2OCR GCSE Religio us Studies A: Chr istianity Topic 1: Core beliefs The Big Picture in htpyu wll ng chn lfu: the Creeds, especially the Apostles’ Creed • the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit • sin, judgement, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life • the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17) and the Christian ideal as • expressed in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) and the two great commandments (Mark 12:28–34) . Yu wll lhnk uhwy n whh hlfffhlfnulk f chnn y’wl. What? You will: develop your knowledge and understanding of key Christian beliefs • find out what these beliefs mean to Christians and think about how they • might affect how Christians live make links between these beliefs and what you think or believe. • How? By: recalling and selecting information about the key Christian beliefs and • explaining their importance to Christians today thinking about the relevance of Christian beliefs in the 21st century • evaluating your own views about these Christian beliefs. • Why? Because: these Christian beliefs underpin, and are reflected in, other aspects of • Christian practices (such as in worship and through special ceremonies like funerals) understanding Christian beliefs can help you understand why Christians • think and act in the way they do understanding these beliefs helps you to compare and contrast what • others believe, including thinking about your own ideas and beliefs. 2OCR GCSE Religio us Studies A: Chr istianity
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8/13/2019 Christianity Student Book Topic 1 Sample
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Topic 1: Core beliefsThe Big Picture
in h tp yu wll ng chn lf u:the Creeds, especially the Apostles’ Creed•
the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit•
sin, judgement, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life•
the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17) and the Christian ideal as•
expressed in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7)
and the two great commandments (Mark 12:28–34).
Yu wll l hnk u h wy n whh h lf ff
h lf n ulk f chn n y’ wl.
What? You will:
develop your knowledge and understanding of key Christian beliefs•
find out what these beliefs mean to Christians and think about how they•
might affect how Christians live
make links between these beliefs and what you think or believe.•
How?By:
recalling and selecting information about the key Christian beliefs and•
explaining their importance to Christians today
thinking about the relevance of Christian beliefs in the 21st century•
evaluating your own views about these Christian beliefs.•
Why?Because:
these Christian beliefs underpin, and are reflected in, other aspects of•
Christian practices (such as in worship and through special ceremonies
like funerals)
understanding Christian beliefs can help you understand why Christians•
think and act in the way they do
understanding these beliefs helps you to compare and contrast what•
others believe, including thinking about your own ideas and beliefs.
2 OCR GCSE Religious Studies A: Christianity
8/13/2019 Christianity Student Book Topic 1 Sample
What do you think the phrases ‘holy Catholic Church’•and ‘the communion of saints’ might mean?
Why is a statement of belief written over 1600 years•
ago still important to Christians today?
What do you nd interesting or puzzling about what•
the Apostles’ Creed says about what Christians
believe?
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e Apostles’ Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary.
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died and was buried;he descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again,he ascended into heaven,he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and thedead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy Catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
QUestioN
Explain why the Apostles’ Creed is important to some
Christians. (6 marks)
This is an AO1 question, meaning it is trying to test your
knowledge and understanding. Examiners will use three
levels to measure how successfully you demonstrate
these skills. Let’s look at what you need to do to achievea higher level.
The key to this question is the word ‘important’. It is
often used in exam questions and can have severalmeanings. Something can be important for practicalreasons, because it affects how someone feels, because
it affects the way people think or behave, or because it
links with other ideas or actions. Better answers will
explore different aspects of how something is important.Responses could be built from a simple statement of
practical importance such as:
Level 1
The Apostles’ Creed is important because it is recited as
part of regular worship in church.
Level 2
Go on to explain why it is important in worship, by
saying it includes statements of Christian belief and is
used to enable all Christians to state their faith openly.
Level 3
To achieve this level, explain that the Apostles’ Creed is
important, because it is linked with the close followersof Jesus (Apostles) and because it lays down the core
beliefs of Christians. It is important as a yardstickagainst which to measure other statements of belief and
from which to develop doctrines. It is also important as
a way of drawing Christians together and strengthening
the family of the church by stating their beliefs openlyin church.
GradeStudioAO1
Who were the Apostles after whichthe creed is named?They were twelve close followers (disciples) of Jesus.
They are known as the ‘Apostles’. The word ‘Apostle’
means ‘sent out one’ or ‘messenger’. One of them,
Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus to the authorities
which led to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. Judas then
committed suicide and he was replaced by Matthias.
These twelve were very influential in the growth of
the early Christian Church.
The Apostles’ Creed remains important to Christians
today as a ‘touchstone of orthodoxy’. What do you
think this phrase means?
