Key Idea: Christian doctrine has two sources and the guide lists both in one line: scripture — the Ten Commandments, Matthew 5, the two great commandments, the Lord's Prayer, Paul — and the Church: the Councils, the papal bulls and encyclicals. The creeds are where the second worked on the first.
Tested as
- Statements of belief: Trinity, incarnation, resurrection
- Authority, hierarchy and the schools of thought
- Whether doctrine unites or divides Christianity
Watch for
- Presenting the Trinity as an exception to monotheism
- Using salvation and the Kingdom of God as synonyms
- Treating Charismatic and Pentecostal as denominations
Use
- Trinity, incarnation, Logos, atonement, redemption, grace
- Apostles' and Nicene Creeds; the filioque
- Mainstream, Fundamentalism, Charismatic, Pentecostal, non-denominationalism
| Concept | The guide's own gloss |
|---|---|
| Trinity | The three-fold nature of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit — a Christian expression of monotheism |
| Incarnation | Jesus as God incarnate |
| Sin | Act or acts of rebellion against the will of God |
| Atonement | Reconciliation between God and humanity through Christ |
| Grace | God's love for humanity and the means to salvation through faith in Jesus |
| Kingdom of God | Both an earthly and heavenly closeness to God — not a synonym for heaven |
Divine authority: God and Jesus. Authority of foundational figures, prophets and saints. Church hierarchy and the authority of the person in different denominations. Every church claims the first. The disagreement is about the third — which is why the guide cross-refers this heading to the list of ministers in the rituals table.
Examine the role of the creeds in Christian life.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
To what extent do the Christian schools of thought cut across the denominations?
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
How should the Trinity be stated? 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.
Distinguish salvation from the Kingdom of God. The guide glosses salvation as all believers being saved and living in God's presence, and the Kingdom of God as both an earthly and heavenly closeness to God.
What is the filioque? The clause about whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone or from the Father and the Son. It contributed to the division between Eastern and Western Christianity.
Where did Christian doctrine come from? The Ten Commandments; Matthew 5, the Beatitudes and other teachings of Jesus; the two great commandments; the Lord's Prayer; the acts and teachings of Paul; and the Councils, papal bulls and encyclicals.
Exam tips
- Add "a Christian expression of monotheism" every time you state the Trinity.
- Say what a creed clause EXCLUDES. That is analysis; listing clauses is not.
- The guide glosses the Kingdom of God as earthly and heavenly. Not a synonym for heaven.
- Charismatic and Pentecostal cut across churches. Treating them as denominations is a misread.