Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Religious Studies B · Paper 1, Question 1 · Christianity Harlington School · Grade 9 Summit
All eight units

Christian Beliefs

Eight topics, one summit. The divergent views set side by side, the key ideas connected, and the (d) evaluated the Level-4 way, everything for the top of the mark scheme, 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 views: set side by side, exactly as the examiner wants. Pick a topic, then tap a position to see what it claims. The Grade 9 move and the 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

Grade 9 is not more content: it is 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) 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.

Textbook-first accuracy

A correctly named source beats a vague paraphrase. One learned line from each source, placed precisely, is worth more than a paragraph of drift.

02

Eight topics, one summit

Each panel is a topic’s key idea: the connective explanation that links the key words into one argument. Learn the chain, not the list.

Topic 1 · C01

Trinity

What do Christians mean by one God in three persons, and why don’t all Christians agree?
ONE SUBSTANCEOne God, one Being: three persons, co-equal and eternal, not three separate gods; worship one is worship of all.
FATHER · createsThe Father is the maker and preserver of all things (the Creeds, Genesis), creation still depends on him.
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.
Topic 2 · C02

Creation

How do Christians read Genesis, and can that reading survive modern science?
TWO ACCOUNTSGenesis 1 is the broad six-day picture; Genesis 2–3 zooms into day 6, the Fall, so the two complement, not repeat.
LITERALISTEvery word is fact; the two accounts agree; science that conflicts, like the Big Bang or evolution, is rejected outright.
CONSERVATIVEInspired by God but in human words, days as eras, Genesis 2 poetic; accepts the Big Bang as God’s chosen method.
LIBERALGenesis is a metaphor: the truth is THAT God created and it was good, not HOW it took place.
Topic 3 · C03

Incarnation

What do Christians mean by the incarnation, and how important is it?
BREAKAdam and Eve’s disobedience broke the perfect relationship between God and humanity, letting sin enter the world.
PARTIALAfter that, only a partial relationship with God was possible, since 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.
CANCELLEDJesus’ life, death and resurrection cancelled sin’s power, restoring the full relationship sin had broken.
Topic 4 · C04

Last days

Why do Christians read the death of Jesus as a victory, not a defeat?
LAST SUPPERInstitutes the Eucharist: still the central act of Christian worship, repeated in churches every week.
CRUCIFIXIONJesus’ death brings salvation from sin: the cross is the atonement that restores the broken relationship.
RESURRECTIONProves the cross worked and founds the hope of life after death (1 Corinthians 15) for every believer.
ASCENSIONFrees Christ from time and space so he can be with believers everywhere, not tied to one place.
Topic 5 · C05

Salvation

How are people saved: through the Church’s sacraments, or through personal faith?
LAWGod gives humans his law, the standard for how to live, so 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, not earned by effort.
SPIRITThe Spirit gives the strength to live the new, good Christian life once grace has restored the relationship.
Topic 6 · C06

Eschatology

What do Christians believe happens after death, and why do the teachings diverge?
THE HINGEHow you live → judgement → your eternal destiny (heaven or hell), so choices now carry eternal weight.
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 purification before heaven; Protestants reject it as unbiblical and unnecessary after Christ.
Topic 7 · C07

Problem of evil

Can an all-powerful, all-good God and a world full of suffering both be real?
OMNIPOTENT + GOODIf God is all-powerful AND all-good, he could remove suffering and would want to, so logically he should.
SO NO EVILIt logically follows there should be no evil or suffering in the world, if both beliefs hold true together.
BUT EVIL EXISTSYet suffering is real, moral and natural, so at least 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.
Topic 8 · C08

Solutions

Do the Christian responses actually answer the problem of evil, or only soften it?
FREEDOMGod wanted people free to choose whether to believe in and love him, not to be 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 souls grow good, developing virtues later rewarded in heaven.
03

Your resources

Everything for the unit, in one place: each topic’s lesson, booklet pages and podcast episode, plus the unit-wide booklet editions, schemes of work and the guide.

Teacher setup: links aren't set yet. Open this file, find the LINKS list near the bottom, and paste each SharePoint 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.

Bell work first · retrieve before you re-read

Five recall questions from memory, self-scored /5. Then the come-back tracker: the same five at +1 week and +1 month.

Listen along to the episode

One six-minute podcast per topic. Capture the six mind-map branches as it plays. The episode does the exposition so you can do the thinking.

Work the booklet pages

Four pages per topic: the key idea, two source quotes, the divergent views side by side, and the full (d). The Key Idea edition adds the 7-minute discussion.

Write the (d) the Level-4 way

Chain · steelman · weigh both (strength AND limit) · justify. Check yourself against the Level 3-vs-Level 4 models on lessons 3 and 6.

The marks map · (a) (b) (c) · 12 marks
(a) 3 marks · outline three. Three crisp sentences, no development needed.
(b) 4 marks · explain two. Each point + one development.
(c) 5 marks · explain two WITH a named source: one learned line, placed exactly.
The (d) · 12 marks · half the question
What it is · a full evaluation: agree and disagree developed, the non-religious voice engaged where the question invites it.
The grade 9 gap · Level 3 asserts its judgement; Level 4 chains, weighs both sides, and justifies a conclusion that survives the strongest counter.
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 ·