1. Key words on life after death
In teams, write down as many key words and meanings as you can think of!

2. Revision – Life After Death

3. Image of God
According to the book of genesis, God ‘created man in his own image’, and this gives Christians a belief that they have a divine spark or soul, setting them apart from other living things. All other living things were formed ‘out of the ground’.

4. After death?
Christians believe that, although the body may die the soul never does and it is reunited with God. The proof of this, said St Paul, was in the resurrection of Jesus. God raised him from the dead and those who believe this will also be raised back to life to be with God.

5. Belief in life after death gives Christians a meaning and purpose to life. They argue it makes no sense for everything to end when you die.
An afterlife where the evil are punished based on their actions an get justice on the Day of Judgement e.g. Heaven/Hell
According to the Apostles’ Creed, God will judge the ‘living and the dead’ at the end of time. The book of revelation says that are two books, one that contains everything people have done in their lives and one of those who believe in Jesus.

6. Resurrection of the body
Some Christians believe that when people die, their SOUL remains in the grave until the time when God will end the world.
This known as the Last Day when Jesus will return to earth (Second Coming).
The dead will be raised and both living and dead will appear before God for the final Judgement.
They will have a RESURRECTION OF THE BODY
Based on the resurrection of Jesus.
Some protestants

7. Immortality of the Soul
Many Christians believe that people are made up of a body and a soul. When the body dies, the soul leaves the body to be with God (if sin free).
Roman Catholics believe in purgatory – a place between Heaven and Hell where people suffer for a time to be cleansed of their sins before they are allowed into Heaven.
Roman Catholics and some Protestants

8. What do Christians believe about heaven and hell?
Those who follow God’s will faithfully expect to go to heaven, a place free from suffering, where a believer can spend an eternity with God. However, those who refuse to follow Jesus’ teaching will not got to heaven. A sinner can repent and turn away from bad deeds and will then be able to enter heaven..

9. Hell
Nowadays, hell is seen as an absence of God: those who reject Jesus’ teachings can expect to spend an eternity away from God. In the past, Christians had a more visual image of Hell. Medieval art depicted hell as a place of torment and suffering, where there would be ‘wailing and gnashing teeth’.

10. Christian ideas about salvation and redemption
Jesus is described as ‘the Saviour of the world’ in the New Testament. Christians believe that he came to earth to save people from theirs sins. Another title given to Jesus is Redeemer, meaning someone who saves a person from sin and damnation. It is thought that Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross to redeem believers from the original sin of Adam and Eve. By suffering on the cross, Jesus has allowed all those who believe in him to be forgiven and to enter heaven.

11. Christian funerals
A funeral reminds Christians that they believe they will live forever with God. Most funerals include readings from the bible, hymns, prayers and tributes or eulogies from those who knew the deceased well.
Today, some Christians feel that the soul is now more important after death, so cremation is now more common.
In Roman Catholic Churches, a requiem mass may be held, where prayers for the soul of the dead are offered.
Some Christian denominations, such as Orthodox, do not accept anything else other than the burial of a coffin in the ground.

12. End of Life The Soul Life after death Beliefs about heaven
Day of Judgement (second coming)
End of Life
Beliefs about hell and purgatory
Funeral rites
Treatment of criminals
Particular judgement
War is wrong

13. Exam practice! A01 Explain (6 marks)
‘Explain why the suffering of Christ is important for Christians’
‘Explain Christian views on life after death
‘Explain the Christian concept of Hell’
A02 Discussion (12 marks)
‘The afterlife is necessary to make sense of life’
‘There is no life after death’
‘We do not have a soul’
‘Funerals are for the living, not the dead’

14. What do you think to each others plans?
Read their plan and give it two stars and a wish. Two things good about it and a target to help them improve.