religious studies paper 1

essential information about the trinity

God is a Trinity of three persons in one God, the Nicene Creed declares this belief, the Trinity features in baptism and the celebration of the Eucharist today

what is the Trinity

three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) in one God, each person is fully god and each person is different from the other persons

the trinity in the Nicene Creed

it is both an individual declaration of faith and a shared statement that unites Catholics as one body and Church

the oneness of god: what is revelation?

something that is revealed by God to humans, the Trinity reveals something of the mystery to Catholics: outside as Father and creator, beside as Son and savoir and inside as strengthening Holy Spirit

how is the unity and oneness of God made clear in the old testament?

‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord’

‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord’, as the beginning of the Shema

this is the beginning of the Shema, the most important prayer for Jewish people., it is also part of the Great Commandment given by Jesus

the trinity in Catholic worship today: baptism

ceremony using water, performed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

the trinity in Catholic worship today: eucharist

sacrament involving bread and wine; begins with sign of the cross, Eucharistic prayer gives thanks to God and makes Son present in the consecrated bread and wine through the Holy Spirit

essential information about the Trinity in the Bible (1)

the doctrine of the Trinity is found in the Creed, the baptism of Jesus revealed all persons of the Trinity in the same moment

essential information about the Trinity in the Bible (2)

the Council of Nicaea ended disagreement about Jesus’ nature, while the Council of Constantinople clarified belief in the Trinity

what is a doctrine?

not everything was written down in the Bible, particularly about the early Church, there is much teaching and doctrine that has been passed on from the earliest of times through the Catholic Church - this is called apostolic tradition

what is a creed?

a formal expression of what the Church believes, originally written to formally correct a mistake in teaching

history of the doctrine of the Trinity: 600BCE

during 600BCE, there was an old testament teaching on ‘One God’, found in Jewish prayer, the Shema

history of the doctrine of the Trinity: 30CE

during 30CE, the Trinity was revealed at the Annunciation and present at Jesus’ baptism

history of the doctrine of the Trinity: 32CE onwards

during 32CE onwards, the Early Church explained Trinity was the lived experience of the Christians passed on through the Apostolic Tradition

history of the doctrine of the Trinity: 270CE-325CE

during 270CE-325CE, there was the Arian controversy where Arius claimed Jesus was not actually God, just a prophet

history of the doctrine of the Trinity: 325CE

during 325CE, the Council of Nicaea made the Nicene Creed which was written to clarify the divine nature of Jesus

history of the doctrine of the Trinity: 381CE

during 381CE, the Council of Constantinople had a meeting to clarify belief in Trinity to underline Holy Spirit as also God

history of the Doctrine of the Trinity: 400CE

from 400CE the Bible is complete as we know, this was a reflection of Apostolic tradition and beliefs of the early church

essential information about Creation

there are two accounts of Creation in Genesis, John’s prologue describes the role of the Word in the process, Catholics believe God created the universe and only God has the power to do this

creation in Genesis 1-2 (days 1-3)

day 1: heavens, earth, light and dark, day 2: water and sky, day 3: land and plants

creation in Genesis 1-2 (days 4-6)

days 4: sun, moon and stars, day 5: fish and birds, day 6; land, animals and humans

creation in Genesis 2-3: God

God said Adam and Eve could eat fruit from all trees but one ad said if Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would have to leave the garden

creation in Genesis 2-3: Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve were tempted by the snake to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, became afraid and hid from God and had to leave the garden

literal interpretation of creation

the Creation accounts are an extract retelling of how Creation occurred, a word for word truth, Genesis is a historical and scientific account and this view is often called ‘Creationism’

metaphorical interpretation of creation

the Creational accounts are symbolic, sacred stories, Genesis is a meditation on the nature and purpose of the universe, this view incorporates modern science

catholic interpretation of creation

most Catholics see the stories as metaphorical and use science to help them understand the universe better

essential information about creation and the nature of humanity

Catholics believe human beings alone are created in the image of God, this means they have a conscience and can relate to God, humans should take care of the earth (stewardship) and rule over it (dominion)

what is humanity?

Catholics believe humanity is created imago dei: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeliness: and let them have dominion'‘

how can humanity bear the image of God? rational

rational as humans are intelligent and can find their way to God, this is significant for Catholics engaging in debate about their faith

how can humanity bear the image of God? free will and conscience

free will and conscience as humans can choose right or wrong; a conscience is the voice of God within, significant for Catholics making moral choices that uphold the values of the Gospel

how can humanity bear the image of God? relate to God

relate to God as humans are able to enter into a relationship with God, significant for Catholics going to weekly Mass; daily prayer

how can humanity bear the image of God? give and receive love

give and receive love as humans can only find happiness within a community of love, significant for Catholics accepting the vocation of marriage

how can humanity bear the image of God? answerable to God

answerable to God as humans are accountable to God for their actions, significant for Catholics in terms of what will happen in the next life

dominion and stewardship interpretations for Catholics

Catholics believe humanity is given dominion over creation, which means God given authority to rule, Catholics also believe humanity should be stewards of creation, which means this authority is expressed in a loving care and cultivation of creation

