Year 11 - Religious education
Christian beliefs about death and the afterlife
Issues of life and death
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will focus firstly on the relationship between religion and science - looking at ideas of creation. They will examine how Christians and non-religious people view the world. Finally they will examine how people speak about the sanctity of life.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain different Christian beliefs about life after death and how they impact on them.
Key Notes
- Christians believe in life after death because of Jesus' resurrection and the promise of a transformed body.
- Christian views vary: some see heaven and hell as real places, others see them as symbolic.
- Catholics believe in purgatory as a place of purification.
- Belief in an afterlife influences Christians by giving them comfort and hope.
- It also encourages them to help others, as they believe good deeds prepare them for eternal life.
Vocabulary To Learn
- heaven: a place of eternal happiness and union with God for those who have lived righteously
- hell: a state of eternal separation from God for those who have rejected him or lived sinfully
- purgatory: in Catholic belief, a temporary state of purification for souls who are destined for heaven but need to be cleansed of sin first
- resurrection: being raised from the dead; the form that many Christians believe the afterlife will take, referring to either physical or spiritual bodies
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- All Christians believe in heaven and hell as literal places.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Christians believe in life after death because of Jesus' resurrection and the promise of a transformed body. Christian views vary: some see heaven and hell as real places, others see them as symbolic.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'heaven'
a place of eternal happiness and union with God for those who have lived righteously.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: All Christians believe in heaven and hell as literal places. Correction: Some Christians interpret them metaphorically as states of being, such as being in God's presence or being separated from God.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Christian and humanist funerals Study Guide
- Christian and non-religious beliefs about creation Study Guide
- Christian attitudes to human life Study Guide
- Contrasting views on abortion Study Guide
- Contrasting views on euthanasia Study Guide
- Dominion, stewardship and environmental responsibility Study Guide
- Non-religious attitudes to human life Study Guide
- Non-religious beliefs about death and the afterlife Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 11 Religious education guide library.