Year 10 Religious Studies Autumn Term Assessment 2020: Mark scheme

PPQ 1: Christianity – Beliefs and Teachings and Christianity – Practices

1. Which of these biblical books mentions Jesus’ involvement in creation?

Target: AO1:1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including beliefs, practices and
sources of authority

d) John [1 mark]

2. Give two ways in which Christians might show their commitment to Church growth. [2 marks]

Target: AO1:1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including beliefs, practices and
sources of authority

One mark for each of two correct points.

Students may include two of the following points, but all other relevant points must be credited:
 Some might join the Church Army to help people find faith.
 Some might work for the vulnerable and marginalised people in society / to bring them into the Church.
 Some might serve in Mission, especially in areas where Christianity is under attack.
 Some might join the Ichthus Fellowship, which offers evangelical worship.
 Some might join Fresh Expressions in order to engage with people who might not otherwise think of going to
church.
 Some might show their commitment by talking to people about their faith, inviting them to special events
and services.
 Some might give money to the Church / pay tithes / give to charity, etc.

3. Explain two contrasting examples of Christian worship. [4 marks]

Target: AO1:3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including similarities and
differences within and/or between religions and beliefs.

First contrasting example

Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast– 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast– 2 marks

Second contrasting example

Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast– 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast– 2 marks

Note: If similar beliefs are given, only one of them may be credited up to 2 marks max.

Students may include some of the following points, but all other relevant points must be credited:
 Liturgical forms of worship follow the same set pattern every time / non-liturgical worship has no set form or
ritual.
 Liturgical worship is led by a priest, who leads the congregation in prayer (for example) / whereas non-
liturgical worship may have an appointed leader or no leader at all.
 Liturgical worship uses set biblical passages (so for example the sermon is usually taken from a specific
text) / non-liturgical worship may focus entirely on scripture as the ‘word’ / scriptural passages may be used
as the basis for meditation or for informal extempore prayer.
 In liturgical worship, the priest may perform symbolic actions such as those associated with the ritual of the
Eucharist / non-liturgical worship may be less structured and symbolic, being charismatic, free-flowing and
‘Spirit-led’.
  Quaker worship is often silent / in contrast to charismatic worship or liturgical worship, where worshippers
might exercise the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues.
 Private worship might focus on prayer and meditation / contrasting (for example) with worship in the family
through saying grace at meals / having bedtime prayer with children / and by Bible study in small groups.
 Private worship which may involve only one individual and no set form of worship may be contrasted with
public worship involving people joining together as a community and often a set order, etc.

4. Explain two Christian teachings about what God is like. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian
belief and teaching in your answer. [5 marks]

Target: AO1:1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including beliefs, practices and
sources of authority

First belief:
Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate belief – 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate belief – 2 marks

Second belief:
Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate belief – 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate belief – 2 marks

Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Christian belief and teaching – 1 mark

Students may include some of the following points, but all other relevant points must be credited:
 Omnipotence/ ‘all powerful’/ almighty, having unlimited power; a quality of God/“Nothing is impossible with
God.” Luke 1:37/Jesus calming the storm: “Even the wind and the waves obey him” (Mark)
 Benevolent: all-loving, all-good; a quality of God/When the New Testament refers to God’s benevolence they
often use the term ‘agape’ meaning selfless, self-sacrificial love/That God loves humans and wants the best for
then/ “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life.” (John)/ The Ten Commandments: Do not steal, murder, commit adultery, etc: God clearly
cares about the well-being of humans/ “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Sermon on
the Mount, Matthew)
 Justice: bringing about what is right and fair, according to the law, or making up for a wrong that has been
committed/To be fair, to operate in a way which gives everyone equal value and equal rights/It not only includes
deciding on what is wrong or right but being the perfect judge of human character/God never supports injustice,
ill-treatment, prejudice or oppression/The Ten Commandments/ “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on
the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust… 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly
Father is perfect.” (The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew)
[5 marks]
5. ‘Christianity would not exist if Jesus had not risen from the dead.’
Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should:

- Refer to Christian teaching

- Give detailed arguments to support this statement
- Give detailed arguments to support a different point of view.
- Reach a justified conclusion

Target: AO2 Analyse and evaluate aspects of religion and belief, including significance and influence
Students may include some of the following evidence and arguments, all relevant evidence and arguments must be
credited:

Arguments in support
 The resurrection was the final proof that Jesus was God in human form
 Without the resurrection there would be no salvation
 It fulfilled prophecy
 The resurrection shows that good defeats evil
 Jesus’ resurrection showed that resurrection is possible for Christians so they need not fear death
 References to resurrection in the Apostles Creed and 1 Corinthians 15:14
 The resurrection makes God’s forgiveness possible
 if Jesus had not risen, Christianity would not have spread
 his followers would have fallen away, disappointed at the outcome
 disciples would have been discouraged that he was not the hoped for Messiah
 Jesus would have been seen as just a preacher who fell foul of the authorities
 Validates Jesus as someone special and worth following

Arguments in support of other views

 Christianity exists even if the resurrection is not true
 resurrection is impossible
 Jesus’ teaching and example is more of an influence for Christians than the resurrection
 Believing that Jesus’ resurrection made resurrection possible for Christians is wrong because followers are
human, Jesus was God.
 belief in Jesus not just centred on the resurrection, can be achieved through belief in his ability to perform other
miracles, his teaching, the nature of his conception
 Christianity might still have existed on the basis of Jesus’ moral teachings alone
 other religions exist without their founders or prophets rising from the dead
 Jews, for example, still await a Messiah and yet their religion continues, etc.
[12 marks]

PPQ 2: Themes: Religion, Peace and Conflict, the Existence of God and Revelation and Religion and Life

1. Which of the following is not an acceptable reason for war under the Just War Theory?

Target: AO1:1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including beliefs, practices and
sources of authority

a) Gain territory
 [1 mark]
2. Give two reasons why many religious believers are against violent protest.

