gcse religious studies€¦ · nicky cruz nicky cruz was the leader of the mau mau gang in new...

GCSE

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

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Table of Contents

How to answer the questions

Belief About Deity Christianity

What do Christians believe about God?

The attributes of God

The Trinity

Why do Christians believe in God?

The Design Argument

The 1st Cause Argument

The Argument from Religious Experience

Conscience

Miracles

Different Views Within Christianity

Reasons for believing in miracles

Reasons not to believe in miracles

How does God intervene in the world?

Sample Questions

End of Life Hinduism

Key words

Body and soul

Life after death

The link between belief and behaviour

The four ashramas:

the four varnas:

Moksha

Hindu Funeral Ceremonies

Hindu funerals in India

Hindu funerals in the UK

Example Questions

How to answer the questions

Parts a, b and c are point marked. This means that each mark requires one point to be made e.g. part b is worth 2

marks, so make two points

Examples:

a) What is death? (1)

Death is the end of life

b) Give two examples of environmental issues. (2)

Global warming and pollution.

c) Describe Christian beliefs about God. (3)

Christians believe God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-seeing) and God is the Father, Son and Holy

Spirit, known as the Trinity.

One point made – one mark given

Two points made – two marks given

Three points made – three marks given

Parts d (6 marks) and e (12 marks) are level marked. This means you do not need to make 6 or 12 points, but you

need to write a detailed answer. Spend most of your time on these questions.

o d) questions - in these questions, you need to give full explanations.

Accurately state the beliefs and teachings you are explaining, using specialist terms

Use quotes to back up these points of view

Remember there are often ranges of views / beliefs that need to be explained

o e) questions - in these questions, you need to give discuss different opinions.

This means you have to show understanding of a range of different views, including religious views, giving

detailed supporting reasons for each one. In your discussion, you should show how one view agrees or

disagrees with other points of view.

You also need to include a conclusion, showing clearly what you think of the different views in your

discussion.

Belief about Deity Christianity

Deity – A supernatural being or force, which is the object of worship

What do Christians believe about God?

beliefs about the nature of God

The attributes of God Within Christianity God is often described using the following words:

Omnipotent – all powerful

Omniscient – all seeing / all knowing

Omnibenevolent – all loving

Omnipresent – is everywhere all at once

Eternal – has always existed and will always continue to exist

Transcendent – totally ‘other’; above and beyond

human experience

Immanent – close by and involved in His creation

Personal – loves and cares for His creation

Creator – responsible for bringing everything into existence

Judge – Will judge people according to their

behaviour

The Trinity Christianity is a monotheistic religion, meaning that Christians believe in ONE God.

For Christians, God exists in three forms.

The Father The Son The Holy Spirit

God

Father

Son Holy

Spirit

Christians believe in

ONE God who is

eternal and who

created all life. He is a

personal God who

loves His creation and

He will judge us all on

our actions.

Christians believe

Jesus is God

‘incarnate’ (God in

human form) God was

born a human,

preached and

performed miracles.

His death on the cross

was believed to

cleanse the sins of all

mankind. After death

he was resurrected and

ascended to Heaven.

Jesus told his disciples

that his presence would

always be with them.

They felt this ‘presence’

first at Pentecost. The

Holy Spirit is believed

to be the living force of

God’s power that

intervenes in the world.

Why do Christians believe in God?

reasons given in support of belief

When asked why they believe in God, Christians may give the following answers:

The Design Argument

Put forward by William Paley using the analogy of a perfectly designed pocket watch.

Suppose you were walking across a field and you found a watch. You would assume, looking at its

intricate design and how perfectly suited to its purpose it is that the watch did not come about by

chance. Someone must have designed it that way.

Similarly, if you look at the world around you, it is too perfectly designed to have come about by chance and must therefore also have a

designer. Just as a watch has a watchmaker, the world has a worldmaker who can only be God.

The 1st Cause Argument

Everything exists in chains of cause and effect. You cannot trace each chain back infinitely; there must be a

starting point or ‘first cause’, which starts everything off. For Christians, this ‘first cause’ must be ‘uncaused’

therefore the ‘uncaused cause’ is God.

The Argument from Religious Experience

Many Christians claim to have had some kind of religious experience of God, which leads them to belief. Types of religious experiences

include visions, voices or miracles. Many of these religious experiences may bring about a conversion where there is a total turnaround

in belief or behaviour. Below are two famous accounts of conversion:

St Paul

Whilst travelling on the road to Damascus Saul saw a blinding light and heard a voice say ‘why do you persecute me Saul?’ Sau l fell to

the ground and understood that it was Christ communicating with him in order to change his ways. Saul had been intent on killing

Christians up until this point. After his conversion Saul/Paul began to spread Jesus’ message and founded a number of churches

throughout the Middle East and Europe.

