin as yu need an explanatin frm each belief A simple explanatin is wrth ne mark, a detailed explanatin is wrth 2 marks One extra mark is gained by accurate/relevant reference t a qute frm a sacred text. Paper 1 example frm Christian beliefs Explain tw Christian beliefs abut the incarnatin f Jesus Refer t Christian teachings in yur answer. T Christians believe that Jesus is bth fully human and fully divine. This is called the hypstatic unin. In the Nicene Creed it states that Jesus was begtten f the Father, nt made, suggesting that he is mre than just a human, but Gd incarnate. Christians als believe that the incarnatin f Jesus is an example f Gds lving nature. The New Testament teaches that Jesus death was an atning sacrifice fr the sins f human beings, s that the relatinship between humans and Gd culd be restres. Christians are encuraged t demnstrate this lve t ne anther. (5 marks) Tw reasns have been given with reference t Christian teachings. Questin 5 The BIG ne wrth 12 marks Yu shuld assess different viewpints In the study f religins, different views within a religin shuld be used. In the thematic questins yu must include the views f at least n religin yu can als use nn-religius views in these questins. Yu need a justified cnclusin Each argument must be backed up with evidence qutes. Criteria Marks A well-argued respnse, reasned cnsideratin f different pints f view. Lgical chains f reasning leading t judgment(s) supprted by knwledge and understanding f relevant evidence and infrmatin. References t religin applied t the issue. Reasned cnsideratin f different pints f view. Lgical chains f reasning 7-9 draw n knwledge and understanding f relevant evidence and infrmatin Clear references t religin. Reasned cnsideratin f a pint f view. A lgical chain f reasning drawing n 4-6 knwledge and understanding f relevant evidence and infrmatin. Or Recgnitin f different pints f view, each supprted by relevant reasns/evidence. Maximum f 6 marks if there is n reference t religins r the argument is nesided. Pint f view with reasn(s) stated in supprt. 1-3

6 Example ne - Paper 1 Christian beliefs In this answer belw develped arguments have been presented in supprt f the statement and against it fllwed by a justified cnclusin. The arguments against the prpsitin are mre fully develped, but this satisfies expectatins fr a Level 4 answer. Nte that this answer, t a Paper 1 study f religin questin, is rted in the differing perspectives within the given religin. If Gd were lving. There wuld be n suffering in the wrld. The arguments fr this view are very strng. Every day we hear abut sme natural disaster r terrible act f human wickedness. Mst peple are hrrified and feel pity fr the victims. If they culd, they wuld prevent such suffering. S hw can there be an an-lving Gd? Surely a lving Gd wuld d smething t stp such evils happening. Surely he wuld have created a wrld where they culd nt ccur. It really seems as if Gd des nt care. What makes it even wrse is that s ften thse wh suffer the mst have dne nthing t I deserve it, e.g. Yung children brn with painful, life-limiting cnditins. If there is a lving Gd why des he nt prtect the inncent and vulnerable, as he tld the Jews t d in the Old Testament? Christians challenge this view in varius ways. One argument is that suffering enables spiritual grwth. It brings ut the fighting spirit in us that enables us t develp int mature humans. It encurages us t feel cmpassin fr and want t relieve the suffering f thers. Christians believe that suffering als deepens their relatinship with Gd. They realise that they are nt self-sufficient, and their trust in him enables them nt just t cpe but t triumph ver suffering. Mst Christians als believe that suffering is inevitable if we are t be ttally free. Gd s gift f free will is ne f his mst precius gifts and withut it we wuld be n mre than puppets r a string. Genuine freedm means the freedm t make gd and bad chices, t shw lve fr thers r t inflict suffering. The arguments in supprt f the statement are persuasive. It is certainly true that suffering ften seems t be excessive and pintless and that it ften targets the inncent. Nevertheless, the cunter-arguments are even strnger. Withut suffering we wuld never fully appreciate true happiness and jy. If the weather was always beautiful sunshine life wuld be bring but because we have times when it s wet and miserable, days when the sun shines are special. Gd in his lve designed the wrld t enable us t experience the fullness f life. Mrever, we learn frm suffering as much f it is caused by human actin. Gd has given us the priceless gift f free will and if we misuse it by, fr example, ging t war r taking illegal drugs then suffering results. Gd allws us t learn frm ur mistakes but he als in lve allwed his nly Sn, althugh ttally inncent, t be crucified s that we culd be frgiven fr ur wrngding. What a greater lve culd be shwn than this, thus shwing that Gd is lve and that the statement is incrrect!