how might humans act if they only focused on dominion? (1)

over farming to feed humans, cutting down forest for our paper/wood needs and burning fossil fuels to create electricity

how might humans act if they only focused on dominion? (2)

a minority of Christians believe this - some conservative evangelical Christians claim they do not need to worry about the environment as Jesus will soon return and that will mean the end of the world anyway

how might humans act if they focused on stewardship as well as dominion? (1)

managing farming and fishing to ensure a balanced in nature, recycling where possible, using ‘green energy’ such as wind or solar power

how might humans act if they focused on stewardship as well as dominion? (2)

the majority of Christians take this view, Pope Francis wrote about care for the environment in his encyclical Laudato Si, non religious people do not believe God granted humans dominion over the earth, but many would argue that humans have a moral responsibility to care for the planet

essential information about the incarnation

the Incarnation refers to God becoming a human being in Jesus, Jesus is the God-man: fully God and fully human, the Incarnation is made clear in scripture and continues today in the life of the Church

what do Catholics believe about Jesus as incarnate Son

Jesus (also called ‘the Word’ in John’s Gospel) is the Son of God, Jesus is God incarnate and incarnation means ‘enfleshment’ or ‘making flesh’, in this case Jesus was God made flesh

how can Jesus be fully human?

born of Mary, died on the cross, got tired in John 4:6 and cried at his friend’s death in John 11:35

how can Jesus be fully God

Mary was a virgin after having her son announced via the Angel Gabriel, claimed to be the ‘I am’, God’s name as revealed to Moses, ‘my words will not pass away’, he miraculously healed people e.g the paralysed man in Matthew 9:2

issue with the Sabbath and the Law (1)

Jesus was accused of blasphemy (being disrespectful to God), by the Jewish authorities several times, they believed he was falsely claiming to be God

issue with the Sabbath and the Law (2) (examples)

healing and forgiving the paralysed man, Jewish people believed only God could forgive sins and he allowed his disciples to pick corn on the Sabbath - considered to be work - when they were hungry

why is the Incarnation important to Catholics today?

Catholics believe God became human so they can be transformed by grace and share Jesus’ life through the Church and the Incarnation continues through history as humans share the life of Jesus through the sacraments and the life of Church

essential information about the Paschal Mystery

human beings are saved from sin by the whole work of Jesus, but especially by the Paschal Mystery, which is the passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus

describe the paschal mystery

Jesus’ passion: arrest, trial and suffering, Jesus’ death on the cross, Jesus’ resurrection: rising from the dead in a transformed body and Jesus’ ascension: the moment the resurrected Jesus is taken up to heaven

origin of Paschal

Paschal is the Hebrew name for Passover (the Jewish celebration of the Israelites being led to freedom by Moses), there are similarities between the Old Testament account of Moses and the New Testament accounts of Jesus

paschal mystery: redemption

Jesus’ life was redeemed (exchange) for the freedom from sin for all humans

paschal mystery: justification

only just (righteous, holy, loving) people can enter into a relationship with God

paschal mystery: redemptive efficacy

the Paschal Mystery brings about human salvation by saving humans from eternal death and separation from God, the passion and death of Jesus allowed the redemption of humanity

what does the Catholic Church teach about the paschal mystery?

Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension are all important in helping both early Christians and Christians today understand exactly who Jesus was, most followers of Jesus did not realise at the time he was the Son of God

paschal mystery: why did the Word become flesh?

to save, to know God’s love, to model holiness and to share the grace of God

paschal mystery: why did Jesus die?

to show how to respond to cruelty, ‘Father, forgive them', Jesus erased the sins of the world with God’s mercy, God himself died on the cross

paschal mystery: why is the resurrection so important?

it is the foundation of the Church, it proved that Jesus is God - only God can conquer death, it is a present event ‘I am always with you always’

paschal mystery: what does the ascension mean?

it prepares the way for humans to follow Jesus to heaven, it was the ‘letting go’ of Jesus, ready for the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

essential information for the significance of the paschal mystery

Catholics believe humans cannot save themselves from sin, but can choose to accept salvation, Catholics today continue to participate in the Paschal Mystery through the life of the Church, the Eucharist is the most important expression of the Paschal Mystery in the Church today

the Holy Spirit as God’s grace (1)

the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles for their mission when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, this is seen as the beginning of the Christian Church, it is an expression of God;s grace and helped Christians live out the salvation brought about by the Paschal Mystery

the Holy Spirit as God’s grace (2)

