GCSE Religious Studies: Catholic Christianity

Many schools, especially Catholic schools, study Catholic Christianity rather than Christianity in general for GCSE Religious Studies. It is a separate option in several specifications: for example, AQA offers Catholic Christianity as one of its religions, Pearson Edexcel's Specification A includes a Catholic Christianity option, and Eduqas Route B is built largely around it. This material covers the beliefs and practices those courses share.

It begins with the beliefs. You learn the Trinity as expressed in the Nicene Creed and where Catholics find it in scripture; creation in Genesis 1 and 2 and what it shows about God, human dignity and stewardship; the incarnation, Jesus as the Word made flesh; redemption and grace; and Catholic teaching on life after death, including judgement, heaven, hell and purgatory, with the reasons why most Protestants reject purgatory.

The sacraments form the centre of the material. You learn what a sacrament is, what is meant by the sacramental nature of reality, and the names, meanings and effects of all seven sacraments, grouped as sacraments of initiation, healing and service. The Eucharist is studied in depth: why it is called the source and summit of the Christian life, what transubstantiation means, and how Protestant views differ.

The practices section covers prayer as the raising of the mind and heart to God, formal and informal prayer, the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, pilgrimage, and the Catholic funeral rite with the Requiem Mass. The last part looks at the work of the Church: Catholic social teaching and the dignity of every person, and the work of CAFOD, Missio, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and Pax Christi.

The material offers a quiz with explanations for every answer, flashcards for the key terms, a printable written sheet of explain-and-evaluate tasks with reference answers, and an oral practice exam in which the examiner asks one question at a time and gives brief feedback at the end.

Catholic teaching is presented accurately and neutrally, with comparisons to other Christian traditions where the specifications ask for them. Use the material to learn the teachings and practices, then to practise explaining them with sources of authority and evaluating statements about them.

• Explain the Trinity as expressed in the Nicene Creed and its origins in scripture
• Explain Catholic beliefs about creation, incarnation and redemption
• Explain Catholic beliefs about life after death, including purgatory, and how they differ from Protestant views
• Describe the seven sacraments and explain the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life
• Explain Catholic prayer and popular piety, pilgrimage and the funeral rite
• Explain Catholic social teaching and the work of CAFOD, the SVP and Pax Christi

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the DfE GCSE religious studies subject content for Christianity and, for example, the Catholic Christianity section of AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062).