FoxChild@Learn
Paper 1: Christianity
June 2020
Q1.1: Which one of the following is not part of God’s nature?
Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Just B Limited C Loving D Oneness
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority. Answer: B: Limited
Q1.2: Give two Christian beliefs about God’s creation of the world.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority. • God made the world perfect/good. • God’s creation of the world teaches Christians that they have a responsibility for the world. • God created the world from nothing / although some believe that he created from chaos. • In the beginning, the earth was dark/void / there was darkness on the face of the deep. • The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. • Credit any correct and relevant material eg from the creation stories, eg that what God created was good / light was created first / day separated from night / morning and evening / separation of the waters / creation of dry land / seas / plants / sun & moon / birds & sea creatures / land animals / the Sabbath / details from the story of the creation and fall of humanity, so long as they are relevant to God’s creation of the world / creation beliefs appear in other books, eg Psalm 75:3, that God maintains the created world in existence. • Jesus (in John’s Gospel) as the Word existed at the point of creation / he was in the beginning • All things were made by God/Jesus / in him was light / the light was the life of men, etc.
Q1.3: Explain two ways in which belief in hell influences Christians today.
Answer:
influence on individuals, communities and societies. To be a ‘detailed explanation’ the ‘influence’ of the way must be included. • Many Christians are influenced by the belief that they will be judged when they die (eg as in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Matthew 25:31-46) / and that being sent to hell/eternal torment is a real possibility, so they may decide to follow Jesus’ teachings. • In both Christian literature and artwork, hell has been pictured as a place of punishment / a place of unquenchable fire and torment / so a big influence on Christians here is to make them scared of going there. • Belief in hell as a place of suffering influences Christians to follow Christian beliefs and teachings so that they will not be sent there. • Some Christians understand hell as a metaphor for separation from God / which again influences them to follow Jesus’ teachings. • Some see hell as a free choice to deliberately turn away from God / so most do not reject God. • Some see the idea of hell as so horrible that they reject the idea of it / they are influenced to believe in universalism / that everybody will be saved / because God is a God of love, etc.
Q1.4: Explain two Christian beliefs about the role of Jesus Christ in salvation.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority. Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Christian belief and teaching – 1 mark • Salvation means to be saved from sin and the consequences of sin. • Some Christians believe that sin entered the world through the ‘original sin’ of Adam and Eve / when they ignored God’s command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil / the result of disobedience was separation from God, and death (Genesis 2 & 3). • Christians believe that salvation from sin comes from the life and teachings of Jesus / St Paul explains this in Romans 6:23: ‘The wages of sin is death, but God’s free gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord’. • Jesus was aware that his death was necessary in order to restore the right relationship between humans and God / to make forgiveness and eternal life possible for all people. • Jesus allowed himself to be crucified by the Romans / even though he was innocent of the charges brought against him by the Romans and the Jews / so his crucifixion was the execution of an innocent man / Jesus was the Son of God, so he had miraculous powers / and could have escaped crucifixion / and some of those near him at the crucifixion urged him to do that (Matthew 27:42 – ‘He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him.’). • After his death in this way, the Gospels record that Jesus rose from the dead / and that God accepted Jesus’s sacrifice as an ‘atonement’ for human sin / the idea of the Atonement therefore means that salvation became available for all humans / because Jesus’ suffering and death restored the right relationship between humans and God / so the author of 1 John says: ‘If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ. He is the atoning sacrifice for sins’ / humans can return to paradise/live for ever in paradise / by believing in Jesus and following his teachings. • Peter says (Acts 4:12) that salvation exists through Jesus and no one else: ‘there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.’ • St Paul summarises Jesus’ role in salvation by saying: ‘If you say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ (Romans
Q1.5: ‘The resurrection of the dead is the most important Christian belief.’
Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Christian teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.
[SPaG 3 marks]
Extra space
Q2 Christianity: Practices
Answer:
In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view [SPaG 3 marks] understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information.
