Christianity PLC

Insight:  Beliefs, teachings and ideas about human life, the world and ultimate reality

Augustine’s Teaching on Human Nature

Human relationships pre- and post-Fal

Original Sin and its effects on the will and human societies

Augustine’s teaching that only God’s grace, his generous love, can overcome sin and the rebellious will to achieve the greatest good (summum bonum)

I can evaluate whether or not Augustine’s teaching on a historical Fall and Original Sin is wrong

I can evaluatewhether or not Augustine is right that sin means that humans can never be morally good

I can evaluate whether or not Augustine’s view of human nature is pessimistic or optimistic

I can evaluate whether or not there is a distinctive human nature

Death and the Afterlife: Christian teachings on heaven, hell and purgatory.

Election: limited, unlimited and univeralist perspectives.

I can evaluate whether or not God’s judgement takes place immediately after death or at the end of time

I can evaluate whether or not hell and heaven are eternal

I can evaluate whether or not heaven is the transformation and perfection of the whole of creation

I can evaluate whether or not purgatory is a state through which everyone goes

Foundations: The origins and development of Christianity, and the sources of wisdom on which it is based

Natural knowledge of God’s existence: as an innate human sense of the divine ad as seen in the order of creation

Revealed knowledge of God’s existence: through faith and God’s grace and revealed knowledge of God in Jesus

I can evaluate whether or not God can be known through reason alone

I can evaluate whether or not faith is sufficient reason for belief in God’s existence

I can evaluate whether or not the Fall has completely removed all natural human knowledge of God

I can evaluate whether or not natural knowledge of God is the same as revealed knowledge of God

I can evaluate whether or not belief in God’s existence is sufficient to put one’s trust in him

The person of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ’s authority as: the Son of God, a teacher of wisdom and/or a liberator.

I can evaluate whether or not Jesus was only a teacher of wisdom

I can evaluate whether or not Jesus was more than a political liberator

I can evaluate whether or not Jesus’ relationship with God was very special or truly unique

I can evaluate whether or not Jesus thought he was divine

Living: The diversity of ethics and practice, including those that shape and express religious identity, the role of the community of believers and key moral principles

Christian moral principles & the diversity of Christian moral reasoning and practices and sources of ethics

The Bible as the only authority for Christian ethical practices

Bible, Church and reason as the sources of Christian ethical practices

Love (agape) as the only Christian ethical principle which governs Christian practices

I can evaluate whether or not Christian ethics are distinctive

I can evaluate whether or not Christian ethics are personal or communal

I can evaluate whether or not the principle of love is sufficient to live a good life

I can evaluate whether or not the Bible is a comprehensive moral guide

Christian moral action

The teaching and example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on: duty to God and duty to the State, Church as community and source of spiritual discipline and the cost of discipleship

I can evaluate whether or not Christians should practise civil disobedience

I can evaluate whether or not it is possible always to know God’s will

I can evaluate whether or not Bonhoeffer puts too much emphasis on suffering

I can evaluate whether or not Bonhoeffer’s theology has relevance today