7 1.1 & 1.2 NATURE OF GOD Christians believe Gd is: Christian teachings abut Gd s mniptence OMNIPOTENT this means all pwerful. Nthing is impssible fr Gd. The creatin stry Gd creates the universe in 6 days Hwever, Gd nly perfrms actins in accrdance with his wn nature. Even thugh nthing is impssible fr Gd, there are many things Gd wuld nt d. Nah s fld Gd flds the entire earth fr 40 days 10 Plagues f Israel Gd sends 10 plagues against the Egyptians as a punishment The created universe is evidence f Gd s mniptence nly a pwerful Gd culd d that Marks Gspel Jesus calms a strm. Jesus rders the strm t stp, and it des. Als evidence f Jesus divinity Miracles are als evidence f mniptence e.g. St. Bernadette at Lurdes Christians believe Gd is: OMNIBENEVOLENT this means all lving. Gd is the surce f gdness and lve in the wrld Gd s lve is called agape this is a Greek wrd meaning selfless r uncnditinal lve This means Gd s lve is universal it is fr everyne, Christian r nt Gd s Omni benevlence is linked t beliefs abut salvatin and atnement (see: Salvatin) Sme peple find it difficult t believe that Gd is all lving, as there is s much suffering in the wrld (see: Prblem f Evil) Others might feel that suffering allws them t help thers, and practice agape lve themselves. Christians believe Gd is: JUST this means fair (think justice ). Christians believe that Gd des nt discriminate, and expects his fllwers t treat peple fairly as well. Atheists might argue that Gd is nt just, because peple suffer when they dn t deserve it. Steven Fry used the example f insects that burrw frm the eyes f children and make them blind. Christians like Jhn Hick might argue that suffering seems unfair, but there is an unexplained purpse t it. Christians need t accept what they dn t understand and trust Gd. Hw these beliefs influence Christians Sme peple might believe that stries abut Gd s mniptence are just stries. They might argue that the Church made them up t shw hw pwerful Gd is. There might als be natural explanatins fr miracles. Christian teachings abut Gd s mniptence: Jhn 3:16 Gd s lved the wrld that He gave His nly sn Jesus was sacrificed s that the wrld culd be saved. This is an example f agape, r selfless lve, that Christians might fllw in their wn lives The Parable f the Prdigal Sn Jesus tells the stry f a spiled sn wh leaves hme and spends all his inheritance. His father welcmes him hme and frgives him, even thugh he desn t deserve it. This is an allegry fr Gd s lving and frgiving nature. Christian teachings abut Gd s justice: The Decalgue, r 10 cmmandments, were rules given by Gd t Mses t ensure that peple lived a gd and fair life Christians and Jews aim t fllw these rules The Parable f the Sheep and Gats teaches that all peple will be judged n hw they have lived, and the gd will be rewarded, and the wicked will be punished. Peple wh suffer in this life will nt always suffer. The prphet Ams taught let justice rll n like a river this suggests that Christians shuld encurage justice in the wrld, and wrk twards making it a fairer place e.g. charity wrk. Beliefs abut the nature f Gd might influence Christians in the fllwing ways: The belief that Gd is all pwerful might lead Christians t believe in miracles, such as miraculus healing. As a result they may pray fr Gd t help peple wh are sick r dying. The belief that Gd is lving might lead Christians t fllw his example and treat thers accrding t agape lve. This might mean they ffer help and supprt t all peple, nt just thse that they persnally knw The belief that Gd is just means that Christians believe that Gd will judge them fairly based n hw they have lived their lives. They knw that they will be punished fr their bad deeds, and als rewarded fr their gd deeds The belief that Gd is just, and that Gd is lving, might mean that Christians vlunteer fr charitable rganisatins t help thse wh are less frtunate. This is a way f practicing agape, and als creating a fairer sciety.

