Key Idea: Judaism, Christianity and Islam make up Section B of paper 1, and you must answer at least one question from it. All three are monotheisms, and each expresses that differently: Jews through b'rit, the covenant; Christians through the Trinity, which they call a Christian expression of monotheism; Muslims through tawhid.
Tested as
- Extract, then part (a) at 3 marks and part (b) at 6
- Key concepts asked directly — covenant, incarnation, tawhid
- Application of the concept to the extract and the religion
Watch for
- Presenting the Trinity as an exception to monotheism
- Describing the Prophet Muhammad as divine or as the Qur'an's author
- Treating Jewish election as a claim of superiority
Use
- The guide's own glosses, which are short and precise
- Shema, Nicene Creed and shahadah as the three statements
- One physical practice per tradition as evidence
| Question | Judaism | Christianity | Islam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monotheism stated as | B'rit — the covenant with a people | The Trinity, described as a Christian expression of monotheism | Tawhid, which excludes shirk |
| The central statement | The Shema — hear, the LORD is one | The Apostles' and Nicene Creeds | The shahadah, which is also the first Pillar |
| What goes wrong | Transgression against the covenant | Sin — an act of rebellion against the will of God | Kufr, unbelief; and failure in ibadah |
| The remedy | Teshuvah — a turning — and amends to the person wronged | Redemption through Christ's death; grace | Submission, the Pillars, and judgment at Yawm al-din |
| Scripture's status | Hebrew is the sacred language; translation faces the Hebrew | Translated into the vernacular from the start; several versions | The Arabic words are God's speech; a translation is solely a translation |
Three sentences worth memorising exactly
- Judaism: few formal statements of belief, because the emphasis is on obedience to the Torah rather than subscribing to beliefs — yet key beliefs are important.
- Christianity: the Trinity is the three-fold nature of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit — a Christian expression of monotheism.
- Islam: the Qur'an is literally the speech of God, with the Prophet Muhammad as messenger, not author.
Explain what the three monotheisms mean by revelation.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Explain why statements of belief function differently in these three traditions.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
How should the Trinity be stated safely? As the three-fold nature of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit — a Christian expression of monotheism. The last phrase prevents the commonest error.
Why is the Prophet Muhammad called messenger and not author? Because Muslims hold the Qur'an to be literally the speech of God, received and transmitted rather than composed — which is why its Arabic wording is fixed.
What does Jewish election claim? Obligation rather than superiority: God choosing the children of Israel to be a holy people, keeping the covenant by obeying the Torah, and being a witness to the Gentile world.
Name the three central statements of belief. The Shema in Judaism; the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds in Christianity; the shahadah in Islam, which is simultaneously the first Pillar.
Exam tips
- Add "a Christian expression of monotheism" whenever you state the Trinity.
- Messenger, not author. Four words that protect an Islam answer.
- Election means obligation. Say so, or the answer reads as a claim about superiority.
- Each tradition's practice on translation follows from where it locates revelation.