Arguments in support
NB Some candidates might take ‘resurrection of the dead’ to refer only to the resurrection of Jesus, or else to the resurrection of Christians, or they might take it to refer to both. Accept all reasoned arguments based on these understandings. Also, accept any reasonable argument concerning what might be the most important Christian belief other than in resurrection. • For most Christians, suffering, and death are the worst things they have to deal with / so if they believe that the dead are resurrected, then they no longer have to fear suffering or death. • Christians fear separation from their families at death / so belief in resurrection to heaven means that they will be reunited with those they love. • Christians believe that after their resurrection they will live forever in God’s kingdom / in a state of • Ideas such as these are the central claim of Christianity: that Jesus was God incarnate / crucified, resurrected and ascended / and is the means of salvation from sin, since Jesus’ death and resurrection atone for human sin. • St Paul states clearly that God raised Jesus from the dead / and if he had not done so, then the (human) dead are not raised either / in which case faith is futile, for Christians are still in their sins / and those who have already died will remain dead (1 Corinthians 15:15-19) / so Paul shows that the resurrection of Jesus and of Christians are the most important Christian beliefs: one follows from the other. • There is so much evidence for the resurrection of Jesus that it must be true / the four Gospels all have an account of the resurrection of Jesus / so the resurrection of Christians must also be true / and must be the most important Christian belief. • St Paul reached this conclusion at his trial described in Acts 24, where he says that he is on trial for his life because of his belief that the dead will be raised to life, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
• Some might argue that belief in God as Creator is the most important Christian belief / since for resurrection to be important to believers, people have to be created first. • In the same way, some might argue that the most important belief is that God is good / this is not obvious from all the evil in the world / but if God is not good then there will be probably be no • Equally, some might argue that the most important Christian belief is not just in the resurrection of the dead but in resurrection to judgement / this can be seen in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25) / which teaches that the dead will be resurrected to God’s kingdom or else to eternal fire / so the most important belief must be to follow the teachings of God/Jesus to avoid being sent to hell. • Some might argue that belief in resurrection of the body is more important than belief in resurrection of the soul / eg because Jesus’ resurrection was bodily / or else that resurrection is a metaphor for being with God in some unknown way. • Some might argue that all Christian beliefs are equally important / and that the incarnation / crucifixion / resurrection / ascension / Pentecost are all equally necessary for Christian belief / belief in human resurrection is just one part of a connected group of beliefs, etc. [Plus SPaG 3 marks] Q2 Christianity: Practices
Q2.1: Which one of the following is a name for a ceremony in which adults become
members of the Christian Church?
Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Believer’s baptism B Infant baptism C Reconciliation D The Eucharist
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority. Answer: A: Believer’s baptism
Q2.2: Give two types of Christian prayer.
Question 2 continues on the next page
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority. • Liturgical / non-liturgical. • Public / private. • Prayers of thanksgiving / confession / intercession / formal prayer / informal prayer / prayer which follows ritual formulae / spontaneous prayer / bidding prayers / prayers for specific occasions or people / communal prayer / silent prayer / spoken prayer / sung prayers, etc. Allow reference to specific prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer / The Jesus Prayer, etc.
Q2.3: Explain two contrasting ways in which pilgrimage is experienced in Lourdes.