8 1.3 ONENESS OF GOD AND TRINITY Christianity is mntheistic this means they Christian teachings abut the Trinity wrship nly ne Gd. During the baptism f Jesus, a vice frm Gd s nature is understd in three ways: Heaven states Yu are my belved Sn. At The creatr and sustainer f the the same time, the authr describes the Hly universe (Gd the Father) Spirit descending like a dve. All three The saviur, wh lived, died, and lived persns f the Trinity are present at this time. again (Gd the Sn) Befre the ascensin, Jesus tells his fllwers The surce f strength that Christians t make disciples f all natins - baptise in find at wrk in their hearts (Gd the hly the name f the Father, Sn, and Hly Spirit spirit) During baptism services, Christians are The Trinity is a way f understanding the baptised in the name f the Father, Sn, and cmplex nature f Gd Gd is a Trinity f Hly Spirit, as Jesus cmmanded. three persns r aspects. Christian prayer ften refers t the idea f the Sme peple find the Trinity difficult t understand. Hwever, Gd s true nature is beynd human understanding this is ne way f trying t make mre sense f it Symbls f the trinity shw the idea f three in ne. They each symblise that the three persns f Gd are part f the same whle. Sme examples include: Equilateral triangles Shamrck Brrmean rings Trinity. The Trinity is als a key part f bth the Apstle s Creed and the Nicene Creed Hw belief in the Trinity influences Christians The trinity demnstrates unity between the different persns f Gd. Each is a part f a greater whle. Similarly, Christians believe they shuld shw similar unity in their lives, and be respectful and lving twards thers Belief in the Trinity influences wrship prayers, church services, and hymns cntain references t it. Belief in the trinity als makes Christianity unique amngst wrld religins, and a Christian may take their faith mre seriusly as a result Arguments against belief in the Trinity Nt all Christians are Trinitarian. Sme Christians believe the Trinity des nt make sense and that there is nly ne Gd tw examples f these are Unitarians, and Jehvah s Witness. Sme peple think belief in the Trinity is s imprtant that these grups are nt denminatins f Christianity at all, but a separate religin. Sme religius grups believe that Christianity actually wrships three separate Gds, wh are linked. This is called tritheism. Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, might argue that because the Trinity is a cmplex idea that des nt make lgical sense, that this cnfirms the view that religin is utdated and based n superstitin, rather than factual evidence.

9 Christians believe that Gd is all lving, all knwing, and all pwerful. They als believe that Gd is fair The prblem f evil is as fllws: A pwerful Gd culd prevent suffering A lving Gd wuld want t prevent suffering An all knwing Gd wuld knw hw t prevent suffering A just Gd wuld nt allw suffering Hwever, suffering exists. This means that either Gd des nt exist, r he des nt have the qualities Christians believe he has. This is als called the Incnsistent Triad suffering cannt exist if Gd is bth lving and pwerful. One f thse three things must be false Mral evil = suffering caused by the chices f humans Sme Christians believe the Devil tempts humans t make wrng chices this wuld mean that the Devil is respnsible fr evil Other Christians believe that Gd gave humans free will. If they chse t d evil things, that is nt Gd s fault Natural evil = suffering caused by the natural wrld. As this was created by Gd, many peple feel Gd is respnsible fr this kind f evil. Hw beliefs abut the prblem f evil influence Christians 1.2 THE PROBLEM OF EVIL Christian teachings abut suffering and evil The stry f Adam and Eve teaches hw humans disbeyed Gd. Originally, there was n pain and suffering. Suffering nly entered the wrld because human beings sinned against Gd. Sme Christians believe suffering is a punishment fr sin. Anther example f this is seen in the stry f Nah s Ark, where Gd flds the wrld t remve all the sinful peple frm it. The stry f Jb ffers anther pssibility. Sme peple believe that suffering is a test f faith. Humans shuld trust Gd thrugh gd and the bad. It s easy t be thankful when things g yur way, but mre imprtant t keep faith when things g wrng The stry f Jb als implies that suffering is part f Gd s plan, and that Christians must trust that there is a purpse t their suffering even if they cannt understand it. St. Irenaeus believed that suffering was a frm f educatin fr the sul. It helps us grw spiritually St. Augustine believed suffering was a cnsequence f free will. Suffering ccurs because humans make bad chices Suffering brings balance t the wrld. T appreciate gd, we must als experience bad. If Christians believe that suffering gives them an pprtunity t develp and grw spiritually, then they may take that pprtunity t help thers. Additinally, they may believe that it is their respnsibility, nt Gd s, t fix the prblems in the wrld. Mst mral evils culd be eradicated if peple shared wealth mre equally and were kinder t ne anther. If suffering is a test f faith then Christians will be mre likely t pray fr supprt and guidance Hw an atheist might respnd t Christian arguments abut the prblem f evil Why wuld an mniscient (all knwing) Gd need t test his fllwers? Surely he wuld knw if they wuld remain gd peple withut causing suffering If suffering is a punishment fr sin, why d inncent peple suffer? What abut yung children wh have never had the chance t be bad? If suffering is a part f Gd s plan, then that prves that he is nt all lving nly an evil Gd wuld plan fr millins f peple t be affected by war and famine.

