GCSE Religious Studies: Edexcel B CHRISTIANITY

Flashcards on Christianity: Belief in God, key vocabulary, nature of God, creation, Jesus, salvation, sin, problem of evil, eschatology.

Theist

Someone who believes in God

Monotheist

Someone who believes in one God

Omnipotent

God is all-powerful

Omnibenevolent

God is all-loving

Omnipresent

God is everywhere in the universe at the same time

Omniscient

God knows everyone and everything. Nothing is hidden from Him.

Transcendent

God is outside of space and time and not limited by it.

Immanent

Through miracles, the person of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God is actively involved in the world.

Personal

God is a conscious being with whom people can have a relationship.

Impersonal

God does not have any human characteristics. He could be described as a spirit or force.

Judge

He decides what happens to us when we die.

Eternal

God has no beginning or ending. He has always existed.

Forgiveness

No matter what, if you are sorry God will forgive you.

Perfect

God is without fault

Trinity

Belief that God is one yet revealed in three different forms: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Father

God cares for people like a father

Catholic Catechism

The official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church

Nicene Creed

Christian Statement of faith which originated at the First Council of Nicaea.

Creator

God created everything and has a plan and purpose for all things.

Creatio ex nihilo

God created the world out of nothing

Stewardship

Looking after something well so that it can be passed on to the next generation.

Freewill

The freedom to choose between good and evil.

Fundamentalist

Christians who read the Bible literally, believing it to be historically and scientifically true.

Liberal

Christians who read the Bible as a metaphor that tells (in story form) important truths about God.

Son

Jesus is God’s Son/God in skin form – fully human yet without sin.

Incarnation

God took on human form as Jesus. He was both fully human and fully divine.

Virgin birth

The belief that Jesus was not conceived through sex.

Gospel

The books of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) that record the events of Jesus’ life.

Prophecy

God-given predictions of events in the future.

Miracle

An act of God which cannot be explained by science.

Last Supper

Jesus’ last meal with his disciples

Sacrifice

To offer something that costs the giver for a higher purpose.

Sanhedrin

Jewish Council (supreme religious authority) at the time of Jesus

Pontius Pilate

Roman Governor of Israel at the time of Jesus

Blasphemy

Speaking disrespectfully about God or sacred things

Treason

Attempting to overthrow a government or State

Crucifixion/ Crucified

Jesus was killed by being hung on a cross.

Resurrection

After three days Jesus came back from the dead.

Ascension

After his resurrection Jesus went up to Heaven.

Holy Spirit

God’s Spirit acting in the world

Sin

An act that goes against the will of law of God.

Original Sin

Sin which is inherited from Adam and Eve.

Redemption/ Redeemed/ Redeemer

Jesus paid the price and saved humanity from the consequences of sin.

Salvation saved

Being saved from the consequences of sin.

Saviour/ Christ/ Messiah

Someone who rescues someone. Jesus saved humanity from the consequences of sin

Christ

‘Anointed one’ in Greek

Messiah

‘Anointed one’ in Hebrew

Torah

The most holy book in Judaism (1st 5 books of Old Testament) contains the Jewish Law.

Grace

Underserved love and mercy given to humanity by God - Gods Riches At Christ’s Expense

Atonement

Reconciliation between God and humans. At-one-ment.

Reconciliation

Bringing back together people who have fallen out.

Sacrament

On outward ceremony through which God’s grace is given.

Righteous

Upright and moral

Evil

Something that is wrong or immoral

Freewill

God’s gift to humanity allowing them to make their own choices.

Natural Evil/ Natural Suffering

Suffering which is caused by nature, no fault of humans

Moral Evil Moral Suffering

Suffering caused by actions done by humans

The Fall

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit.

Theodicy

A way of explaining why God allows evil to exist.

Soul-making Theodicy/ Vale of soul making

God allows both natural and moral evil so that people can develop souls good enough for Heaven.

Soul-deciding theodicy

Evil exists because of the bad free choices of humans.

Intercessory prayer

Prayers asking for God’s help for other people.

Psalms

A book of the Bible filled with songs and poems written for/to God.

Soul

Part of a person which is separate from their physical body

Immortal

Living forever, not dying

Heaven

Paradise, being with God

Hell

Place of punishment and torture, away from God.

Last Judgement/ Second Coming/ Parousia

At the end of time Jesus will come back to judge people according to how they lived their life on Earth and decide whether they go to Heaven or Hell.

Resurrection of the Body

After death the body stays in the ground until the end of the world when it is raised.

Immortality of the soul

The soul lives on after the death of the body

Purgatory

Roman Catholic belief – where souls go to be purified for heaven.

Annihilation

For those who don’t believe in God, after death there is nothing.

Pluralism

It is possible for everyone to get to Heaven.

Exclusivism

Only Christians will go to Heaven.