Nicky Cruz

Nicky Cruz was the leader of the Mau Mau gang in New York. After meeting a preacher called David Wilkerson and attending one of his

services Nicky had a religious experience marked by his throat being healed. After this Nicky converted to Christianity, became a

preacher and now supports young people who are at risk of becoming involved in gang culture.

Conscience

Many Christians feel that their conscience is evidence of God’s existence. It is God guiding them on a daily basis in terms of behaviour.

Miracles

the concept of miracles, including different beliefs within the religion

miracle – An act carried out by God which breaks the laws of nature.

Different Views Within Christianity

Not all Christians share the same views on miracles. How a Christian interprets Biblical miracles will depend upon whether or not the

take the Bible to be the literal word of God or whether such passages should be interpreted symbolically.

Two Key Viewpoints

Fundamentalist Christians – Believe that the Bible is the

Word of God, literally true and therefore the miracles

contained in the Bible happened exactly as they are

written.

Jesus actually healed the blind man who was

lowered through the roof.

Jesus actually healed Jairus’ daughter who had

died

Jesus actually fed 5000 people with five loaves and

two fish.

Liberal Christians – Believe that the Bible is the inspired

word of men, open to interpretation and error. It cannot

therefore be taken literally. Miracle stories should be

interpreted symbolically.

The healing of the blind man simply shows how

important it is to have faith.

The healing of Jairus’ daughter also shows how

important faith is and illustrates Jesus’ power.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand may be

interpreted symbolically encouraging people to

share what they have.

Reasons for believing in miracles

o After the crucifixion, Jesus was raised from the dead three days later. This is called the resurrection and is viewed as the

greatest miracle of all. If you accept the miracle of the resurrection then why doubt any of the miracles in the Bible.

o God is omnipotent therefore can do anything.

o God is omnibenevolent therefore would want to intervene and help His creation.

o There have been 67 miracles at Lourdes in France where Bernadette Soubirous (St Bernadette) saw a series of visions of

the Virgin Mary, which have been confirmed by the Roman Catholic Church. After investigation no scientific explanation for

these happenings has been found.

o There are many miracles in the Bible which if taken literally is evidence of God’s miraculous power.

o We still have miracles happening today such as the healing of Nicky Cruz’s throat so why doubt miracle claims.

Reasons not to believe in miracles

o Liberal Christians believe the miracle stories should be interpreted symbolically and can provide meaning and guidance

without actually being factually true.

o Just because science cannot explain every ‘miraculous’ event yet does not mean that at some point in the future supposed

miracles will not be fully explained.

o If God is omnibenevolent then why doesn’t He heal everyone?

o Why does God perform ‘petty’ miracles, then leave millions to die in natural disasters?

How does God intervene in the world?

God intervening in the world through miracles, Jesus and the Holy Spirit

Christians believe that God is actively involved in His creation in a number of ways:

o Miracles – God intervenes through performing miracles. Miracles bring about good in the world.

o Jesus – God became human in the person of Jesus. Jesus lived a human life on earth and this is seen as the ultimate

example of how God has involved Himself in the affairs of mankind.

o Holy Spirit – At Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples which then guided them in their mission to spread

the Gospel message of Jesus. For Christians the Holy Spirit supports and guides Christians in their daily lives.

Sample Questions (a) What is a god? [1]

(b) State two things which Christians might believe about miracles. [2]

(c) Describe Christian beliefs about God. [3]

(d) Explain why Christians believe in God. [6]

(e) ‘If God existed we would know it.’

Discuss this statement. You should include different, supported points of view and a personal viewpoint. You must refer to

Christianity in your answer. [12]

(a) What does monotheism mean? [1]

(b) (i) Give one word that describes the nature of God.

(ii) State what it means. [2]

(c) Describe how the Holy Spirit affects Christians. [3]

(d) Explain why Christians believe God exists. [6]

(e) “It is important for Christians to believe in miracles.”

Discuss this statement. You should include different, supported points of views and a personal viewpoint. You must refer to


(a) What is a miracle? [1]

(b) State TWO Christian beliefs about the nature of God. [2]

(c) What do Christians believe about Jesus? [3]

(d) Explain Christian beliefs about miracles. [6]

(e) “There is a lot of evidence to prove there is a God”.



(a) What is meant by the term ‘deity’? [1]

(b) Give two examples of Christian miracles. [2]

(c) Describe one reason a Christian might give for believing in God. [3]

(d) Explain why there are different beliefs about miracles within Christianity. [6]

(e) “God cannot be described”.