10 1.4 CREATION The stry f Creatin is fund the in bk f The rle f the Trinity in creatin Genesis, in the Old Testament f the Bible Gd created the wrld, and Gd is Trinity. Each Genesis teaches that Gd created the wrld in 6 days, and rested n the 7 th. part f the Trinity has a rle in the act f creatin Sme Christians believe this stry has histric truth because: The creative, life giving part f Gd is usually referred t as the Father. Genesis begins with The Bible is the wrd f Gd. There are n mistakes in the Bible In the beginning, Gd created the Heavens and the Earth, and the Nicene Creed states We Gd is all pwerful, and it makes sense fr an all pwerful Gd t create the believe in ne Gd, the Father.maker f Heaven and Earth. universe this way In Jhn s Gspel, there is reference t the Other Christians believe the stry has symblic r religius truth. This means that the stry teaches abut the nature f Gd and his Wrd In the beginning, there was the Wrd, and the Wrd was with Gd, and the Wrd was Gd thrugh Him all things have been made. relatinship with humans. They might believe this because: Wrd refers t Jesus. This shws that Jesus was part f the Trinity lng befre The Bible needs t be viewed in a he became incarnate. mdern cntext science has prven that the Earth is lder than the Bible claims it is Jhn s Gspel states that the Wrd became flesh and lived amng us fr a while, linking the Wrd with Jesus. They may believe that religius truths abut the relatinship between humans This passage als shws the imprtance f Jesus in creatin. and Gd are mre imprtant than the histric truths f what day Gd created each part f the universe In Genesis, it states the earth was frmless and the Spirit f Gd was hvering ver the face f the waters. This is a reference Sme f the religius truths frm Genesis include: t the Hly Spirit, transfrming chas int rder. This image f hvering is ften Gd is the sle creatr and sustainer f the universe cmpared t a dve, which is a symbl fr the Hly Spirit. The universe is rdered, nt randm Gd created everything in the universe with a purpse Humans are created in Gd s image, meaning they share sme f his qualities e.g. creativity, ability t frm relatinships, free will Humans have a respnsibility t care fr the wrld Gd created., Hw beliefs abut creatin might influence Christians The creatin stry explres the idea that humans are made in the image f Gd. This is hugely imprtant in Christian ethics. All humans deserve respect and fair treatment because all humans are made in the image f Gd. All human life is valuable, which has an impact n mral issues such as abrtin, war, and capital punishment. As all humans are equal, Christians may wrk t prmte scial justice and equality in sciety Because humans have been given respnsibility t care fr the wrld, they may be mre likely t wrk twards prmting envirnmental issues such as recycling r green energy. Because the wrld is made accrding t Gd s structure and rder, there is a purpse t everything that happens. This links with the prblem f evil tpic. This can reassure Christians when things g wrng, that there is a plan behind everything that happens, and they will understand this ne day. Histric vs Religius truth Sme peple may argue that histric truth is mre imprtant. Atheists may argue this. Because the timeline f the Biblical creatin stry has been cntradicted by science, atheists may argue that the creatin stry has n value, as it cntains n facts abut the created wrld. Christians wh believe in the literal creatin argue that scientific evidence is flawed perhaps Gd created the wrld t appear lder than it is, r perhaps the Devil is trying t lure peple away frm Gd Others may argue that the religius truth is mre imprtant. This is because histric truth abut creatin des nt give guidance n hw t live. It culd be seen that it is mre imprtant t learn that humans have a special rle in creatin, and that Gd expects them t care fr the wrld, than the fact that Gd created plants n the third day f creatin. Religius truths als d nt rely n histric events: the imprtance f humans being made in the image f Gd remains whether Gd created the wrld in 6 days, r whether the wrld was created by a Big Bang billins f years ag.

