This GCSE RE Christianity quiz takes a look at key teachings. Any faith worthy of that title will have various ‘codes’ of conduct, founded on the example/s &/or writings of earlier believers: some faiths have parallel traditions of scriptural and priestly teaching (such as the rabbinical sayings and precepts of Judaism). It would perhaps be surprising if, when meeting together for worship and spiritual succour, groups of believers did not evolve and cherish standard prayers and sayings to express the focus of their faith, reasonably concisely listing the essential stories and doctrines. These are usually known as Creeds (from the long-used Latin first word 'credo' = ‘I believe’; as distinct from anything that’s in-credible).
Across the panoply of Christianity, perhaps unsurprisingly there have been variants on the basic Creed, but we shall work our way through one of the standard respected versions and explore the nuts-and-bolts of Christian belief.
Rather as with the Ten Commandments (a broadly equivalent hallowed text for both Jews and Christians), there are two phases: the Commandments deal first with our duty to love and honour God, and then with our dealings with our fellow people; the Creeds also start out from what we believe about God (in His three Persons, and how these interconnect), and later come a number of other key doctrines which, though clearly important, are not all quite so primarily or directly about God Himself.
Not every Church nor congregation will recite such a creed word-for-word on every occasion, but towards the beginning or centre of an act of corporate worship (e.g. a communion service) it is a splendidly suitable way of uniting and focusing a group of believers around the deep values they share.
So: what are these key, distinctive beliefs of Christianity? Here is your chance to work through the main points of the Creed and check you have a grasp of the essentials.