S16 E3: The One About GCSE RE AQA Creation and the role of the Word and the Spirit

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Welcome back to a new school year and a new season of the RE Podcast. Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.

The first episode provides an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam. Each subsequent episode will provide an overview of the main content and apply it to key exam questions. Last week I released one on The Nature of God, the oneness of God and the Trinity.

This episode focuses on one bullet points on the Christian beliefs spec;

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

Explain two ways in which beliefs about creation influence Christians today.
Christians could be influenced to worship God and give thanks.
This is because God is believed to be the creator of the universe and nothing would exist without him.
Christians could also care for the environment.
This is because earth is part of God's creation and they were given the responsibility by God to look after it as stewards of the earth.
Explain two Christian teachings about creation. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Some Christians believe that the world was created by God in 6x24 hour periods with a day of rest.
This is because they interpret the creation story in a more literal sense and believe that the Bible provides an accurate account to explain how the world came to exist.
Many Christians believe that God gave humans a special status within his creation.
Unlike other living beings, humans were made in God's image, meaning that they have some of the same qualities of God .

This can be seen in the Bible where it says, 'God created man in his own image.' This means that Christians believe God created humans differently from other living things.
Explain two ways in which the role of the Spirit in creation influences Christians today.

Explain two ways in which the role of the Word in creation influences Christians today.

The role of the word influences Christians to understand the crucial role of Jesus in creation.
By believing that Jesus was present at creation, it reminds Christians that without him nothing would exist.
Christians might also be influenced to believe that Jesus is eternal.
This is because Jesus' presence at creation shows that he existed before the universe existed and therefore has no beginning or end.
Explain two Christian teachings about the role of the Word in creation. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.

Explain two Christian teachings about the role of the Spirit in creation. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.

Many Christians believe that the Spirit was present in creation and therefore has a necessary role in the existence of the universe.

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