Answer:
similarities and differences within and/or between religions and beliefs. If similar examples are given, only one of them may be credited up to 2 marks. • Some go to drink or bathe in the water of the spring in the hope of a miraculous cure / others go to be cleansed from sin / to confess their sins. • Some bathe/submerge in the water to symbolise baptism / some will take holy water back for their families and loved ones who cannot make the journey. • Some go to pray at a holy site / others go simply to feel the religious atmosphere. • Some go to pray the rosary (Bernadette said that she had prayed the rosary) / others hope for a vision of ‘the Immaculate Conception’. • Some go to Lourdes because of its dedication to Mary the mother of Jesus / others might go because the site is famous among Christians generally. • Some go because they are Christians / others go from general curiosity about the place. • Some go just to praise God / others hope for a vision or religious experience. • Some go in order to experience the different things that Lourdes has to offer as a pilgrimage site / others experience pilgrimage through going to serve others, etc. Note that the experience of pilgrimage varies greatly, so the contrasts given in the mark scheme are only for illustration, and may be paired with any other suitable contrast such as: those who go to walk the Stations of the Cross / those who light candles for those at home / those who go to get closer to God / to learn about God / to find forgiveness and reconciliation with God / to meditate on Jesus’ life and death / to visit the basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the chapel over the grotto / those who wish to satisfy general interest / to learn more about the history of the site generally / those who go for the sake of the attractions of Lourdes as a tourist site near the Pyrenees, to have an unusual holiday (Lourdes has more hotels per square km than anywhere in France save Paris),
Q2.4: Explain two reasons why evangelism is important for the Christian Church.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority. Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Christian belief and teaching – 1 mark • The mission of the Church is to evangelise / this is clear from Matthew 28:19-20 where, having appeared to the 11 disciples after his death, Jesus commissions them: ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you …’ • So as a command from Jesus / the mission of the Church is to evangelise – to spread the gospel of Christ by public preaching, teaching and healing, and/or by personal witness testimony. • Similarly in Matthew 4:19, Jesus told Simon Peter and Andrew to follow him / and then he would make them ‘fish for people’. • Many Christians therefore feel that it is important to use their skills to spread the good news about Jesus / and this might be done by preaching / teaching / healing / or any other particular skill that they feel called to use. • For some, this leads them to undertake missionary work / at home or abroad / in order to ‘save’ those who do not know Christ. • Paul took his evangelical mission to the Gentiles (non-Jews) / so that ‘they may be saved’ • It is important, therefore, for the mission of the Church, for all people to accept Christ and to be
Q2.5: ‘Christmas is the most important Christian celebration.’
Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Christian teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.
Extra space
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Answer:
In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information.
Arguments in support
• Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, the Saviour and Founder of the Faith / without Jesus’ birth there would be no Christian faith, so Christmas is the most important Christian celebration. • ‘Christmas’ is ‘Christ Mass’, Mass being the Eucharist/Holy Communion where Christians remember that Christ died for the sins of humanity and was resurrected by God / so Christmas includes the main theme of Easter – resurrection – so it is the most important celebration. • Christmas celebrates the birth of the Messiah, believed by Christians to be the ‘Prince of Peace’ prophesied by Isaiah, so it celebrates the fulfilment of prophecy / it also celebrates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, believed by Christians to be prophesied in Micah 5:2. • Christmas also celebrates the incarnation of God / this has deep meaning for Christians because Jesus was born as a human, by which God understands what it is like to have human needs and human frailties / what it is like to suffer and die. • Without Christmas there would be no Easter / Jesus had to be born as a human otherwise he could not have been resurrected from death. • Christmas brings with it many good things / such as the uniting of families and the giving of gifts / help for the poor and homeless / the Christian spirit of charity and kindness, etc. • The Midnight Mass and the Christmas Day services are especially joyful celebrations / and are attended by many who would not otherwise go to church, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
• Easter is a more important celebration than any other Christian festival because it focuses on the whole point of the Christian message / the love of God and resurrection after death. • Holy Week celebrates the anticipation of Easter / it begins with Palm Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem / it continues with Maundy Thursday, where the mood changes to reflect the Last Supper and Jesus’ arrest / Good Friday marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus and the seeming hopelessness of his death / Easter Sunday then celebrates the major triumph of the Christian message with the resurrection and all this entails / ie sacrifice to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity / there is a great emphasis on the real human suffering undergone by Jesus and his obedience to God’s will / all these celebrations depend on each other / together they show Christians the importance of Easter. • Easter marks what Christians believe is anticipated in the Book of Jeremiah – the new covenant between God and humanity / so it is the result of something anticipated for many centuries. • Easter is celebrated by the gift of chocolate eggs, for example / symbolising the gift of new life • Like Christmas, Easter is also celebrated as a secular festival, since the giving of eggs and other gifts is common among non-Christians. • Some will argue that neither celebration is more important than the other / Christmas anticipates and is perfected by Easter / Easter is the fulfilment of the promise of Christmas, etc.