AQA GCSE Religious Studies (8062) · Paper 1

✝️ Christianity: Beliefs

Revision notes written to the specification, with examiner tips and the required practicals. Every point here has flashcards in the Stickwise app.

The nature of God

Christianity is monotheist: it teaches that there is only one God, who is omnipotent (all-powerful), benevolent (all-loving) and just. The presence of suffering in the world seems to contradict these three qualities, a difficulty known as the problem of evil. Classic Christian responses include the idea that suffering comes from the misuse of free will, that suffering can act as a test which helps the soul grow, that God's plan is not fully visible to us, and that God himself suffered on the cross alongside humanity.

The Trinity is the belief that God exists as three persons: the Father, who is the creator; the Son, Jesus, who is God incarnate (God made flesh); and the Holy Spirit, God's presence and power at work in the world today. Christians also believe in creation: 'In the beginning God created…' (Genesis 1:1), and John's Gospel adds that the Word was present with God from the start. Some Christians read this account literally, while most read it symbolically, in a way they see as compatible with science.

🎯 Examiner tip: From summer 2026 every section of the AQA Religious Studies A (8062) papers follows the same pattern of questions: 1, 1, 4, 6 and 12 marks. The 6-mark question rewards you for naming a source of wisdom and authority and explaining how it supports the point, not just for mentioning it. The 12-mark evaluation question is unchanged.

Jesus, salvation & the afterlife

IncarnationIncarnation is the belief that God became human: 'the Word became flesh' (John 1:14). Christians celebrate this at Christmas.

CrucifixionJesus's death on the cross is understood as atonement, taking the punishment for sin on humanity's behalf. This is why the cross is the central symbol of Christianity.

ResurrectionOn the third day Jesus rose from the dead, leaving the tomb empty, which Christians see as death being defeated. Paul writes that 'if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile' (1 Corinthians 15).

AscensionForty days after the resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven, promising that the Holy Spirit would come to his followers.

Sin, which entered the world at the Fall, separates humans from God, and salvation is the repair of that relationship. Christians believe salvation comes through grace, received by faith, and shown in a life of good works. Their beliefs about the afterlife include resurrection to eternal life and a final judgement, illustrated in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, in which people are judged on how their love was shown in action. After judgement comes heaven or hell, and Catholics also believe in purgatory, a period of purification before heaven.

🎯 Examiner tip: Keep a bank of short quotations ready for 12-mark questions, such as 'God so loved the world…' (John 3:16), 'I am the resurrection and the life', and 'by grace you have been saved'. Using one accurate quotation per paragraph will lift your answer into a higher level.

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