The Trinity (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Author
Glenn MillingtonExpertise
Religious Studies
The Oneness of God & the Holy Trinity
The Trinity
The Holy Trinity is the belief that God is Three-in-One, or Trinity,
God the Creator and Father,
Jesus as the Son of God
Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God at work in the world
The Trinity
All are both worshipped, and acknowledged as separate persons of the one God
The Trinity is not explicitly stated in the New Testament but it has become something that marks Christianity out from other monotheistic religions such as Islam and Judaism, which reject the idea that God can be three
The Nicene Creed
A key source of authority for believing in the Trinity is the Nicene Creed
The statement is recited by Christians of many denominations in their regular acts of worship
The Creed was drawn up in 325 CE by the Council of Nicaea (a gathering of all bishops from across the world)
‘We believe in one God, the Father the Almighty … We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God … We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life’ (The Nicene Creed)
The Creed also affirms the unity of the Church, baptism and repentance for the remission of sins, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgement, and everlasting life
The Influence of the Trinity on Christians
How the belief in the Trinity influences Christians today
As the Father, God is loving so Christians may feel loved and demonstrate love for others for example by giving to charity
As the Son, God was incarnate
He lived and died among humans so Christians know that God can understand them
He can feel pain like we do so Christians can pray to God for help
As the Spirit, God is a source of spiritual strength
Christians can feel the Spirit at work in their lives and this strengthens and supports them
The Trinity is a mystery so Christians can accept that there are things that they cannot know about God
The Trinity explains many things in the Bible so Christians can understand events like the voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism. They can also understand the importance of the Trinity for baptism. In the name of the Father, Son & Spirit
Worked Example
Which one of the following is the idea that God is three-in-one?
[1 mark]
A. Atonement
B. Incarnation
C. Salvation
D. Trinity
Answer:
D - Trinity (1)
All of the other answers are keywords associated with this topic but it is Trinity that means the idea that God is three-in-one
Exam Tip
You are expected to not only know what the Trinity is, but also how belief in the Trinity influences the way that Christians lead their lives. This could be the individual elements of the Trinity or the Trinity as a whole.
For example, a 4 mark question might ask you to:
Explain two ways in which belief in the Trinity influences Christians today
In response, you could write about how a belief in God as ‘The Father’ might lead them to give to charity and care for others just as God as ‘The Father’ loves and cares for us.
OR
It may lead Christians to accept that just as ‘The Trinity’ itself is mysterious and difficult to understand, Christians must accept that there will be things within their own lives that they cannot fully comprehend.
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