Target: AO1:1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including beliefs, practices and
sources of authority
One mark for each of two correct points.

Students may include two of the following points, but all other relevant points must be credited:
No religion promotes violence and generally agree that conflict should be avoided if possible / love they neighbour /
violent protest is against the law and religious believers are encouraged to uphold the law / violent protest is likely
to provoke retaliation and not solve the problem / may lead to extremism and entrenched attitudes / could lead to
suffering and fatalities / more can often be achieved by peaceful protest eg the American Civil Rights Movement and
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr or Gandhi in India / pacifists / many religious teachings reflect this eg. Ahimsa / First Moral
Precept / Right Action / ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ etc.

[2 marks]

3. Explain two contrasting views about the strengths of the First Cause argument for the existence of God. In
your answer you must refer to one or more religious traditions and non-religious beliefs.

Target: AO1:3 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including similarities and
differences within and/or between religions and beliefs

First contrasting belief:

Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast - 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast - 2 marks

Second contrasting belief:

Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast - 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate contrast - 2 marks

Max 2 marks for just a description of the First Cause argument.

For contrasting read contrasting strengths or views about the strengths.

Students may include some of the following points, but all other relevant points must be credited:

Views that the argument has strengths

Arguments like St Thomas Aquinas’ Cosmological Argument, and the Kalam argument are very persuasive / they are
logical arguments eg. nothing + nothing = nothing / the arguments fit with our experience of everything having a
beginning and end, so makes sense / fits with scripture Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and
the earth; John 1:3 – all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made /
Qur’an 14:19 – See you not that Allah created the heavens and the earth / fits with scientific arguments such as the
Big Bang / etc.

Views that the argument does not have strengths

The argument proves a cause, but that cause might not be God – so is not proving God’s existence / that the
argument is illogical as it starts by denying what it eventually uses as a solution (self-caused cause) / circular
argument / nature is cyclical not linear, so the argument is flawed / we can’t know that all things have a cause, it’s an
assumption etc.
[4 marks]

4. Explain two beliefs about nature as a source of knowledge about the divine. Refer to sacred writings or
another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.

Target: AO1:1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including beliefs, practices and
sources of authority
First belief:
Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate teaching - 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate teaching - 2 marks

Second belief:
Simple explanation of a relevant and accurate teaching - 1 mark
Detailed explanation of a relevant and accurate teaching - 2 marks

Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching – 1 mark

This answer does not preclude the use of humanism or atheism as the second belief about nature as a source of
knowledge about the divine as unlike the other themes it does not ask for two religious beliefs.

Students may include some of the following points, but all other relevant points must be credited:

General points
- Nature is seen as general revelation
- That God reveals Himself through nature
- Humans can see beauty in nature, which is a reflection of God’s love
- The power and beauty of nature instil a sense of awe and wonder, making humans see God at work
- Nature’s laws and workings are revelations of God at work
- It fails as a source of knowledge for those who don’t believe in God
- Science gives a better explanation for the structures seen in nature
- Natural disasters and suffering make people question God’s benevolent nature
[5 mark]
5. ‘Religious creation stories are incompatible with scientific accounts of creation.’
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you:
- should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
- should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
- should refer to religious arguments
- may refer to non-religious arguments
- should reach a justified conclusion.

Target: AO2 Analyse and evaluate aspects of religion and belief, including significance and influence
Students may include some of the following evidence and arguments, all relevant evidence and arguments must be
credited:

Arguments in support
 Religious creation stories are opposed to science
 Big Bang theory does not require action of God
 Big Bang random chance, not creation by God
 Universe took billions of years to develop, not six days
 Details of Genesis 1 story incorrect from scientific perspective e.g. sun, moon and stars could not have been
created after light / vegetation would require the sun
 Details of John 1 story are incompatible with scientific accounts e.g. there is no concept of the Word within the
Big Bang theory
 Fundamentalists take creation stories literally as they believe it is the direct word of God so cannot be
contradicted
 Evolution does not involve creation of man from dust / woman from a rib

Arguments in support of other views

 Religious creation stories can agree with science as long as people do not take creation stories literally i.e. non-
literal approach
 God could have started the Big Bang
 God could have intended evolution to be the means of developing human life
 Scientists suggest that nothing happened before the universe began and this agrees with the Genesis account.
 Order of creation in Genesis 1 largely follows evolution
 Muslims accept Big Bang as evidence to support creation by Allah related in the Qur’an
 Religious believers see creation accounts as myths that contain religious rather than scientific truths
 Merely a way for people with limited scientific knowledge to understand creation
 The ‘old earth creationist’ view that the Hebrew word ‘yom’ means ‘era’ as well as ‘day’ so the world was
created in six stages rather than days.