Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Religious Studies B · Paper 1 · Area of study 1 · Christian Beliefs Harlington School · RE Course · Support Grade
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Unit 01

Christian Beliefs

Eight topics, one unit. The divergent Christian views set side by side, the key ideas connected, and every source of wisdom and authority the examiner expects, all in one place.

The
big
question

What do Christians believe about God, Jesus and salvation, and why don't all Christians agree?

01

The divergent views explorer

Every (d) in this unit turns on the divergent Christian views: set side by side, exactly as the examiner wants. Pick a topic, then tap a position to see what it claims. The top-marks move and a 7-minute discussion question travel with each topic.

Tap a circle, or use Tab and Enter, to explore each position.

The thread that ties it together

Top marks are not more content: they are three habits applied to every topic. Spot them and every (d) in this unit opens the same way.

Divergent views, side by side

Never one view at a time. Set them against each other: where they agree, and the exact point they part. That comparison IS the analysis the (d) is marked on.

The (d) regulation

Chain each point (claim → because → this means → therefore), steelman the other side, weigh BOTH arguments, a strength AND a limit, then justify the conclusion.

Source-first accuracy

A correctly named source of wisdom and authority beats a vague paraphrase. One learned line, placed precisely, is what turns a (c) from 3 marks into 5.

02

8 topics, one unit

Each panel is a topic's key idea: the connective explanation that links the key words into one argument, with the source of wisdom and authority the (c) question expects. Learn the chain, not the list.

Topic 1 · C01

The Trinity

How can one God be three?
ONE SUBSTANCEOne God, one Being: three persons, co-equal and eternal, not three separate gods; to worship one is to worship all.
FATHER · createsThe Father is the maker and preserver of all things (Genesis, the Nicene Creed), creation still depends on him now.
SON · savesThe Son became human in Jesus to save people from sin, acting from inside the human condition he came to rescue.
SPIRIT · empowersThe Holy Spirit is God at work in the world today, giving life, strength and guidance to believers now.
Source of wisdom & authorityMatthew 3:16–17 · The baptism of Jesus
Topic 2 · C02

Creation

Why does it matter WHO created the universe?
EX NIHILOGod created out of nothing: no pre-existing matter, so the universe depends on God entirely for its existence.
THE WORD & SPIRITGod speaks and it is so; the Spirit hovers over the waters, creation is the work of the whole Trinity, not the Father alone.
IMAGE OF GODHumans alone are made in God's image (1:27), giving every human dignity, reason and free will.
STEWARDSHIPCreation is good and entrusted to humans to care for, not to exploit, the basis of Christian environmental ethics.
Source of wisdom & authorityGenesis 1:1–3 and 1:26–27 · 'In the beginning'
Topic 3 · C03

The Incarnation

Why would God become human?
THE BREAKHuman disobedience broke the perfect relationship between God and humanity, letting sin into the world.
THE PROBLEMOnly a partial relationship with God was possible afterwards, because sin now stood between humans and their creator.
INCARNATIONGod became fully human in Jesus, two natures, fully God AND fully human, so he could save from inside our condition.
IMMANUEL'God with us': the incarnation shows a God who does not stay distant but shares human life, hunger, grief and death.
Source of wisdom & authorityJohn 1:1 and 1:14 · 'The Word became flesh'
Topic 4 · C04

The last days of Jesus' life

Why do the events of Holy Week matter so much?
LAST SUPPERJesus institutes the Eucharist, 'this is my body… this is my blood', still the central act of Christian worship every week.
CRUCIFIXIONJesus' death brings salvation from sin: the cross is the atonement that restores the broken relationship with God.
RESURRECTIONRising on the third day proves the cross worked and founds the hope of life after death for every believer.
ASCENSIONReturning to the Father frees Christ from one time and place, so he can be present to believers everywhere.
Source of wisdom & authorityMatthew 26:26–28 · The Last Supper
Topic 5 · C05

Salvation

What do Christians need saving FROM?
LAWGod gives humans his law, the standard for how to live, so that people can know right from wrong.
SINBreaking that law is sin, which separates people from God and leaves the relationship damaged.
GRACEGrace is God's free, undeserved gift, restoring the relationship through Christ's death. It cannot be earned by effort.
SPIRITThe Holy Spirit then gives the strength to live the new Christian life that grace has made possible.
Source of wisdom & authorityJohn 3:16–17 · 'For God so loved the world'
Topic 6 · C06