(a) What is meant by the term ‘belief’? [1]

(b) Give two examples of how God intervenes in the world. [2]

(c) Describe why some Christians believe that God chooses to intervene in the world. [3]

(d) Explain what Christians believe about the nature of God. [6]

(e) “Belief in God is not reasonable”.



End of Life Hinduism

Key words

Atman - the individual soul in every living thing

Brahman - the universal spirit, of which the atman is a part

Reincarnation - the rebirth of the soul onto another life form

Samsara - the continual cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth

Karma - the belief that your actions affect you both in this life and the next

Moksha - escape from rebirth and the return of the atman to rejoin Brahman

Dharma - duty; Hindus fulfil their dharma to achieve good karma

Ashrama - stage of life

Varna - your class or position in society (caste)

Ahimsa - the principle of not harming any living thing

The Vedas - important Hindu scripture

The Bhagavad Gita - important Hindu scripture

Body and soul

Concept of soul and the relationship between body and atman

Hindus believe that every living thing, including plants and animals, has a soul – the atman. The atman is Brahman present in all

living things. The atman lives in one body and when that body dies, it is reborn into another body.

“As a man abandons his worn out clothes and buys new ones, so when the body is worn out a new one is found by the Self

(atman) who lives within. The Self (atman) cannot be pierced or burned, made wet or dry. It is everlasting.”

The Bhagavad Gita

Life after death

Concept of life after death and how this relates to karma, samsara and moksha

The aim of each atman, when in a human incarnation, is to achieve good karma through fulfilling one’s dharma. If, on death, the

atman has achieved good karma, it will receive a positive rebirth. This cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth, known as samsara,

continues through thousands of rebirths until the atman is not reborn again and is released from the cycle of samsara to rejoin

Brahman, the universal spirit. This release is called moksha and is the aim of all Hindus.

The link between belief and behaviour

Relationship between moral behaviour (dharma; varna and ashrama) and future rebirths; how actions

in this life affects the next life

In order to achieve good karma, Hindus must live a good life by fulfilling their dharma. This in turn will lead to a positive

rebirth in the next life.

The four ashramas:

A person’s dharma (duty) depends upon which stage of life they are at. Hindus believe that every human life can go through four main

stages, called ashramas.

1st. The student

At this stage, a Hindu’s dharma is to learn as much as they can about living a good life and about the religious teachings

of Hinduism and the scriptures.

2nd. The householder

Most Hindus will marry and raise a family and their most important duty is to look after their family

3rd. Retirement

When children have grown up and started their own families, a Hindu can retire and spend more time on religious ritual,

which will now include worship at the mandir or temple

4th. The Sannyasin (holy man / monk)

This stage is voluntary and requires the Hindu to retreat from society and live the life of a wandering ascetic or holy man,

in preparation for moksha.

the four varnas:

A person’s dharma (duty) depends upon the varna into which they were born. A varna is a class within traditional Hindu society.

There are four main varnas:

1. The priestly class (Brahmins)

Those in this varna have a duty to lead worship (puja) in the temples, to study the scriptures and to teach.

2. The soldiers and ruling classes (Kshatriyas)

Kshatriyas have a duty to look after the people, through establishing laws and justice, as well as fighting in battles.

3. The shopkeepers and traders (Vaishyas)

Those in this varna have a duty to use resources carefully to acquire wealth for the benefit of the whole community

4. The ordinary, manual workers (Shudras)

Shudras have a duty to work for those in the other varnas, to mend and repair things and provide for the needs of the

higher varnas.

Moksha

Moksha as an ultimate goal

For Hindus, release from the curse of the cycle of samsara is the ultimate aim in life. This release is called moksha. Instead of the

atman being born again into a new life, it is not born again, but returns to rejoin Brahman. This can be known as the four paths to

moksha or the four yogas.

1. The Path of Good Works (karma yoga)

In this path, it is important to understand the actions done for selfish reasons will stop the soul from achieving moksha. This

does not mean these actions should not be done, as they often involve essential tasks such as feeding your family, but that the

aim when doing these good works is to dedicate them to God. This path also includes ahimsa, not harming and living thing.

This is the path that most Hindus follow.

2. The Path of Knowledge (jnana-yoga)

In this path, all your efforts are put towards studying the religion so they can gain knowledge of the relationship of the atman to

Brahman. Followers of this path will probable withdraw from the world to concentrate on their studies.

3. The Path of Meditation (raja-yoga)

This means becoming practised in meditation and yoga in order to keep the mind fixed on leaving the physical world. The

highest perfection is to focus on the God within.

4. The Path of Devotion (bhakti yoga)

This involves worship of your chosen god or goddess e.g. Ganesha, Lakshmi. This may also involve pilgrimages. In following

this path, Hindus try to give pure, selfless service to God.

