GCSE exam Christianity (J625/01)

Beliefs and teachings & Practices (J625/01)

Christianity: Beliefs and teachings

• The meaning of the terms; • benevolent • omniscient • omnipotent • monotheistic • judge • eternal • transcendent • immanent • personal • forgiving 

• The significance for Christians of these characteristics:• benevolent • omniscient • omnipotent • monotheistic • judge • eternal • transcendent • immanent • personal • forgiving

• The common and divergent emphases placed on these characteristics (benevolent, omniscient, omnipotent, monotheistic, judge, eternal, transcendent, immanent, personal, forgiving) by different Christian denominations

• Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations

Christianity: Concept of God as a Trinity of persons 

• The concept of the Trinity as one God, three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)

• The relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• Issues related to the Nature of God

• Different attitudes to God as a Trinity

• Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and a

Christianity: Biblical accounts of Creation

• The concept of God as creator

• The role of God the Father as creator in the Genesis narrative

• The role of the Spirit in Genesis 1–2, as the agent of God

• The role of the Word in John 1

• John’s Gospel chapter 1 as the Word of God linking him to creation & pre-existence

• The role and purpose of human beings

•The Fall in the Genesis narrative

• Genesis for different Christian groups, literal interpretations and metaphorical

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations 

Problem of evil & suffering, loving and righteous God

• Concepts of evil  - Different types of evil: natural evil and moral evil 

• Causes of evil • The Fall of mankind as the result of Free Will

• The concept of original sin • The concept of Good •  

• The problem of the existence of evil and suffering: how an all-powerful (omnipotent) God can allow evil and suffering if he is also loving (benevolent) and righteous 

• Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations 

Christianity: Jesus Christ

• The meaning of the terms: Messiah, Son of God, Lord and Saviour

• Christians of the titles Messiah, Son of God, Lord and Saviour as descriptions of Jesus

 • Messiah, Son of God, Lord and Saviour as descriptions of Jesus for Christians today

• The role and importance of Jesus’ teachings and life as an example for Christians

• Christian love (agape)

• The Christian ideal as expressed in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations

Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension

• Terms: the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension

• Beliefs and teachings about Jesus arising from the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension

• Christians of the incarnation, the crucifixion, resurrection & ascension for life & worship

• Emphases placed on the significance of the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension for the beliefs of different Christian denominations

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations

Christianity: The concept of salvation

• The meaning of the following terms: • Salvation – restoring the relationship between

God and mankind • Atonement – God in Christ reconciles the world to himself

• Law – its function to identify sin by laying down commandments

• Sin – Pauline views, all have sinned and fallen short of the mark

• Grace – God’s redemptive love to save sinners

• Spirit – The Holy Spirit

• Christ in salvation: the sacrifice – paying the ransom to God for the sins of the world 

• Issues related to salvation: the belief in forgiveness and repentence for all

• The nature of atonement for Christians

• Common and divergent Christian beliefs about the need for salvation

• Common and divergent Christian beliefs about the role of Jesus Christ in salvation

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations

Christianity: Eschatological beliefs and teachings

• The meaning of the terms resurrection, life after death, heaven and hell

• Apocalyptic ideas in the Early Church

• Common and divergent beliefs about the Second Coming of Christ (Parousia)

• Beliefs about, and interpretations of, death, judgement, purgatory, heaven and hell

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by Christian denominations 

Christianity: Worship

• Church services, Ie: Anglican Communion service, Roman Catholic mass, Quaker meeting, Greek Orthodox service and Methodist Sunday morning worship

• The concept of worship

• Purposes of worship

• The role and importance of liturgical worship for some Christians

• The role and importance of informal/charismatic worship for some Christians

• The role and importance of individual prayer, private prayer and devotion for Christians

• Private and public worship to Christian communities and individuals

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom & authority by different denominations 

Christianity: Sacraments

• The meaning of the word sacrament

• The role and meaning of the sacraments

• The role of Baptism and Eucharist in the life of a Christian

• Attitudes towards the practice & meaning of Baptism by different denominations

• Attitudes towards the practice & meaning of the Eucharist by different denominations

• Attitudes towards the Sacraments, including which practices are considered by different Christian denominations to be a sacrament

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations 

Christianity: Prayer

• The concept of prayer & impact and importance of prayer to a Christian

• The importance of prayer in worship

• The meaning and use of the Lord’s Prayer (in both individual and communal worship)

• Prayer in worship for individuals and communities including adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplications, grace, intercessions, ‘praying in the spirit’, chants and meditational prayers

• Common and divergent emphases placed on prayer by different Christian denominations, for example informal extempore prayer as compared to set liturgical prayer

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different denominations 

Importance of pilgrimage & celebrations to Christians

• The concept of pilgrimage

• The purpose of pilgrimage to Lourdes, Jerusalem, Walsingham and Rome

• The impact of pilgrimage on individuals and for communities

• The origin of Christmas and Easter

• The impact and importance of Advent and Christmas celebrations to Christians

• The impact and importance of Lent, Holy Week and Easter celebrations to Christians

• Attitudes towards the importance of pilgrimages by different Christian denominations

• Attitudes towards the role & importance of celebrations by different denominations

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and auth

The role of the church in local community & living practices

• The meaning and importance of rites of passage

• Christian rituals that mark key rites of passage to individuals and communities

• The ways in which church communities nurture and support families, for example Sunday schools, youth clubs, mother and child groups, visiting the elderly and the sick

• Attitudes of different denominations towards & practices connected with membership of the Christian community, infant baptism, dedication, believers baptism & confirmation

• Attitudes of different Christian denominations towards and practices connected with the celebration of marriage

• Attitudes of different denominations towards and practices connected with funerals

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Christian denominations 

Christianity: Mission

• The meaning of the term mission • The importance of mission in the modern church

• Attitudes towards the importance of mission for Christians in 21st century Britain

• The meaning of the term evangelism

• Attitudes towards importance of evangelism in the modern church by denominations

• Evangelism in practice

• The growth of new forms of church

• Reasons for the growth of new forms of church

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different denominations 

Christianity: The role of the church in the wider world

• The meaning of the term Ecumenical

• The word Church (spiritual and temporal) and of churches as individual communities

•  Purpose of the World Council of Churches, including reconciliation through ecumenism

• The work of ecumenical communities, for example: Taize, Iona, Corrymeela and the ‘Churches Together’ movement

• The way in which the Church is being persecuted in the 21st century

• Supporting the persecuted church

• The purpose of Christian aid agencies: • Christian Aid • Tearfund • Cafod

• Emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different denominations