Christian beliefs about God and Jesus
Christianity is the largest religion in the world and the tradition that shaped much of British law, art and calendar. Studying it means understanding what Christians say they believe, and why.
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Describe core Christian beliefs about God, Jesus and human purpose
Key learning points
- • One God, described in three ways
- • Jesus
- • Human purpose
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 20 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 20
Visual introductionPicture this
Christian beliefs about God and Jesus
Christianity is the largest religion in the world and the tradition that shaped much of British law, art and calendar. Studying it means understanding what Christians say they believe, and why.
In a nutshell
Describe core Christian beliefs about God, Jesus and human purpose
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 20
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · One God, described in three ways
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 20
Learn
One God, described in three ways
Christians believe in one God understood as Father, Son and Holy Spirit — the Trinity. This is not three gods but one God experienced in three persons: creator, the incarnate Jesus, and the presence at work in the world.
Reset break
Part 4 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 20
Learn
Jesus
Christians believe Jesus was born in first-century Judea, taught about the kingdom of God, was crucified under Roman authority and was raised from the dead. Belief in the resurrection is the claim on which the tradition rests; without it, Christians say, the rest would not follow.
Quick check
Part 6 of 20
Quick check
Part 7 of 20
Reset break
Part 8 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 20
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Human purpose
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 20
Learn
Human purpose
Most Christians teach that humans are made in the image of God, are capable of wrong choices, and are offered forgiveness. Purpose is usually described as loving God and loving your neighbour — a phrase that turns belief into a way of treating people.
Quick check
Part 11 of 20
Reset break
Part 12 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 20
Explore the idea
Part 14 of 20
Worked example
Source study: the Golden Rule
'So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you' (Matthew 7:12). Reading it as a historian: it is instruction, not description, and it appears in a collection of teaching, so it tells us what Christians were taught to aim at rather than how any individual behaved.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 20
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Reset break
Part 16 of 20
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 20
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
____ is usually described as loving God and loving your neighbour — a phrase that turns belief into a way of treating people.
Challenge round
Part 18 of 20
Game · Recall cards
What does the term Trinity describe?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 19 of 20
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Christian beliefs about God and Jesus
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. What does the term Trinity describe?
2. Which belief do Christians describe as central to their faith?
3. What phrase sums up Christian teaching about purpose?
4. How should the Golden Rule verse be read as a source?
Lesson round-up
Part 20 of 20
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 20 · Watch & discover