✨ Year 7 Religious Education

Christianity

Key Beliefs

• Christians believe in one God (monotheism) who exists in three persons — the Holy Trinity: Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit
• Jesus was the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary; died on the cross to save humanity from sin (atonement); rose from the dead on Easter Sunday (resurrection)
• Christians believe in life after death: heaven (with God) or hell (separated from God)
• The Bible is the sacred text: Old Testament (Jewish scriptures + prophecy) and New Testament (life and teachings of Jesus and the early Church)

Key Practices

• Worship: prayer, singing, reading scripture; most Christians attend church on Sundays
• Baptism: a sacrament welcoming someone into the Christian faith (water is used as a symbol of cleansing and new life)
• Eucharist (Holy Communion / Mass): a ceremony recalling the Last Supper; bread and wine are shared
• Prayer: talking to God; the Lord's Prayer is central ("Our Father...")

Key Dates in the Christian Year

• Christmas: birth of Jesus (25 December)
• Easter: death and resurrection of Jesus; the most important Christian festival
• Lent: 40 days before Easter; fasting or giving something up (reflecting Jesus's 40 days in the desert)
• Pentecost: 50 days after Easter; the Holy Spirit came to the disciples

Denominations

• Roman Catholic: largest Christian group; led by the Pope in Rome; seven sacraments
• Protestant: emerged from the Reformation (1500s); includes Church of England, Baptist, Methodist
• Orthodox: Eastern Orthodox and Russian Orthodox; split from Roman Catholicism in 1054 (Great Schism)

Islam

Key Beliefs

• Muslims believe in one God: Allah (the Arabic word for God). Strict monotheism — no partners or equals to God
• Muhammad (pbuh) is the final and greatest prophet; other prophets include Adam, Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), and Jesus (Isa)
• The Qur'an is the holy book — believed to be the direct word of Allah revealed to Muhammad over 23 years via the angel Jibreel (Gabriel)
• The Hadith are the recorded sayings and actions of Muhammad; used alongside the Qur'an as guidance
• Six Articles of Faith: Tawhid (oneness of God), Angels, Holy Books, Prophets, Day of Judgement, Al-Qadr (divine decree/predestination)

The Five Pillars of Islam

• Shahada: declaration of faith — "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger"
• Salah: prayer five times a day (facing Mecca); preceded by wudu (ritual washing)
• Zakah: giving 2.5% of saved wealth to those in need each year
• Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan (no food or drink from dawn to sunset)
• Hajj: pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) at least once in a lifetime if able

Key Festivals

• Eid ul-Fitr: festival after Ramadan ends; celebrating the end of fasting; prayers, food, family gatherings, gifts
• Eid ul-Adha: festival of sacrifice; commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son; animals are slaughtered and meat shared with the poor

Judaism

Key Beliefs

• Jews believe in one God (monotheism); God made a special covenant (agreement) with Abraham, and later with Moses at Mount Sinai
• The Torah (the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) is the central sacred text
• The Talmud is a collection of rabbinic discussions about Jewish law and ethics
• Jews do not believe Jesus was the Messiah — they are still waiting for the Messiah to come
• The Thirteen Principles of Faith (Maimonides) include: God's existence and unity, divine providence, and resurrection of the dead

Key Practices

• Shabbat: the weekly day of rest, from Friday sunset to Saturday night; no work, lighting candles, prayer, family meal
• 613 Mitzvot (commandments): Jewish laws governing all areas of life, including the Ten Commandments
• Kosher dietary laws: forbidden to eat pork or shellfish; meat and dairy must be kept separate
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah: coming of age ceremony (boy at 13, girl at 12/13) — responsible for keeping the commandments
• Synagogue: place of Jewish worship; service led by a rabbi

Key Festivals

• Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year; prayer and reflection
• Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement; the holiest day; fasting and prayer for forgiveness
• Passover (Pesach): commemorates the Exodus from Egypt; a special meal (Seder) is eaten; unleavened bread (matzah) is eaten for 7 days
• Hanukkah: festival of lights; celebrates the rededication of the Temple; candles lit on a menorah for 8 nights

Hinduism

Key Beliefs

• Hinduism is the world's oldest religion (over 3,000 years old); mainly practised in India and Nepal
• Hindus believe in one ultimate reality (Brahman) which manifests in many forms — so there are many gods (polytheistic in practice), all expressions of Brahman
• Key deities: Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer/transformer); also Ganesh, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Durga
• Dharma: duty/righteous living — fulfilling one's role in life according to moral law
• Karma: the law of cause and effect — actions have consequences in this life and the next
• Samsara: the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (reincarnation)
• Moksha: liberation from the cycle of samsara — the ultimate goal of Hindu life