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explain the• Trinity and what Christians
believe about God
explore some of the attributes of God and•
how Christians express their beliefs aboutGod
explore your own beliefs about God.•
The next two pages will help you to:The Trinity Belief in the Trinity
The Apostles’ Creed expresses Christian beliefs about theTrinity: that there is one God who is known in three
‘persons’ – Father, Son and Holy Spirit . Summarised
below are the three aspects of the one God. Christians
explain their experience of God as:
Father, the creator and sustainer of heaven and earth – almighty•
(powerful) – a ‘loving parent’.
Son, God• incarnate – fully God and fully human. Jesus was born of a
human mother and lived a human life (but was sinless). Jesus showed
God’s love through his teaching and actions, died and rose to life again.
Jesus ascended to heaven and at the end of time he will come as judge.
Holy Spirit, the Power of God at work in the world today.•
Belief in the Trinity is a core belief that makes Christianity different from
other faiths. Belief in the Trinity does not mean that Christians believe in
three Gods. Christians are monotheists – they believe in one God.
Different symbolic ways of explaining this belief in the Trinity have
been used. Tertullian, a Roman writer in the 2nd century CE, described
it as ‘the sun sending out rays of sunshine’.
A legend says that when St Patrick was on his mission to evangelise
the Irish he used the shamrock as a visual aid to describe the Trinity.
Just as the leaf has three parts but is a single leaf – so God is one and
yet God is three.
How do Christians describe God?We have seen that Christians understand God as a Trinity and have
explored how this belief is expressed in credal statements. Here we
look in more detail at how Christians understand and describe what
God is like and how their belief in the Trinity affects their lives.
Although the Trinity can be simplified in symbols such as a trefoil or
clover leaf, it is a complex idea which was developed, after much
discussion, by Christians during the 4th century CE. The doctrine of
the Trinity has been described as one of the most baffling areas ofChristian theology. How can Christians think of God as three persons?
To understand the significance of the Trinity you need to remember
three key Christian beliefs:
God created the world.•
God redeemed the world from sin through Jesus.•
God is always present in the world guiding believers through the Holy•
Spirit.
Look at this image of a shamrock.
How might you try to depict
Christian belief about the Trinity
through a picture?
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Topic 1.2
On his mission to Ireland,
St Patrick used the shamrock as
a visual aid to describe the
Trinity.
8/13/2019 Christianity Student Book Topic 1 Sample
The Apostles’ Creed speaks of there being one God who is the Father
almighty.
God as Father is kind, merciful and just, providing and caring for his•
children. The idea of God being ‘almighty’ suggests that God is strong
and powerful.
Good parents have a personal relationship with their children so the•
Apostles’ Creed tells Christians that they have a personal relationship
with God. The most important Christian prayer is the one that Jesus
taught his disciples. It is called the Lord’s Prayer and begins ‘Our
Father in heaven. . .’. You can read this prayer in Matthew 6:5–15.
One important way that Christians believe they can understand what
God is like is through the teaching and life of Jesus. Jesus taught that
God is a loving Father who cares for everyone.
What does it mean to believe that God is thecreator?The Apostles’ Creed speaks of God being the creator of heaven and
earth.
This echoes the words of Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning God created•
the heavens and the earth’. Christians believe that God is the designer,
maker and sustainer of the universe.
Different Christians have different understandings of God’s role as•
creator. Some Christians might say ‘The Bible says it was created in six
days and on the seventh God rested and so that is what I believe.’
Other Christians might say ‘I believe that God is the creator of
everything – the details of how it happened don’t matter’ while others
might say ‘I think the scientific evidence proves that the world wasn’t
created as it says in the Bible but that doesn’t mean that God didn’t
create the universe.’
‘Saying God is like a Father is
irrelevant and sexist in the 21st
century – it’s no wonder people
don’t believe in God any more. ’ Do
you agree or disagree with this
statement and why?
activitiesA O 2
s k i l l s
Work in pairs to decide on at least ve things
that might support the idea that God created the
‘heavens and the earth’ and at least ve things
that might be against the idea that God is ‘the
creator’.
When you have nished share your ideas with
another pair. What have you listed that is the
same and what is different? As a group decide
on three ‘for’ and three ‘against’ the idea that
God is the creator. Then number them 1
(extremely important reason), 2 (very important
reason) and 3 (important reason).
Using the chart opposite give at least two reasons to support each statement and at least one that would argue
against it.
activitiesA O 2
s k i l l s
F in upp. . . in upp. . . opp . . .
1
2
3
agn in upp. . . in upp. . . opp . . .
1
2
3
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Topic 1.4
God the SonHow is God incarnate in Jesus?