11 Christians believe in life after death. They believe when they die, they will be judged n hw they have lived, and this will affect whether they g t a place f reward called Heaven, r punishment, called Hell Gd is lving and just. Christians trust that he will be fair when they receive judgement. A lving Gd is ne wh punishes thse wh deserve it, as well as rewards thse wh have earned it Cathlics believe in tw judgements 1.8 & 1.9 THE AFTERLIFE AND JUDGEMENT Christian teachings abut judgement The Nicene Creed states that Jesus will cme in glry t judge the living and the dead. This suggests it is the Sn in the Trinity that delivers judgement The particular judgement happens immediately after death. Mst Cathlics believe that the dead wait in either peace f trment, fr the final judgement. The final judgement ccurs with the Secnd Cming (r Parusia) f Jesus. The living and the dead will be judged, and they will be resurrected t live frever with Gd in Heaven, r away frm Gd in Hell. Cathlics als believe in purgatry. This is an intermediate state, where the sul waits if it is destined fr Heaven. This is a state f cleansing and purificatin. Sme Christians believe that there is n secnd cming. They agree that humans will be judged based n hw they have lived, but that the Bible and Jesus were trying t explain the afterlife symblically. They als believe that wrds cannt explain the afterlife prperly, as n living persn has ever experienced it/ Evidence fr the particular judgement cmes frm a thief wh was crucified alngside Jesus, wh was tld tday yu will be with me in paradise, suggesting his judgement wuld be immediate Evidence fr the final judgement cmes frm Jhn s Gspel, which claims n ne has yet entered Heaven the dead wait fr their judgement. The Parable f the Rich Man and Lazarus warns f a rich man wh is sent t Hell, and is unable t crss frm there int Heaven. The cnsequences f human decisins are permanent The Parable f the Sheep and Gats als states that Jesus will return t judge the living and dead, and that he will decide based n whether peple chse t help thers during their lives, r ignre peple wh were suffering HEAVEN AND HELL 1.8 RESURRECTION Christianity teaches that Heaven is a place f peace and reward. Christians believe that their bdy will be resurrected, like Jesus was after Peple ften think f Heaven as a place in the cluds, with Pearly Gates. Peple als think f peple as angels, with wings and hals the crucifixin. They will be given a new, spiritual bdy, which des nt decay, and will live frever. The Bible teaches that Heaven is nt a physical place, but a state f being. It is existence with Gd, utside f time and space an eternity f bliss. Life after resurrectin wuld be very different frm mrtal life. It is the cntinuatin f an individual, but a Hell is described as a place f trment, usually a place f fire different kind f existence. Think abut hw a caterpillar changes int a In the Middle Ages, paintings f Hell (called Dm butterfly. Paintings) were used t warn peple f the cnsequences f living a bad life, with demns trturing humans. Belief in the resurrectin f Jesus is a cre part f Christianity. The resurrectin is prf that he is the Sn Mre mdern interpretatins f Hell have it as a state f f Gd. It is als prf f life after separatin frm Gd. By nt fllwing Gd s teachings, death fr all Christians. St. Paul humans reject him. claimed if Christ had nt been raised, It is therefre human chice, nt Gd s will, that sme yur faith is futile. humans g t Hell N ne really knws what the Sme Christians believe that there cannt be a Hell if resurrectin will be like Christians Gd is lving, as a lving Gd wuld nt send peple t trust that Gd has the answers eternal punishment fr a temprary sin. They might als believe that Gd can frgive any sins, s even a persn in Hell can be redeemed. Hw d beliefs abut the afterlife and judgement influence Christians If Christians believe their bdy will be resurrected, then they may chse t be buried rather than cremated. Christians wh believe in a spiritual resurrectin hwever may nt mind. Christian funerals fcus n the next stage f an individuals existence, praying fr their entry int Heaven Christians believe they will be judged n hw they have lived, s they will try and fllw the teachings in the Bible and care fr thers s they can g t Heaven Christians wh believe in Hell may als be less likely t behave badly, ut f fear f punishment.