Key Texts

• The Vedas: the oldest sacred texts; four collections (Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda)
• The Upanishads: philosophical texts exploring the nature of Brahman and Atman (the soul)
• The Bhagavad Gita: a key scripture — a dialogue between the hero Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu) about duty, devotion, and the soul
• The Mahabharata and Ramayana: great epics that teach values through story

Key Festivals

• Diwali: festival of lights; celebrates Rama's return from exile (as in the Ramayana); lamps are lit to symbolise the triumph of good over evil
• Holi: festival of colours; celebrates the end of winter and the triumph of good
• Navratri: nine-night festival honouring the goddess Durga

Buddhism

The Buddha

• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, born in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal), c.563 BCE
• Siddhartha was a prince who left his palace after encountering old age, sickness, death, and a holy man
• After years of meditation, he achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya; he became "the Buddha" (the Awakened One)

Key Teachings

• The Four Noble Truths:
  1. Dukkha: life involves suffering/unsatisfactoriness
  2. Samudaya: suffering is caused by craving and attachment (tanha)
  3. Nirodha: it is possible to end suffering
  4. Magga: the Eightfold Path is the way to end suffering
• The Eightfold Path: Right Understanding, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration
• The Three Marks of Existence: Anicca (impermanence), Dukkha (suffering), Anatta (no fixed self)
• Nirvana: the state of liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth (samsara)
• Karma and rebirth: actions in this life affect future lives

Types of Buddhism

• Theravada: "School of Elders"; practised mainly in SE Asia; closest to original teachings
• Mahayana: "Great Vehicle"; includes Zen Buddhism; practised in China, Japan, Korea; emphasises helping all beings achieve enlightenment (bodhisattva ideal)
• Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana): practised in Tibet and neighbouring regions; includes the Dalai Lama as spiritual leader

Sikhism

Key Beliefs

• Founded by Guru Nanak (1469–1539) in the Punjab region (present-day India/Pakistan)
• Sikhs believe in one God (Ik Onkar — "One God") who is formless, eternal, and beyond human understanding
• Equality: all humans are equal regardless of caste, religion, gender
• The concept of seva (selfless service) is central to Sikh practice
• Karma and samsara: Sikhs believe in the cycle of rebirth; mukti (liberation) is achieved by following the Guru's teachings and God's grace

The Ten Gurus

• Ten human gurus guided the Sikh faith from Guru Nanak (1st) to Guru Gobind Singh (10th)
• Guru Gobind Singh declared that after his death, the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy scripture) would be the eternal and living Guru

The Guru Granth Sahib

• The sacred text of Sikhism; treated with great respect — kept on a raised platform (Takht), covered when not being read, and the Granthi (reader) waves a chauri (fan) over it
• Contains hymns (shabads) by Sikh Gurus and other saints including Hindu and Muslim poets

Key Practices

• Five Ks (Panj Kakars): worn by initiated Sikhs — Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (wooden comb), Kara (steel bracelet), Kachera (undershorts), Kirpan (small sword)
• Langar: the community kitchen in every Gurdwara; free vegetarian meal served to all, regardless of background — a practical expression of equality
• Gurdwara: Sikh place of worship; "doorway to the Guru"; the Guru Granth Sahib is always present
• Waheguru: a name/chant for God meaning "Wonderful Teacher"
• Vaisakhi: key festival celebrating the founding of the Khalsa (Sikh community of the initiated) in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh

Big Questions in RE

Does God Exist?

• Theism: belief that God exists. Supported by: the cosmological argument (everything has a cause; God is the uncaused first cause), the design argument (the universe's complexity suggests a designer), religious experience
• Atheism: belief that God does not exist. Challenged by: the problem of evil (if God is omnipotent and benevolent, why is there suffering?), scientific explanations for the universe (Big Bang, evolution)
• Agnosticism: the view that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable

Life After Death

• Christianity: resurrection of the body; heaven and hell
• Islam: Akhirah — eternal life after death; Day of Judgement; Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam (hell)
• Hinduism and Buddhism: reincarnation/samsara; the goal is liberation (moksha/nirvana)
• Sikhism: reincarnation; mukti = merger with God
• Secular view: death is the end; no evidence for an afterlife

Ethics: Right and Wrong

• Absolute ethics: some things are always right or wrong regardless of circumstances (e.g. the Ten Commandments)
• Relative ethics: right and wrong depend on the situation (situational ethics)
• The Golden Rule (shared by many religions): "Treat others as you would wish to be treated"