Christian eschatology

What do Christians believe happens at the end?
THE HINGEHow you live → judgement → eternal destiny. The sheep and the goats makes it concrete: what you did for the least, you did for Christ.
RESURRECTIONThe soul 'sleeps' until the Last Day, when the whole person, body and soul together, is raised for judgement.
IMMORTALITYThe soul goes straight to God at death and is judged at once, without waiting for a future Last Day.
PURGATORYCatholics add a state of purification before heaven; Protestants reject it as unbiblical and unnecessary after Christ.
Source of wisdom & authorityMatthew 25:31–46 · The sheep and the goats
Topic 7 · C07

The problem of evil and suffering

If God is good and powerful, why does evil exist?
OMNIPOTENT + GOODIf God is all-powerful AND all-good, he could remove suffering and would want to, so logically he should.
SO NO EVILIt follows that there should be no evil or suffering in the world, if both beliefs hold true together.
BUT EVIL EXISTSYet suffering is real, moral (from human free will) and natural (from nature), so one of the first two beliefs must give way.
THE FORKEither God is not all-powerful, or not all-good, or he does not exist. The triad forces one to fall, which is why the problem bites.
Source of wisdom & authorityThe Book of Job · God's answer out of the whirlwind
Topic 8 · C08

Solutions to the problem of evil and suffering

How do Christians make sense of suffering?
FREEDOMGod wanted people free to choose whether to believe in and love him, rather than forced into faith.
THE COSTTo be truly free means being able to choose evil as well as good, or the choice would not be real.
NOT GOD'S FAULTMoral evil is the price of that freedom: humans misusing it, not God, who only gave the gift.
SOUL-MAKINGSuffering is also the setting where character grows: courage, compassion and patience have nowhere to develop in a painless world.
Source of wisdom & authority'Vale of soul-making' · Hick, with Job and Psalm 103
03

Your resources

Everything for the unit, in one place: each topic's lesson deck and workbook pages, plus the unit-wide documents. The file each button points to is named underneath it.

Teacher setup: links aren't set yet. Open this file in a text editor, find the LINKS list near the bottom, and paste each SharePoint or OneDrive share link once. Buttons with no link show as "Link not set".
04

How to revise this unit

Use the resources in this order: the same loop as the lessons, so revision feels like coming home.

Retrieve before you re-read

Five recall questions from memory, self-scored /5, before opening any notes. Then come back to the same five at +1 week and +1 month.

Re-walk the lesson deck

One deck per topic. Cover the definitions, say them aloud, then reveal. The deck is the shortest route back into the topic.

Work the workbook pages

The Lesson Companion has the same task numbers as the board. Redo Task 3 (the key source) and Task 5 (the big debate) from memory.

Write the (d) the Level 4 way

Chain · steelman · weigh both (a strength AND a limit) · justify. Check yourself against the Model Answer Bank before you look at any mark scheme.

The marks map · (a) (b) (c) · 12 marks · AO1
(a) 3 marks · outline three. Three crisp sentences; no development needed.
(b) 4 marks · explain two. Each point plus one development ("this means that…").
(c) 5 marks · explain two and use a source of wisdom and authority, one learned line, placed exactly.
The (d) · 12 marks (+3 SPaG on two of them) · AO2
What it is · a full evaluation: arguments for, arguments against, both developed, with religious teaching used on each side.
Level 3 (7–9) · logical reasoning across different viewpoints, accurate understanding, a partially justified conclusion.
Level 4 (10–12) · critical deconstruction, sustained and thorough accuracy, and a conclusion fully justified against the strongest counter-argument.
SPaG · 3 extra marks are awarded on two (d) questions per paper. Spell the key words correctly and use them accurately.
05

Watch: the whole unit in one go

A full review of Christian Beliefs: all eight topics as one argument. Best watched before you revise, then again to check recall.

Video not set

Teacher: paste the YouTube link in the VIDEO_URL line near the bottom of this file. The player then appears here automatically.

06

Flashcards · test yourself

Flip a card to check yourself. Switch between key terms (term → meaning) and divergent views (view → what it claims), and filter by topic.

Tap any card to flip ·