Year 11 - Religious education
Reasons for war
Religion, peace and conflict
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils examine ideas of violence and how some religions justify war in terms of holy or just war. They will move on to examine specific ideas such as nuclear war and terrorism. Finally they will examine the role of religion in finding and making peace.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain reasons for war, such as self-defence and retaliation, and show how Christians respond to these reasons.
Key Notes
- There are many different reasons a person, nation or religion may choose to enter into a conflict.
- These reasons include greed, self defence and retaliation.
- Some people, religious and non-religious, find some reasons more acceptable than others.
- Many Christians believe that going to war for greed is wrong because of Matthew 19:24.
- There are different opinions on war for retaliation based on interpretations of Exodus 21:23-27.
Vocabulary To Learn
- self-defence: protecting yourself or others when under attack
- retaliation: fighting back after being harmed or attacked
- justification: the reasons given to explain or defend something
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- All Christians believe in retaliation because the Bible says 'an eye for an eye'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
There are many different reasons a person, nation or religion may choose to enter into a conflict. These reasons include greed, self defence and retaliation.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'self-defence'
protecting yourself or others when under attack.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: All Christians believe in retaliation because the Bible says 'an eye for an eye'. Correction: Many Christians interpret this as an instruction to keep punishments fair and stop them going too far. Instead of justifying retaliation, it was about justice being equal to the harm done.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Contrasting religious views about violence Study Guide
- Different religious views about pacifism Study Guide
- Different religious views about weapons of mass destruction Study Guide
- Nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence Study Guide
- Pacifism Study Guide
- Religion and peace-making Study Guide
- Religion as a cause of war and Holy War Study Guide
- Religious responses to victims of war Study Guide
- Terrorism Study Guide
- The Just War theory Study Guide
- The meaning and significance of peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation Study Guide
- The work of Christian Aid for victims of war Study Guide
- Violence, including violent protest Study Guide
- Weapons of mass destruction Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 11 Religious education guide library.