The word incarnation means ‘becoming flesh,’ from theLatin word carnis meaning ‘of flesh’. It is used by
Christians to describe the relationship between God the
Father and his Son, Jesus. Christians believe that God took
human form and lived and died in the world, and so was
both human and divine.
MUST THINK ABOUT!
Why is the Incarnation such an
important Christian belief? Write
around 300 words, remembering to
give reasons and try to take accoun
of other viewpoints.
understand and explain what Christians•
mean by the incarnation and its significance
for Christians
explore the stories of the birth, death and•
resurrection of Jesus
express and evaluate your own views on•
Christian beliefs about Jesus.
The next two pages will help you to:
John 1:1 and 14
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . .
the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Wehave seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came om the Father, full of grace and truth.
The verses above from the Gospel of John in the
New Testament describe how God, the Creator
whose words brought the world into existence, took
on human form and lived among people in the
person of Jesus.
The Apostles’ Creed (see pages 6 and 7) states that
Jesus is the Christ whose coming to Earth was
promised and that Jesus is the only Son of God. Thiswould have been regarded as blasphemous by the
Jews but many Gentiles would not have found the
idea of Jesus as a Son of God difficult. Some Roman
emperors claimed to be divine and a son of a
particular God. So, in the Creed, the use of the word
‘only’ is important.
The Creed emphasises that Jesus is unique as the
only Son of God. It also calls him ‘Lord’ which shows
that he is worthy of respect and obedience. It then
speaks further of his special nature explaining that
he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born to the
Virgin Mary.
Holman Hunt’s ‘The Light of the World’.
8/13/2019 Christianity Student Book Topic 1 Sample
the dead in Jesus (those who trusted Jesus as their
Saviour) will be raised from the dead and join the
living in Christ to be with him in glory.
All who belong to Christ shall be made perfectly like
him in body and spirit. Those who have not been
saved from their sin through Christ (dead or alive)will stand before God to account for their deeds on
earth. God will judge them guilty of their sin and
they will justly suffer eternal condemnation in the
lake of fire along with Satan and his angels.
God will make a new heaven and earth where sin
no longer exists and the righteous will worship and
enjoy forever the presence of their God and Saviour.
QUestioN
‘It is impossible to follow Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness.’ (12 marks)
This is an AO2 question, which means you are expected
to discuss the issue raised and support different viewswith evidence and argument. You also have to justify a
view of your own. Examiners will use four levels to
assess your response. Let’s look at what you need to do
to move up to the higher levels.
Start by identifying the key word and the key issue. The
key word is ‘impossible’, and the key issue is that Jesussaid we should forgive again and again, even when that
seems illogical and unfair.
GradeStudioAO2
ForgivenessJesus taught his disciples that if they truly repente
of their sins then God would forgive them and help
them to live a new life. Christians believe that it is
not possible to buy or earn forgiveness and
salvation just by doing good deeds. It is only
through faith in Jesus that forgiveness is received.
Knowing that sins are forgiven Christians try to
show how grateful they are by being generous andforgiving to other people.
When Christians experience the forgiveness of the
sins and commit themselves to following Jesus the
speak of ‘being saved’.
Level 1
Start by identifying the issue and offer apoint of view related to it.
Jesus said forgive seventy times seven times, meaning forever. He
even followed this teaching himself when he forgave the peoplewho crucified him. So it is possible.
Level 2
Expand on this view with furtherjustification from another Christianteaching.
For example, the attitude of people who have worked for humanrights like Martin Luther King Jr, who also always seemed able toforgive. At this level you should include another view, for example,that there are some things that are unforgivable.
Level 3
Develop alternative views and supportthem with evidence. Give your ownview. Remember to stay focused onChristianity.
An alternative view might be that the Holocaust cannot beforgiven. Or develop the view that forgiving people means they getaway with things for which they should be punished. It is easy tosay sorry and expect to be forgiven. How do we know the personmeans it?
Level 4
Develop each argument and comparethem. Explain your own view, and cometo a conclusion.
At this level there will be good use oftechnical terms such as repentance. Youmust refer to Christianity to achieve thislevel.
Comment on the value of each argument you have given and thenexplain your own response.
For example, refer to the idea that Christians should try to forgiveothers, but that only God has the ability to forgive some things, asonly he knows what is in the minds and hearts of people. Only heknows whether a person has really repented.
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Topic 1.7
Salvation and
eternal life
m/mpn To save from sin; to clear a debt.
n/nmn To make up for something that has
gone wrong, to reconcile, make as one.
reMeMber tHis
understand and explain Christian beliefs•
about salvation and eternal life
reflect on your own ideas and responses to•
what you have learnt.
