Christianity: Philosophy of Religion | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)
Christianity: Philosophy of Religion
- 85 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Christianity, one religion of seven
- Paper 3
Christianity: Philosophy of Religion is examined in Paper 3, Area of Study 3: Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice, if Christianity is the religion studied for that area.
A student who studies Christianity may not study Catholic Christianity in their other area. It covers revelation as evidence for God in Christianity, visions as evidence for God in Christianity, miracles as evidence for God in Christianity, religious experience and the burning bush, answered prayer as evidence for God, the design argument and Christian belief, the cosmological argument and Aquinas's First Three Ways and religious upbringing and belief in God.
Sample questions from Christianity: Philosophy of Religion
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Revelation as evidence for God in Christianity
How is revelation shown in God's covenant with Abraham?
Show the answer
God promised Abraham descendants as many as the stars and a land for them. Abraham trusted God, and his faith was counted as righteousness. -
Visions as evidence for God in Christianity
What does the Transfiguration show Christians about Jesus?
Show the answer
The Transfiguration shows Jesus' divine glory. The voice from the cloud confirms that Jesus is God's beloved Son. -
Miracles as evidence for God in Christianity
What other biblical miracles do Christians point to?
Show the answer
Jesus fed five thousand people, calmed a storm and raised Lazarus from the dead. The greatest miracle for Christians is the resurrection. -
Religious experience and the burning bush
Why can the burning bush be regarded as revelation?
Show the answer
God speaks directly to Moses and reveals his name and purpose. The experience makes God known in a new way. -
Answered prayer as evidence for God
How might answered prayer lead someone to believe in God?
Show the answer
A person who prays and receives what they asked for may see God at work. The answer can strengthen or begin faith. -
The design argument and Christian belief
What was Thomas Aquinas's version of the design argument?
Show the answer
Aquinas argued that things without intelligence act for a purpose, like an arrow shot by an archer. Some intelligent being directs them to their goal, God. -
The cosmological argument and Aquinas's First Three Ways
What is Aquinas's Third Way?
Show the answer
The Third Way is the argument from contingency. Things that might not have existed depend on a necessary being that must exist. -
Religious upbringing and belief in God
What is confirmation?
Show the answer
Confirmation is a ceremony in which a young person affirms the promises made at their baptism. A bishop lays hands on them and prays for the Holy Spirit.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Revelation as evidence for God in Christianity | General and special revelation, the covenants with Noah and Abraham, Hebrews 1:1 to 4, Jesus as the fullest revelation, revelation as proof, what the covenants show of God, and non-religious doubt. | 10 |
| Visions as evidence for God in Christianity | Abram's vision in Genesis 15, the Transfiguration in Matthew 17, a vision from outside the Bible, visions as grounds for belief, the hallucination objection, how the Church tests visions, and what they reveal. | 11 |
| Miracles as evidence for God in Christianity | The healing of the official's son in John 4, other biblical miracles, a modern claimed miracle, David Hume's objection, scientific explanations, what miracles show of God, and why some Christians do not rely on them. | 11 |
| Religious experience and the burning bush | Moses at the bush in Exodus 3 and the divine name revealed there, the bush as revelation, conversion and numinous experience, atheist objections, the principle of credulity, and differing views of its importance. | 11 |
| Answered prayer as evidence for God | 1 John 5:14 and 5:16, how an answered prayer might lead to belief, prayers that seem unanswered, the coincidence objection, what prayer shows of God, and why prayer is not for getting what you want. | 10 |
| The design argument and Christian belief | Paley's watch, examples of design in nature, Aquinas's version, Romans 1:18 to 24 on knowing God from creation, what design shows of God, and challenges from evolution and suffering with the Christian reply. | 11 |
| The cosmological argument and Aquinas's First Three Ways | The arguments from motion, cause and contingency, why Aquinas rejects an infinite chain, what the argument shows of God, its link with the Big Bang, and the question of what caused God. | 11 |
| Religious upbringing and belief in God | Proverbs 22:6, features of a Christian upbringing, confirmation, church schools, why upbringing may lead to belief or to rejection, and the charge of indoctrination with the Christian reply. | 10 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 5,266 questions with their answers.