12 Incarnatin means in flesh. It refers t Gd becming human and living n Earth in the frm f Jesus Christians believe Gd is bth fully human, and fully divine. This is called the hypstatic unin. This makes him different frm demigds, r half gds, wh are cmmn in Rman and Greek mythlgy (e.g. Heracles) This is anther cncept that is difficult t fully understand and seems t defy lgic. Hwever, Gd is mysterius. The Bible teaches that Jesus mther Mary was a virgin, and nly Gd culd create life this way. Sme Christians fully accept this the Bible is the wrd f Gd, and an mniptent Gd culd easily make smene pregnant! Others believe that the Nativity stries have religius truths the events f Jesus birth are a mystery, and the Gspel writers created the stry t ensure that peple understand that Jesus was n rdinary human 1.5 INCARNATION OF JESUS Christian teachings abut the incarnatin The Gspel f Jhn refers t the Wrd became flesh and lived amng us, suggesting that Jesus is Gd incarnate, nt a demigd The Catechism f the Cathlic Church teaches that He is truly the Sn f Gd, wh withut ceasing t be Gd and Lrd, became a man and ur brther The Gspel f Luke tells that Mary became pregnant thrugh the Hly Spirit, therefre Jesus did nt have a human father. This is further explained in the Nicene Creed All Gspels cntain teachings abut Jesus ability t perfrm miracles, cast ut evil spirits, and frgive sins. Issues with the incarnatin f Jesus N ne has ever befre r since had a virgin birth. While it makes sense fr Jesus t have ne because he is the Sn f Gd, it des make the stry mre difficult t believe Nne f the Gspel writers were present at Jesus birth, s any accunt they have f these events is based n secnd hand infrmatin at best, and simply made up at wrst Jesus cannt be bth fully human and fully Gd, because Gd is mniptent, and humans are nt. He wuld either be living a superhuman life, r he wuld n lnger have the qualities f Gd e.g. mniptence Jesus cmmunicates with Gd thrugh prayer thrughut the Gspels. Why wuld Jesus need t d this, if he was Gd incarnate? Wuldn t this mean he is talking t himself? St. Paul believed that Jesus willingly gave up certain aspects f his divinity, in particular his mniscience. Jesus was always meant t be an example f a perfect persn, an example fr everyne t fllw, s he sacrificed his divine knwledge and mniptence in rder t be fully human. Jesus prays t shw humans hw t pray, and hw t build a relatinship with Gd. He s a WAGOLL. Hw belief in the incarnatin influences Christians Fr Gd t becme human and live amng us is a demnstratin f hw much Gd cares fr humanity. That he wuld ultimately sacrifice Jesus n the crss fr the salvatin f humans further develps this idea. The Bible teaches since Gd s lved us, let us als lve ne anther. Christians might fllw this example in their daily lives f caring fr thers and shwing agape lve. The festival f Christmas is a celebratin f the incarnatin f Jesus. This is the secnd mst imprtant festival after Easter, as it celebrates the miracle f his birth. It is the mst widely celebrated birthday f any figure.

