Religious Studies

Paper 2



Two features of the baptism of Jesus (4) 

  • The baptism of Jesus happened in the River Jordan by John the Apostle.

  • During the baptism, Jesus heard the voice of God saying ‘This is my beloved son’


Contribution to Christianity of one Christian other than Jesus (6)

  • St. Paul Contributed to the spread of Christianity by teaching the word of Christ all across the Mediterranean. He taught Gentiles (non-Jewish people) that they could be saved without having to follow strict Jewish laws, such as circumcision. 

  • He established new Christian communities within ancient Roman cities.

  • He authored the 21 New Testament Epistles which taught foundational Christian concepts, such as the Church being the “Body of Christ”, and finding salvation through faith.


Two reasons Christians celebrate Easter (4)

  • Christians celebrate Easter to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ after three days of his death on the cross.

  • They also celebrate Easter to commemorate Jesus Christ sacrificing himself to cleanse people of their sins so they could live an eternal life.


Significance of Christmas for Christians (6) 

  • Christmas is significant for Christians as it celebrates the day Jesus Christ was born. This is important as they believe Christ is God’s son, sent to save humans from sin. 

  • Christmas is significant as it is a time for celebration with family. The birth of Jesus Christ shows us that He was born into a human family with Mary and Joseph, and during Christmas is time for families to come together and honour Jesus and his family.

  • Christians also believe that Christmas is a time for giving to those in need, as represented with the three wise men giving gifts to Jesus after his birth.


Outline two ways in which Christians celebrate Christmas (4) 

  • Many Christians will celebrate Christmas by giving out gifts to their families and to those in need, representing the gifts from the three wise men.

  • Many Christians will go to a special Christmas service to celebrate the birth of Jesus, for example the Catholic Church hosts a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve to welcome the day.


Explain the importance of the Bible for Christians (6)

  • The Bible is considered important to Christians as it is the Word Of God, and it contains the full truth on how Christians should live their lives. It contains the actions and teachings of Jesus Christ, which serve as a moral guide for how Christians should live in order to feel a spiritual connection with Him. It reveals a path to salvation, and helps them build a personal relationship with Christ.





“Jerusalem is the holiest city for Christians” (10)

Evaluate this statement considering the arguments for and against. 

In your answer: refer to points of view from within the religion or from other religions 

Share your opinion/point of view using reasoned arguments 

Balanced conclusion 

  • Some Christians consider Jerusalem as the holiest city, as it is the site of Christ’s crucifixion and death. They are able to walk the Via Dolorosa to feel the spirit of Christ before his death. It is also the site of Jesus’ resurrection, and some Christians debate that therefore, Jerusalem is the holiest city as it is the place Jesus sacrificed Himself to cleanse humans from their sins. People are able to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the place where Jesus was buried and resurrected. 

  • Other Christians might debate Bethlehem to be the holiest city, as it is the birthplace of Jesus and Christianity itself. Others may consider Nazareth to be the holiest city as it is where He grew up. Lastly, Roman Catholics consider Rome to be the holiest place, as it is where St. Peter is buried. Jesus appointed St. Peter as the first pope, and it is considered the epicenter of the ancient world. 

  • Jerusalem serves as the city where all Abrahamic religions are united, as all three religions have claims to the city as one of their holy cities. Judaism believes that Jerusalem is the holiest city for them, as it has the Western Wall, and Islam believes that Jerusalem is the third holiest city for them. These two religions would argue that Jerusalem isn’t the holiest city as it is one of their Holy cities. However, Christianity would argue that since Jerusalem is holy for all three Abrahamic religions, it is the Holiest city, as it unites them all and finds something common despite divisions. 

  • In my opinion, no one city can be considered the most holy, as there have been many cities that have contributed and been essential for the founding of Christianity, and therefore I do not believe that Jerusalem is the Holiest city. Additionally, the concept of Holiness may be different between people. A place is Holy when people can feel a spiritual connection to their Lord or to Jesus Christ, and some people may feel the spirit of God more in certain areas rather than others.

  • In conclusion, there is no one way to determine whether Jerusalem is the holiest city for Christians. Jerusalem has held a significant historical role within Christianity, however, since spiritual connection is based on one’s own feelings, Holiness cannot be constrained to one city, especially because multiple cities have contributed to Christianity in positive ways.


Outline two practices associated with pilgrimage to either Bethlehem or Jerusalem (4)

  • Pilgrimage to Bethlehem is important to Christians as they are able to visit the Chapel of the Manger, and pray in the place Jesus was born and visited by the shepherds and three wise men.

  • Many also visit the Church of the Nativity, and pray together to celebrate the birthplace of Jesus, the Lord’s son.




Explain why the death of Jesus is important for Christians (6) 

  • The death of Jesus is important to Christians for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, his death is seen as an act of atonement, and that by dying on the cross, he sacrificed himself in order to purify the world from its sins and made salvation possible to humankind. 

  • His death is seen as necessary, as without his death, his resurrection would not have been possible. The resurrection is seen as a miracle, giving the Christians the hope of eternal life, and shows them that death is not their final end.

  • Christians believe that Jesus was both God and man, and his death proves that Jesus was human like them, being able to suffer and die like everyone else.