The next two pages will help you to:
What is salvation?Salvation is the mending of the relationship
between God and humanity which was
broken when Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
Christians believe that through the death of
Jesus, God has saved or redeemed
humanity. They believe that, although Jesus
was innocent, he died in the place of
sinners. Through his death Jesus atoned for
what others have done wrong.
When Christians describe Jesus as their
Saviour they mean that he has saved them
from sin, that he has brought them salvation.
Christians sometimes describe the blood of
Jesus as ‘washing away sin’. In John’s
Gospel Jesus is called ‘the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29).
These words are used at the celebration of
the Eucharist or Holy Communion. For
some Christians the bread and wine shared
by Christians at the Eucharist or Holy
Communion symbolise the sacrifice made
by Jesus on the cross, his flesh and blood
given for the salvation of the human race.
Eternal lifeChristians believe that God is just, that sin is
wrong, and that those who have sinned will
be judged and punished. The Bible teaches
that at death, those who do not trust Jesus
and do not repent will pass into hell upon
their death. Those who repent will pass into
Heaven.
How does this poster show Christian belief in salvation and Jesus
sacrifice on the cross?
8/13/2019 Christianity Student Book Topic 1 Sample
The Ten Commandments are important for Christiansbecause they are the instructions which God gave to Moseson Mount Sinai and which the Israelites were told to follow.
Jesus told his followers that he had not come to change thelaw which God had given. So this means that Christiansshould also follow the Ten Commandments as well asfollowing the teachings which Jesus gave to his followerssuch as those in the Sermon on the Mount.All the Ten Commandments are important for Christians.The first four are religious commandments which tell themhow they should behave towards God and the next six aresocial commandments which describe how they shouldbehave towards other people.
This response has followed the steps to
answer the question. It is a good response
because there is knowledge, explanation
and analysis of the importance of the TenCommandments and appropriate use of
specialist terms. There is good analysis of
the importance and the response shows a
good understanding of the question and
therefore achieves Level 3.
Examiner’s commentStudent’s answer
Christians believe in one God, but say that God is made up
of three persons. This idea is called the Trinity. This is saidin the creeds. The Trinity is God the Father, the Son andthe Holy Spirit. All the persons are equal.Christians believe that God came to earth as Jesus and gavehis life on the cross to save people from their sins. It is verydifficult to understand how God could also be Jesus. TheTrinity helps to explain this and also explains how God canstill be experienced today. This is the Holy Spirit. The beliefin the Trinity is found in the Apostles’ creed whichChristians recite in their worship. It is very important thatpeople do not think that Christians believe in three Gods,
the Trinity is three in one, one in three.
This response has followed the steps to
answer the question. It is a good responsebecause there is knowledge, explanation
and analysis of the concept of the Trinity
and appropriate use of specialist terms.
This response is also a good explanation of
why the Trinity is important to Christians.
The reference to the creeds links the Trinity
to other key beliefs of Christians. There is
good analysis of how it is important
because of this. The response shows a
good understanding of the problem and
achieves Level 3.
Examiner’s commentStudent’s improved answer
Question
Explain why the Ten Commandments are important for Christians. [6 marks]
These specimen answers provide an outline of how you could construct your response. Space does not allow us to
give a full response. The examiner will be looking for more detail in your actual exam responses.
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Remember and Reflect
PAGE 104 Explain what Christian theologians mean by God being both transcendent and
immanent.
PAGE 6, 71 Explain, in one sentence, what each of the following key words means:
a creed b orthodox
PAGE 166 Explain the meaning of sin. Give examples of the difference between sins of
commission and sins of omission.
PAGE 167 Recount the story of the Fall from Genesis. What does it teach Christians about sin
and about the relationship between God and humanity?
PAGE 16, 178 Explain, in one sentence, what each of the following words means:
a repentance b confession c absolution d forgiveness
PAGE 18, 199 Outline three ways in which Christians might explain the idea of Heaven and three
ways in which they might explain the idea of Hell.
PAGE 2010 List the Ten Commandments. Four of them are about the relationship with God
and six about relationships with other people. Which are which?
PAGE 2111 What are Jesus’ Great Commandments and how do they relate to the Ten
Commandments?
PAGE 2112 Choose one passage from the Sermon on the Mount and explain what it is saying
to Christians today.
3 Explain what Christians understand by the doctrine of the Trinity. PAGE 8
5 What does the Apostles’ Creed say about Jesus? PAGE 12
2 What is the Apostles’ Creed and why is it important to Christians today? PAGE 6, 7
AO1 Describe, explain and analyse, using knowledgeand understanding Find the answer on
8/13/2019 Christianity Student Book Topic 1 Sample