13 WHAT HAPPENED? Crucifixin is a frm f executin used by the Rmans. It invlved tying r nailing a persn t a wden crss and leaving them t asphyxiate (die frm lack f xygen) The crucifixin f Jesus is generally accepted as a histric event, as it is described in all 4 Gspels, as well as by the Rman histrian Tacitus. Jesus was arrested in the Garden f Gethsemane, after he was betrayed by Judas Iscarit He is taken t the Sanhedrin (Jewish cuncil), wh try him fr blasphemy (fr claiming t be the Sn f Gd) They cannt give him the death sentence, s he is taken t the Rman gvernr Pilate, under the charge f treasn (fr being the King f the Jews) Pilate ffers the crwd wh have gathered a chice, t free Jesus, r the murderer Barabbas. They chse Barabbas Jesus is beaten, whipped, and made t wear a crwn f thrns He cannt carry his crss, s it is carried by Simn f Cyrene He is crucified at Glgtha, meaning place f the skull. His hands and feet are nailed t the crss As he is being crucified, darkness cvers the land fr 3 hurs Jesus last wrds, accrding t Mark, were My Gd, why have yu frsaken me?. Accrding t Jhn, they were Father, I give yu my spirit; it is finished. The curtain in the Temple that separated the inner sanctum frm the rest f the Temple rips in half at the mment f Jesus death 1.6 CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS Why did Jesus die? The Sanhedrin were threatened by his teachings. Jesus ignred many traditinal rules f Judaism, and was critical f the way that religius leaders had pwer and influence ver thers. Many Jewish peple felt that Jesus was a trublemaker, and taught things that went against Judaism. They may have genuinely believed they were ding the right thing by having him executed, r they may have been ding this fr their wn benefit. Pilate culd nt allw Jesus t live. As the Rman gvernr, he was respnsible fr keeping rder. The Sanhedrin made claims abut Jesus that Pilate culd nt ignre; he was accused f treasn, f claiming t be the King f the Jews, and f inciting a rebellin against Rme. If Pilate had allwed this, his jb and influence wuld have been threatened The death f Jesus was part f Gd s plan fr salvatin. Withut his sacrifice, Original Sin culd nt be ended (see salvatin ) A Rman fficer remarks truly, this man was the Sn f Gd. Hw learning abut the crucifixin might influence Christians Learning hw Gd suffered and died fr humans might influence Christians t put the needs f thers befre their wn. Many Christians even die t prtect thers e.g. Maximillian Klbe, Martin Luther King. Learning abut the brutality f the crucifixin might strengthen their belief that Gd cares fr them, because Jesus death was s painful that nly a truly lving Gd wuld sacrifice his Sn fr humans this way. The events f the crucifixin are strngly linked with the idea f salvatin and atnement. The tearing f the curtain in the Hly Temple symblises that the barrier between humans and Gd has been remved. The fact that a Rman fficer acknwledges Jesus as the Sn f Gd shws that Christianity is a religin fr all peple, Jews and Gentiles (nn-jews) alike. This wuld have been especially imprtant during the time f Jesus. This might influence mdern Christians t try and encurage mre peple t fllw Christianity, and nt discriminate against thers.

14 1.7 RESURRECTION WHAT HAPPENED? Fllwing Jesus death, he is placed in the tmb f Jseph f Arimethea, as he had n tmb f his wn. Als, it was nearing the Sabbath, and the bdy needed t be made safe very quickly. After the Sabbath, his wmen fllwers return t find that the tmb is empty. They are tld that Jesus has returned t life. In Marks Gspel, a man in white (wh culd be an angel r Jesus) tells them t return t Galilee. In Jhn s Gspel, it is the risen Jesus wh tells Mary Magdalene abut his resurrectin, and tells her t tell the disciples what she has seen. Jesus makes several resurrectin appearances t his disciples. He appears t Clepas n the rad t Emmaus, and als t the disciple Thmas, wh des nt believe it is Jesus until he tuches the wunds f the crucifixin. The stries stress that Jesus has physically resurrected he is nt a ghst, r a zmbie. Key questin: did Jesus cme back t life? ARGUMENTS FOR The arguments against are uncnvincing because: The wmen had already been t the tmb they knew which ne it was Jesus wuld nt have been able t get ut f the tmb when he was s badly injured. The disciples were mstly executed fr spreading Christianity mst peple wuld let themselves be killed fr a made up stry. The disciples behaviur changed as a result. Peter riginally fled frm the Rmans after Jesus death, and denied that he knew him. Hwever, nly weeks later he was telling everyne abut Jesus, even until he was crucified. If Jesus hadn t really cme back frm the dead, why did Peter change s much? ASCENSION Jesus ascensin is the end f his life when he is taken int Heaven, with his spiritual bdy intact. It suggests that he rises up thrugh the cluds until he is ut f sight many Christians believe this t be the case (histric truth) Others