Religious Studies Paper 1 Key Concepts Flashcards
Incarnation
“Made in flesh”
The Christian belief that God became man in Jesus
Goodness
The quality of being like God.
Seeking the well-being of others selflessly
Free-will
The decision-making part of a person’s mind is called free-will.
Free-will is when a person is able to choose right from wrong without being controlled by other forces.
Evil
The absence of good
This is at the expense of the good of others which often results in suffering
Privation
The loss of a quality of something
St Augustine said that evil is a privation of good
Natural law
The laws of right and wrong are the same for all people, in all places, at all times.
Every human can discover the natural law
Suffering
Pain or loss which harms human beings
Some suffering is caused by other human beings (moral evil); some is not (natural evil)
Conscience
Human reason making moral decisions
The knowledge we have of what is right and wrong given by God
Inspiration
“God breathed”
The belief that the Holy Spirit guides people to write what is good and true
Revelation
How God made himself known to human beings
Christians believe that God does this fully through Jesus.
Omnipotence
The belief the God is all-powerful
Transcendence
Existing outside of space and time
God exists above and beyond creation
Creation ex nihilo
Creation out of nothing
Only God can create out of nothing
Evolution
When animals and plants change over time
These changes are to suit particular environments
Imago dei
Image of God
The belief that human beings reflect Gods qualities
