Beliefs about death and the afterlife
I can understand different Christian beliefs about life after death and explain how they respond to arguments against these beliefs.
Beliefs about death and the afterlife
I can understand different Christian beliefs about life after death and explain how they respond to arguments against these beliefs.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Christians believe in life after death because of Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of a transformed body.
- Christian views vary: some see heaven and hell as real places, others see them as symbolic.
- Catholics believe in purgatory as a place of purification.
- Arguments for life after death include Jesus’ resurrection and paranormal evidence.
- Arguments against life after death include the possibility of fraudulent accounts and social control.
Keywords
Heaven - a place of eternal happiness and union with God for those who have lived righteously
Hell - a state of eternal separation from God for those who have rejected him or lived sinfully
Purgatory - in Catholic belief, a temporary state of purification for souls who are destined for heaven but need to be cleansed of sin first
Resurrection - being raised from the dead; the form that many Christians believe the afterlife will take, referring to either physical or spiritual bodies
Common misconception
All Christians believe in heaven and hell as literal places.
Some Christians interpret them metaphorically as states of being, such as being in God's presence or being separated from God.
To help you plan your year 11 religious education lesson on: Beliefs about death and the afterlife, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 religious education lesson on: Beliefs about death and the afterlife, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Religion and life unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
respecting a person’s right to make their own choices
the belief that life is sacred and should not be ended by human choice
providing relief from pain without hastening death