Peter understood Jesus and the Paschal Mystery far better in Acts than he did in the Gospel, the Holy Spirit gives wisdom and understanding to both the early Christians and Christians today, understanding the Holy Spirit and its role is vital to understanding the Trinity

choosing to accept salvation

the Catholic Church teaches that humans cannot save themselves from sin, however they can choose to accept salvation; it is offered to everyone by God

the significance of salvation and grace

the sacramental life of the Church is the source for experiencing and receiving the grace necessary to continue Jesus’ saving mission today

achieving salvation and grace: baptism

humans are freed from sin and become children of God

achieving salvation and grace: confirmation

humans receive fresh outpouring of grace through the Holy Spirit to strengthen them

achieving salvation and grace: eucharist

Catholics receive Christ’s body and blood, just as the Last Supper

achieving salvation and grace: matrimony

grace provided for loving relationships and procreation

achieving salvation and grace: holy orders

grace provided for ordained ministers of the Church

achieving salvation and grace: reconciliation

repentance of sins restores the relationship with God

achieving salvation and grace: anointing of the sick

God’s healing grace unites the suffering person with Jesus’ Passion

why is the Eucharist considered the most important expression of the Paschal Mystery in the Church today

participation in the Eucharist is a sign of accepting God’s offer of salvation and it offers strength to the individual in their life of faith and love

what is eschatology

the Christian study of the last things in human life: death, judgement, heaven, hell and purgatory

essential information about eschatology

Catholic eschatology is rooted in the paschal mystery, Catholics believe that how they live in this life affects what happens after they die, Catholics believe they can earn their place in heaven by obeying God’s will; loving God and other people as themselves

eschatology: life after death

for Catholics, life after death is explained in the paschal mystery, they believe they will be resurrected like Jesus was, Jesus referred to eternal life in his teaching saying there would be a reward for those who had pleased God

how did St Paul express doctrine about life after death

‘for me must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body/.’

outline the difference between particular and last judgement

particular judgement is where after a person will go to heaven, purgatory and then heaven or hell whereas last judgement is at the end of time, everyone, living and dead will be resurrected and a final and eternal judgement will take place

what is heaven

eternal life with God, a live of love and indescribable joy

what is purgatory

a stage of purification; this enables people to reach the holiness required to get into heaven

what is hell

this is not a punishment from God, it is the absence of the love, generosity and community of God

what is the nature of resurrection (1)

not all Christians agree on this, some believe it is the soul that is resurrected while others think it is the physical body too, the Catholic Church however teaches that resurrection is when a person’s soul is reunited with their glorified body

what is the nature of resurrection (2)

in his post resurrection appearances, there was something familiar but also unfamiliar about Jesus - some people didn’t recognise him immediately, the Church states that only God knows how resurrection will happen; not everything can be explained

why is eschatology important for Catholics?

Catholics believe that death reminds us of the importance of life, death, judgement and resurrection are reminders for Catholics about how they should live day to day, every choice they make has a consequence

catholic view of heaven, hell and purgatory

Catholics believe in the reality of heaven, hell and purgatory: heaven is an eternity in the presence of God, hell is an eternity outside of the presence of God and purgatory is a place of purification

other Christian view of heaven, hell and purgatory

some Christians would deny that an all loving God would allow hell to exist and so believe that everyone will live together forever in heaven - this is called universalism, many other Christians believe purgatory does not exist, claiming it is not biblical

Catholic view of judgement

Catholics believe in two kinds of judgement: particular judgement which happens when you die and final judgement which happens at the end of time

other Christian’s view of judgement

some Christians place more emphasis on the final judgement, where they believe God will judge all people and given them afterlife they deserve

Catholic view of resurrection

Catholics believe physical resurrection happens after final judgement: it is not just spiritual

other Christian view of resurrection

some Christian’s believe in just a spiritual resurrection, not a physical one

what is a sacrament

religious ritual performed in the life of the Church that brings people into holiness, there are seven sacraments

essential information about the sacramental nature of reality

the sacramental nature of reality means finding the grace of God in the physical world, each sacrament brings Catholics closer to God in a different way

what happens during baptism

parents and godparents say vows, Priest pours water over infant’s head in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, infant is anointed with Oil of Chrism, infant receives white garment and candle lit from Paschal Candle

why is baptism important

person becomes a son/daughter of God and a member of the Church, taking on a new identity in Christ, person is freed from original sin by sharing in the new life that comes from the Paschal Mystery, person receives strength from God to continue Jesus’ mission

what happens during confirmation

candidate renews their baptismal promises, they are anointed with Oil of Chrism: ‘be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit’, they take a new name

why is confirmation important

it strengthens faith ready to become a mature, active Catholic, candidates receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

what happens during Eucharist?

bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood by the priest, it is received weekly or even daily, preparation is undertaken (catechesis) before receiving it for the first time

why is Eucharist important

receiving the real presence of Christ in a physical way, uniting the Catholic community through mass

what happens in reconciliation

contrition: genuine repentance for sins, confession: admitting to the sins, absolution: forgiveness from God and penance: act to show repentance

why is reconciliation important

removes spiritual illness of sin, restores relationship with God and community, offers mercy, forgiveness and advice to the penitent and sins are forgiven

what happens in anointing of the sick

priest lays lands on person who is ill or near death, sins are absolved, anointing with oil takes place and viaticum ‘food for the journey’ is given

why is anointing of the sick important

gives strength in sickness and suffering, prepares an individual for death and shows God’s presence and love throughout their life

what happens in matrimony

solemn promises vows made, exchange of rings, signing of register (legal part of ceremony)