Key beliefs

• The nature of God:

  • God as omnipotent, loving and just, and the problem of evil and suffering

  • the oneness of God and the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• Different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3).

• Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.

Jesus Christ and salvation

• Beliefs and teachings about:

  • the incarnation and Jesus as the Son of God

  • the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension

  • sin, including original sin

  • the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit

  • the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement.

Worship and festivals

• Different forms of worship and their significance:

  • liturgical, non-liturgical and informal, including the use of the Bible

  • private worship.

• Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer.

• The role and meaning of the sacraments:

  • the meaning of sacrament

  • the sacrament of baptism and its significance for Christians; infant and believers' baptism; different beliefs about infant baptism

  • the sacrament of Holy Communion/Eucharist and its significance for Christians, including different ways in which it is celebrated and different interpretations of its meaning.

• The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations including:

  • two contrasting examples of Christian pilgrimage: Lourdes and Iona

  • the celebrations of Christmas and Easter, including their importance for Christians in Great Britain today.

The role of the church in the local and worldwide community

• The role of the Church in the local community, including food banks and street pastors.

• The place of mission, evangelism and Church growth.

• The importance of the worldwide Church including:

  • working for reconciliatio

  • how Christian churches respond to persecution

  • the work of one of the following: Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), Christian Aid, Tearfund.