For some Hindus, all of these paths are equally valid as they can all lead to moksha. For other Hindus, each of the paths leads you on

to the next, starting with the Path of Good Works and ending up at the Path of Devotion, which can then lead to moksha.

Hindu Funeral Ceremonies

Funeral rites in the UK and India; the way funeral rites reflect belief and aim to support the

bereaved

What happens at a Hindu funeral is symbolic of the beliefs that Hindus have about life after death. While some parts of these

ceremonies may be different in India and the UK, in both countries, the funeral is an important time for the bereaved family to be

supported.

Hindu funerals in India

Part of the funeral

Symbolism

The body is washed and wrapped in a new shroud.

This signifies the change to a new life for the atman.

Flowers are placed on the body.

Flowers represent samsara (the cycle of life)

The body is taken to be cremated on a funeral pyre, built on a ghat (platform) by one of the sacred rivers, ideally the river Ganges.

The body is destroyed as it is no longer needed as the atman is leaving to be reincarnated

The eldest son walks around the funeral pyre three times anti-clockwise, then lights the fire.

This shows the three parts of samsara – birth, life and death, being ‘wound back’ to the beginning, ready for the new life of the atman.

As the fire burns the body, the skull is cracked.

This is symbolic of releasing the atman to continue on its journey.

The relatives are led away by the youngest son. They don’t look back at the body as they leave.

The youngest son represents the start of new life, while not looking back shows that the family have accepted that the atman has moved on to a new life.

Part of the funeral cont

Symbolism

The closest male relative waits for the fire to go, collects the ashes and scatters them in the river.

The river is always flowing, as part of the water cycle, just like the atman is always moving along the cycle of samsara.

A period of mourning occurs, called Shradda. Offerings of rice and milk are made to the person who has died during this time.

The offerings are made to assist the atman in its journey to a new life

The kriya ceremony marks the end of the funeral rites, 10-12 days after the death.

It is believed that the soul has then passed to another life.

In India, all dead bodies are cremated, except for very young babies, whose bodies are placed into the river without being burnt. It is

believed that the new life has not gained any karma, so the body does not need to be destroyed.

Hindu funerals in the UK

While Hindus in the UK will try to keep funerals close the traditional Indian pattern, there are a few important differences.

o Firstly, UK funerals must use coffins, though the shroud and flowers will still be placed on the body inside the coffin. The

washing of the body will take place at a funeral home.

o Secondly, while bodies are cremated, this is not done on an outdoor funeral pyre, but rather in an indoor crematorium. Some

Hindus are campaigning for the right to be allowed to have outdoor cremations. Since cremations are indoor, the eldest son

cannot light a fire, but rather might light some kindling and circle the body or maybe light some candles around the body.

o Finally, while some Hindus have the ashes of their relative flown to India to be scattered in the river Ganges, others will scatter

them on rivers in the UK, some of which have had water from the Ganges added to them to make them substitute holy rivers.

Example Questions

(a) What is death? [1]

(b) What is meant by ‘soul’? [2]

(c) What do Hindus believe about life after death? [3]

(d) How may Hindu funeral rites reflect beliefs about life after death? [6]

(e) ‘When people die that is the end.’

Discuss this statement. You should include different, supported points of view and a personal viewpoint. You must refer to

Hinduism in your answer. [12]

(a) What is the meaning of ‘rites’? [1]

(b) Give TWO examples of Hindu funeral rites. [2]

(c) Describe the relationship between the body and the soul for a Hindu. [3]

(d) Explain how beliefs about life after death could affect a Hindu’s moral behaviour. [6]

(e) “We only have one life and it is on earth.”



(a) What is ‘dharma’? [1]

(b) State two things that happen in a Hindu funeral service. [2]

(c) Describe one Hindu belief about the atman. [3]

(d) Explain how Hindu funerals might support the bereaved. [6]

(e) “It’s my life so I can do what I want.”



(a) What word means ‘soul’? [1]

(b) State two ways Hindus can achieve moksha. [2]

(c) Describe Hindu belief about varnashramadharma. [3]

(d) Explain the importance of the soul to Hindus. [6]

(e) “Nirvana can be reached by everyone.”



(a) What is meant by the term ‘moksha’? [1]

(b) Give two ways in which Hindus might follow their dharma. [2]

(c) Describe one Hindu belief reflected in a Hindu funeral ceremony [3]

(d) Explain the link between karma and samsara for a Hindu. [6]

(e) “There is no difference between the body and the soul.”



gcse religious studies€¦ · nicky cruz nicky cruz was the leader of the mau mau gang in new...

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