Judaism: Peace and Conflict | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)
Judaism: Peace and Conflict
- 96 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Judaism, one religion of seven
- Paper 2
Judaism: Peace and Conflict is examined in Paper 2, Area of Study 2: Religion, Peace and Conflict, if Judaism is the religion studied for that area.
It covers Jewish teachings on peace, Jewish peacemaking, Jewish attitudes to conflict, Judaism, pacifism and passive resistance, milchemet reshut and Just War in Judaism, milchemet mitzvah and Holy War in Judaism, Jewish attitudes to weapons of mass destruction and Judaism, violence, war and terrorism.
Sample questions from Judaism: Peace and Conflict
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Jewish teachings on peace
What does Deuteronomy 20:11–12 teach if the offer of peace is accepted or refused?
Show the answer
If the city accepts peace, its people are spared and serve Israel. If the city refuses, Israel may besiege it. -
Jewish peacemaking
Why is reconciliation important for Jewish peacemaking?
Show the answer
Reconciliation restores friendship between people or groups who were in conflict. An end to fighting only becomes a lasting peace through reconciliation. -
Jewish attitudes to conflict
What does Isaiah 2:5 call the house of Jacob to do?
Show the answer
Isaiah 2:5 calls the house of Jacob to walk in the light of the Lord. Jews should live by God's ways now, not wait for the future. -
Judaism, pacifism and passive resistance
What does Micah 4:3 teach?
Show the answer
Micah 4:3 foresees nations beating swords into ploughshares, in words almost identical to Isaiah 2:4. Nations will no longer learn war. -
Milchemet reshut and Just War in Judaism
What does Deuteronomy 20:5–8 say about who may be excused from fighting?
Show the answer
A man who has built a new house, planted a vineyard or become engaged may go home. A soldier who is afraid may also return home. -
Milchemet mitzvah and Holy War in Judaism
Which kind of milchemet mitzvah still applies today?
Show the answer
Self-defence against an attacking enemy remains a milchemet mitzvah. Many Jews see Israel's defensive wars in this way. -
Jewish attitudes to weapons of mass destruction
How do Jews interpret Deuteronomy 20 in relation to weapons of mass destruction?
Show the answer
Deuteronomy 20 forbids destroying fruit trees in war, so needless destruction is forbidden. Weapons of mass destruction destroy land, crops and people for generations. -
Judaism, violence, war and terrorism
How might Jews interpret Psalm 10:12–18 in the face of terrorism?
Show the answer
Jews see the psalm as assuring victims that God sees their suffering and will bring justice. The psalm calls believers to defend the weak as God does.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish teachings on peace | Shalom as a name of God and in prayer, Deuteronomy 20:10–12 on offering peace before attacking a city, the Messianic Age, Hillel on Aaron, peace between individuals, and the everyday greeting. | 12 |
| Jewish peacemaking | Perkei Avot 1:18, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation, the Parents Circle–Families Forum and its founding, Rabbis for Human Rights, Yitzhak Rabin's Nobel Peace Prize, and Hand in Hand schools. | 12 |
| Jewish attitudes to conflict | Isaiah 2:1–5 on the last days and the house of Jacob, situation ethics for and against fighting, Humanist claims about religion, Jewish suffering from religious hatred, and settling disputes within communities. | 12 |
| Judaism, pacifism and passive resistance | Why Judaism is not generally pacifist, the history of Jewish pacifism, Micah 4:1–6 and its picture of peace, Emanuel Ringelblum's archive as passive resistance and his fate, and pacifism after the Holocaust. | 12 |
| Milchemet reshut and Just War in Judaism | Just War conditions set against Deuteronomy 20, who had to approve an optional war, who could be excused from fighting, the rules of siege and Maimonides' addition, and whether a just war is possible today. | 12 |
| Milchemet mitzvah and Holy War in Judaism | The wars Maimonides classed as obligatory, why the wars of conquest no longer apply, the kind that still does, 2 Samuel 22 on God's role in war, and Humanist criticism with a Jewish reply. | 12 |
| Jewish attitudes to weapons of mass destruction | Their harms and claimed benefits, Purity of Arms, Deuteronomy 20 applied to them, nuclear deterrence and Israel's policy, the utilitarian case and Humanist views, and the relevance of Pikuach Nefesh. | 12 |
| Judaism, violence, war and terrorism | Psalm 10:12–18 in the face of terrorism, how Jews have been affected by terror, responses to violence by Jews, work to overcome war and help the displaced, Humanist views, and when Jewish law allows force. | 12 |
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.