Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 11 Religious education Guides

Year 11 - Religious education

Christianity and crime

Issues of Good and Evil

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils will study ideas of crime and how Christians and Muslims may view crime is caused. From that, they will examine different ideas of punishing crime and treating criminals focussing especially on a case study of the death penalty and ideas of forgiveness.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain different Christian and non-religious views about crime and how beliefs influence responses to it.

Key Notes

  • Crime is defined as an action that breaks the law, motivation and intent affect how serious a crime is judged.
  • There are many causes of crime including poverty, mental illness, hatred and opposition to an unjust law.
  • Christian views on crime emphasise justice, dignity and addressing its root causes.
  • Utilitarians focus on reducing harm, psychologists consider causes like trauma and humanists emphasise human rights.
  • Charities respond in different ways, like the Salvation Army tackling poverty and CARE campaigning against hate crime.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • crime: an action which breaks the law; it can be against the person, against property or against the state
  • injustice: when people are treated unfairly, denied equal rights, or not given the same opportunities or protections as others
  • justice: fairness; where everyone has equal provisions and opportunity

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Hate crimes are always violent.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Crime is defined as an action that breaks the law, motivation and intent affect how serious a crime is judged. There are many causes of crime including poverty, mental illness, hatred and opposition to an unjust law.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'crime'

an action which breaks the law; it can be against the person, against property or against the state.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Hate crimes are always violent. Correction: Hate crimes include a wide range of offences, such as verbal abuse, vandalism or threats, motivated by prejudice. Christians oppose all forms because they violate the command to love your neighbour.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 11 Religious education guide library.