Religion & Philosophy - Year 7

Religion & Philosophy Overview

Term 1: The Church and the Bible (Theology)

Students will explore the foundations of Christianity and the Church community. Students will learn about a variety of denominations and investigate their similarities and differences. Students will be examining the Bible and will understand the spiritual importance of Holy Scripture.

  1. Students will be set a quiz to assess their knowledge and understanding.

Religion

The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

The church

A building used for Christian worship.

The Church

A group of Christians. The Christian community.

Infant Baptism

Sometimes known as 'Christening.' An act of welcoming a child as a member of the church family by the sprinkling of water.

Believer's Baptism

Immersion in water as a sign of someone who is old enough to profess their own belief in Christianity.

Christianity

The world's largest religion based on the teachings of Jesus.

Christian

Someone who professes to follow the religion of Christianity.

Prayer

The act of talking or communicating with God.

Bible

Also known as 'Scripture.' The Holy Book for Christians.

Creation

To design or make something. The act by which God made the world.

Literal Interpretation

The Bible is a factual document, everything that is written in it is completely true.

Myth Interpretation

The Bible is a fictional book consisting of stories that may or may not guide people.

Allegory Interpretation

The Bible is a document that uses examples that humans can understand to explain abstract ideas.

Original Sin

The first sin committed by Adam and Eve. The belief that people are born with a sinful nature.

Sin

Disobeying God/breaking his laws.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Awareness of Christian beliefs and practices and their importance for the school values and ethos.

Create a supportive community:

Respect and understanding of the importance of the foundations of Christianity.

Term 2: What are the beliefs and teachings of Judaism? (Theology and Social Sciences)

Students will build on what they learnt in Term 1 and explore the link between Christianity and Judaism. We will start by exploring the origins of Judaism through the experiences of some key Prophets (namely, Abraham and Moses). Then students will be able to make links and understand how these important teachings are reflected in modern day Judaism. Students will also learn about Jewish festivals and key Rites of Passage.

  1. Students will be asked a set of questions to assess their knowledge and understanding and to give them an opportunity to compare and make links between Judaism and Christianity

Yahweh

The Hebrew name for God.

Abraham

The founder of Judaism.

Moses

The founder of Judaism.

Pesach

The festival of the Passover.

Shabbat

The Jewish Sabbath.

Synagogue

The Jewish place of worship.

Torah

The first five books of the Hebrew Bible.

Covenant

A binding promise or agreement.

Rabbi

Jewish religious leader. It means 'teacher.'

Monotheism

The belief in one God.

Talmud

A commentary on the Torah.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Awareness and understanding of the Jewish faith.

Create a supportive community:

Respect and tolerance of those of another religion.

Term 3: What are the beliefs and teachings of Islam? (Theology, Philosophy and Social Sciences)

Students will use knowledge from previous units to be able to make in depth comparisons between all three Abrahamic religions. Students will be encouraged to explain the importance of the Qur’an in being a dutiful Muslim and to describe the impact beliefs have on practices.

  1. Students will be asked a set of questions to assess their knowledge and understanding and to give them an opportunity to express links between all three Abrahamic religions.
Qur'an

The Holy book for Muslims.

Muslim

The followers of Islam.

Allah

Arabic word for God.

Mosque

Place of worship for Muslims.

Islam

The second largest religion in the world. In Arabic the word Islam means 'submission to the will of God.'

Muhammad

The last prophet sent by God to whom the Qur'an was revealed.

Five Pillars of Islam

Central belief system for Muslims.

Shahadah

Declaration of faith.

Salat

Prayer. Refers to praying five times a day.

Zakah

Giving to charity.

Sawm

Fasting.

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in a lifetime.

Makkah

A place of great religious significance. A holy city for Muslims.

Hadith

A record of the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Awareness of the Islamic faith.

Create a supportive community:

Respect and tolerance of religious beliefs and differences.

Term 4: Religious symbols and the Trinity (Theology and Social Sciences)

Students learn to explain how the Trinity is revealed in scripture and analyse the meaning of Christian symbols.

  1. Students will be asked a set of questions to assess knowledge and understanding, application and explanation skills.
Beliefs

shared ideas of religious teachings

rituals

Public or private ceremonies

social

shared attitudes and practices

symbol

a thing that represents or stands for something else

Trinity

the three persons of God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Awareness of the link and importance between belief and practice in various religions.

Create a supportive community:

Respect and tolerance for a variety of world faiths.

Term 5: How is justice achieved? (Theology and Philosophy)

Students will think about how religious teaching impacts the way we treat others and what justice means. We will look at real life examples to understand the need for forgiveness.

  1. Students will be set a task to assess what they have learnt about justice. Students will be encouraged to ‘explain’ showing reference to scripture
Justice

Fair behaviour or treatment.

Moral Dilemma

A conflict in which you have to choose between two or more actions and have moral reasons for choosing each action.

Moral

Concerned with the principles of right or wrong behaviour.

Right

Morally good, justified or acceptable.

Wrong

Immoral. Can also mean unjust or incorrect behaviour.

Golden Rule

Treating others the way you would like to be treated. Found in all six major world religions.

Forgiveness

The act of not blaming someone for wrongdoing any longer. Not holding a grudge.

Good

Something that is considered morally right.

Evil

Something that is considered immoral or wrong.

Love

A strong feeling of affection.

Agape

A word meaning 'Christian' love.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Awareness of own moral belief system.

Create a supportive community:

Respect and tolerance for the opinions and ideas of others. Ability to understand the consequences of moral decisions.

Term 6: Jesus’ Miracles (Theology)

Students will explore questions that arise from the miracles of Jesus and learn what they reveal about God’s nature.

  1. Students will prepare for their end of year assessment
Bible

Holy book for Christians.

Gospels

The 'good news' of Jesus. Record of Jesus' life and ministry.

Authority

Someone in charge or in control. The idea o having power to influence others.

Parables

Teachings of Jesus found in the Bible. A story used to illustrate a spiritual lesson.

MIracle

An act of God. An extraordinary event that cannot be explained by nature or science.

Judgement

Punishment by God for wrongdoing/sin.

Leprosy

A contagious disease that affects the skin and nerves.

Paralysed

The inability to move either a part, or the whole body.

Healing

An act of Jesus whereby people were cured miraculously.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Awareness of Christian beliefs with an emphasis of love and compassion.

Create a supportive community:

Respect and tolerance for different opinions and beliefs.