icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Interpretations of Christian creation

I can compare different Christian interpretations of creation and explain the importance and influence of these beliefs today.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Interpretations of Christian creation

I can compare different Christian interpretations of creation and explain the importance and influence of these beliefs today.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There are different Christian interpretations of the creation accounts in Genesis.
  2. Some Christians interpret the Genesis accounts literally and view them as historical and factual accounts of creation.
  3. Some Christians take a liberal approach and believe that the Genesis accounts are metaphorical and symbolic.
  4. Beliefs about creation are important today because they can help with Christian understanding of God and humanity.
  5. The Genesis creation accounts can influence a Christians beliefs and behaviour towards the environment and human life.

Keywords

  • Creation - bringing the world into existence; the belief that the world is God’s loving creation

  • Genesis - the first book of the Bible in the Old Testament; contains the creation accounts

  • Liberal - referring to Christians who believe the Bible was written by human authors inspired by God and should be read in context

  • Literal/literalist - referring to Christians who view the Bible as the true and exact word of God

Common misconception

All Christians believe that the Bible is a historical and factual account of history.

Some Christians take a literalist approach and believe that the Bible is a historical and factual account. However, some Christians regard parts of the Bible, including the creation accounts, as metaphorical. This is known as a liberal approach.


To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Interpretations of Christian creation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Learning Cycle 2 contains reference to knowledge covered in Component 1 - Theme 2: Issues of Life and Death (stewardship, abortion and euthanasia). You may wish to make links between this content and Theme 2 during this lesson.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following terms to the correct descriptions.
Correct Answer:omnipotent,the belief that God is all-powerful and unlimited in authority
tick

the belief that God is all-powerful and unlimited in authority

Correct Answer:The Fall,the event in Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve disobeyed God
tick

the event in Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve disobeyed God

Correct Answer:Divine Word,a title used for Jesus in John 1, meaning He was present in creation
tick

a title used for Jesus in John 1, meaning He was present in creation

Correct Answer:stewardship,the responsibility given to humans to care for creation
tick

the responsibility given to humans to care for creation

Q2.
Genesis 2:7 states, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of ”.
Correct Answer: life, Life
Q3.
What does Genesis 2 suggest about humanity’s role in creation?
that humans have no special role in creation
Correct answer: that humans were given the responsibility to care for creation
that humans were created last and are less important
Q4.
According to Genesis 3, what was the consequence of the Fall?
Correct answer: humans lost their connection with God and sin entered the world
humanity was given greater knowledge and power
Adam and Eve became rulers of the Garden of Eden
Q5.
What does John 1:3 teach about the role of Jesus in creation?
that Jesus created the world separately from God the Father
that Jesus is not mentioned in creation
Correct answer: that Jesus (the Word) was actively involved in creation
Q6.
What does Genesis 1 teach about God’s nature?
that God did not create the world, but only set natural forces in motion
Correct answer: that God is powerful and created the world from nothing (ex nihilo)
that God created the world accidentally

6 Questions

Q1.
Genesis is the book of the Bible and contains the creation accounts.
Correct Answer: first, First
Q2.
Match the Christian denomination or belief to their interpretation of Genesis.
Correct Answer:literalist Christians,believe that Genesis is factually and historically true
tick

believe that Genesis is factually and historically true

Correct Answer:liberal Christians,view Genesis as symbolic stories with important truths
tick

view Genesis as symbolic stories with important truths

Correct Answer:The Plymouth Brethren,believe that the creation accounts found in Genesis are factual
tick

believe that the creation accounts found in Genesis are factual

Q3.
How can beliefs about creation influence Christian behaviour?
Correct answer: they may support environmental care because the world is God’s creation
they may reject the idea that humans have any responsibility for the earth
they may believe that humans have no role in taking care of the environment
Q4.
In what way is creation an important belief for Christians today?
it has no influence on Christian beliefs and actions nowadays
it proves that the Bible is a scientific textbook
Correct answer: it helps Christians understand humanity's origins and its relationship with God
Q5.
How does the Genesis creation story influence Christian beliefs about human life?
Correct answer: it suggests that human life is special and given a purpose by God
it teaches that humans are part of random natural processes
it shows that humans have no special role in creation
Q6.
Why do literalist Christians reject the Big Bang theory?
they believe that the Bible contains hidden symbolic meanings
Correct answer: they believe that Genesis describes exactly how God created the world
they think science and religion must always agree