suggest that the ascensin cntains religius truths It symblises the finality and end f Jesus missin, successfully cmpleted It symblises his divinity and his kingship ARGUMENTS AGAINST Returning frm the dead is impssible it is far mre likely that there is an explanatin, fr example: The tmb was empty because the wmen went t the wrng tmb Jesus was nt actually dead when he was remved frm the crss he left the tmb n his wn The disciples made up the stry t gain prestige, r t create their wn religin 1.9 & 1.11 SIN Sin is disbedience t Gd s laws. It is nt the same as breaking man made laws. Many man made laws are als sins e.g. murder, but sme sins are legal e.g. adultery. The first human sin is fund in the stry f Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve break Gds nly rule, and eat frbidden fruit. Adam is punished with hard wrk, and Eve is punished with pain in childbirth, and nw must be a servant t her husband. Bth are evicted frm the Garden f Eden Christians believe that sin f Adam and Eve passes frm generatin t generatin, and that as we are all descended frm Adam and Eve, that we carry the burden f this riginal sin. Because f Original Sin, we have a tendency t make pr mral chices, cmmit further sins, and harm thers Humans cannt stp this withut the help f Gd Christians wh believe in the religius truth f the Genesis stry will argue that it is symblic f the natural dispsitin peple have t perfrm wrng actins. These Christians might believe that salvatin can be achieved withut the help f Gd, thrugh gd actins alne. Christian teachings abut sin Genesis 3 intrduces human sin. Eve is tempted by the serpent, wh in turn tempts Adam t eat the frbidden fruit The Catechism f the Cathlic Church teaches that riginal sin is passed n frm generatin t generatin, but that humans can be saved thrugh accepting Jesus as saviur In the Gspels, Jesus states the nly way t the Father is thrugh me, suggesting that the nly way t enter Heaven is t accept Jesus as saviur t remve sin.

15 1.11 & 1.12 SALVATION AND ATONEMENT Salvatin thrugh wrks Salvatin thrugh grace Based n the Jewish idea that salvatin was achieved by fllwing the Jewish law Grace is als referred t as Gd s lve, r Gd s blessing Sme Christians believe that by fllwing Gd s laws, they can earn a place in Heaven Mst Christians believe that withut Gd s grace, humans cannt be truly gd. Others believe that it is nt just abut fllwing the law, but als by having a pure heart and mind gd actins dne purely fr reward, and nt with gd intentins, are nt wrthy f reward. Gd s lve is best shwn thrugh his sacrifice f his sn Jesus, t take away Original Sin, and allw peple t lead mral lives While this gift is given t all peple, they must be pen t it, and accept it int their lives. The imprtant idea abut salvatin thrugh wrks is that it means peple can earn their place in Heaven thrugh their wn actins Christian teachings abut salvatin Gd s grace is made knwn t peple thrugh the Hly Spirit In the Parable f the Prdigal Sn, the sn des nt deserve the frgiveness f his father he has nt earned it. This suggests that salvatin thrugh wrks is a false idea. His salvatin cmes thrugh his fathers lve and frgiveness, in the same way that Christians believe their sins are frgiven because f Gd s lve and grace. St. Paul riginally hunted and persecuted Christians. He had a religius experience n the rad t Damascus, and then becme a fllwer f Jesus, writing many letters (and a large part f the New Testament). He writes that he des nt deserve t be called an apstle, but by the grace f Gd, I am what I am. Again, this suggests that Paul s salvatin was nt thrugh his wn actins, but because Gd extended his grace t him. Gd s lved the wrld, that he gave his ne and nly Sn; that whever believes in Him shall nt perish, but have eternal life Jhn 3:16. This qute explres the reasn behind Jesus sacrifice, and als why it was necessary. In Jhn s Gspel, Jesus teaches that Christians shuld fllw Jesus example, by submitting t the wishes f Gd The Catechism f the Cathlic Church teaches that nly thrugh Jesus sacrifice, and Gd s grace, can salvatin be achieved Rle f Christ in Salvatin The death f Jesus is key t Gd s plan f salvatin. It was a planned event that wuld allw fr the frgiveness f riginal sin. Because sin was brught int the wrld by humans, it culd nly be remved by humans this is why Gd becmes incarnate and is sacrificed n the crss Jesus takes n the sins f the wrld, and pays the debt f sin with his death. This gives humanity a fresh start and a chance fr mral lives Jesus death repairs the brken relatinship between humans and Gd that was caused by riginal sin. When humans sin, they separate themselves frm Gd. Jesus death allwed fr atnement (making amends fr past mistakes), which was necessary as humans were nt capable f ding this themselves Jesus death is als an act f recnciliatin (repairing brken relatinships). The relatinship between humans and Gd was s damaged, nly a drastic actin like self sacrifice culd repair it.