Christian beliefs about baptism
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the sacrament of baptism and its significance for Christians today.
Key learning points
- Baptism is the sacrament through which people become members of the Church.
- Both infant and adult baptism are practised within Christianity.
- Water and the Trinity are key features of baptism.
- Some Christians believe that the water washes away original sin, others believe the water is symbolic.
- Both infant baptism and believer's baptism is significant for Christians today.
Keywords
Baptism - the sacrament through which people become members of the Church, which involves the use of water as a symbol of the washing away of sin
Initiation - the action of admitting someone into a society or group, typically with a ritual
Original sin - belief that human nature is flawed, and that we all have the tendency to sin; traditionally believed to be inherited from Adam and Eve
Sacrament - an outward sign of an invisible and inward blessing by God; for example: baptism, Eucharist
Common misconception
Baptism always takes place when a person is a baby/young child.
People can also be baptised when they are adults, this is known as adult baptism and is practised by many Christians.
Teacher tip
You may wish to share with students the context of who John the Baptist was and the full passage of Jesus' baptism from Matthew 3:13-17 to support learning cycle 1.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Sacraments are signs of an invisible and spiritual grace.
Q2.How many sacraments are recognised by the Roman Catholic Church?
Q3.Which two sacraments are commonly recognised across most Christian denominations?
Q4.What is one purpose of the sacraments in a Christian’s life?
Q5.Why do Quakers not celebrate sacraments?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.What does baptism symbolise for Christians?
Q2.Which group is more likely to practise adult or believer’s baptism?
Q3.Baptism uses water and the name of the to symbolise spiritual cleansing.
Q4.What do some Christians believe baptism does to original sin?
Q5.What is the main reason adults get baptised in believer’s baptism?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Christian beliefs about baptism, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Christian beliefs about baptism, 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.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Christianity: Practices unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.