· Web viewTopics. 1.1 Key Christian Beliefs: The Nature of God and the Problem of Evil

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1.1 Key Christian Beliefs: The Nature of God and the Problem of Evil

Question Answers

What does it mean for God to be omnipotent and benevolent?

Omnipotent: He is all powerful.

Benevolent: He is all loving

Where might a Christian find evidence in the Bible for God’s omnipotence?

God creates the universe from nothing

What does it mean to say that God is ‘Just’ God is fair

Why is God being just significant for Christians? Because they believe he will judge them when they die to see if they deserve to go to Heaven or Hell

Why does evil challenge the existence of God? If God was all powerful and all loving then he would be both able and willing to stop evil – but evil still exists

What is the difference between moral evil and natural evil? Moral evil

The evil caused by people’s actions as resulting from free will. An example of this would

be murder.

GCSE AQA A Learning Grids: Component 1: Christianity: Answers Page 1 of 97 © ZigZag Education, 2017

Give an example of each.Natural evil The evil caused by occurrences in the world around us beyond human control. An example

of this would be an earthquake.

How can a Christian explain the existence of moral evil?

Moral evil - A common view is that human beings have free will and sometimes choose to do evil things.

Could natural evil have a purpose unknown to humans?

Suffering from natural evil could be seen as making people stronger, for example, having to show courage to rescue someone from an earthquake.

1.2 Key Christian Beliefs: The Oneness of God and the Trinity

Question AnswersDescribe the relationship of the three parts of the Trinity to the one God in Christianity.

The Trinity consists of three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each of these persons is distinct and fully God, yet they come together in the one God.


What is the Holy Spirit and how does it influence the lives of Christians today?

The Holy Spirit is the continuing presence and hand of God in the world. Where people might say they sense God in the world around them, this can be identified as the Holy Spirit, who regularly guides people’s actions and decisions throughout their lives.

The Lord’s Prayer (BCP) begins ‘Our Father, what art in heaven’. Why is the term ‘Father’ given to God?

The term Father is given to God due to his creating the earth and his continuing care of it in the same way that a father might take care of his children.

Who is ‘the Son’ in the Trinity? The Son was incarnate on Earth as Jesus during his time on earth.


1.3 Key Christian Beliefs: Christian Beliefs about Creation

Question AnswersDescribe how Christians believe the world was created.

Christians believe that God created the universe and all things on it. This is outlined in Genesis where God works across seven days, creating humans on the sixth before resting on the seventh.

How might different kinds of Christians view the Creation story in Genesis? Fundamentalist

A fundamentalist Christian might see the Genesis story as being literally true, agreeing that God did create the world in seven days and seeing modern scientific theory as being false when contradicting this account.

LiberalA liberal Christian might say the Genesis account is purely symbolic and written by humans. The important aspect is that there is a God who lovingly created people and the world for them to look after.

‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ (John 1:1 NRSV) Who is the ‘Word’ described here?

Jesus

What could ‘the Spirit of God’ in the Creation account refer to? The Holy Spirit


Question Answers

‘God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.’ (Genesis 1:31 NRSV) What does this mean for ordinary Christians?

The world as ‘good’ for ordinary Christians means that God created the world with a plan in mind and, upon creation, that plan was put into action. So, throughout their lives, they can be assured that the things that occur within the world happen for a reason. .

How do Christians believe human beings are different from the rest of the created world?

Christians believe that human beings are different from the rest of the created world as they are made in the image of God.

What does the concept of stewardship mean?

The concept of stewardship comes from humanity being made in the image of God and having a special place in the world. This gives them a responsibility to take care of the planet and to show respect to all living things.


1.4 Key Christian Beliefs: Judgement and Life after Death

Question Answers

Describe briefly the Christian belief in resurrection. Christians believe that death is not the end. Christians believe that Jesus came back from the dead (was resurrected). Many believe that all humans will be raised from the dead at the end of time.

Why might a Christian believe that they will be resurrected?

The main inspiration is Jesus’s own resurrection after his crucifixion. Throughout the Bible he promises the return of the Kingdom of God and eternal life for those who follow God’s word so his own resurrection is a fulfilment of his message throughout the Gospels.

Describe the Christian concepts of heaven and hell.

Heaven Heaven in Christianity is the place where human beings are reunited with God after death.

HellHell has often been depicted as a horrific place of fire and suffering where sinners go upon death. However, it may be more broadly thought of as an eternal separation from God’s presence in the afterlife.

Describe the concept of purgatory. Generally a belief held by Roman Catholics, purgatory means ‘cleansing’ and is an intermediate stage between death and heaven, where those who aren’t quite ready to enter heaven undergo stages of purification in preparation.


Question Answers

How does the incarnation help explain God’s love for humanity?

The incarnation helps explain God’s unique love, as understanding how Jesus was both fully human and divine gives an insight into the humbling action of God sending his only Son down to Earth to suffer and die. It demonstrates even how God was sacrificing a part of himself for the atoning of humanity’s sins.

How does the incarnation help Christians explain the miracles and healing in the Gospels?

A lot of the miracles in the Gospels are inexplicable still to this day by modern science. Understanding how the incarnation made Jesus fully divine helps people understand the power he could draw on to perform his miracles and healings.

What does the physical process of crucifixion involve? Crucifixion is a method of execution where the victim is hung or nailed to a cross and left to die.

Explain how the resurrection is still relevant to Christians today.

The resurrection is still very relevant to many Christians today as it offers them faith that they too will be resurrected one day after they die.

What is the ascension meant to indicate about Jesus?

The ascension is meant to indicate that Jesus, having completed his earthly ministry with the resurrection, returns spiritually to reside with God.


2.3 Jesus Christ and Salvation: SinQuestion Answers

Define what Christians mean by ‘a sinful action’. A sinful action is one which goes against the moral principles as set out by God and Jesus in the Bible.

Give two actions Christians would regard as sinful but which are not illegal in the UK.

1. Blasphemy

2. Adultery

What story in the Bible is used to illustrate the concept of original sin, and how?

The story of Adam and Eve is used to demonstrate the concept of original sin. Eve, despite being ordered by God to not go near the fruit tree, is tempted by the serpent into eating fruit from it.

Explain the relationship between free will and sinning.

In Christian thought it is free will that is responsible for the moral evil that exists in the world. This means sinful action is directly linked to people enacting their free will.

2.4 Jesus Christ and Salvation: Grace and the Means of Salvation

Question Answers


What does it mean for a Christian to seek salvation?

In Christian belief, to seek salvation is to be saved from a life of sin and eventually be granted eternal life with God.

Give two ways in which a Christian might seek salvation.

1. A Christian might seek salvation through performing good deeds.

2. A Christian might also seek salvation through faith in Jesus.

What do Christians mean when they refer to God’s grace?

When Christians refer to God’s grace, they are referring to the salvation granted by God as a gift, often for having faith in Christ.

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation?The Holy Spirit, as a constant presence in the world, allows the possibility of Christians to not only understand God in the world around them, but also to achieve salvation through God’s grace and live their lives in the example Jesus set during his time on earth.


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