Beliefs about death and the afterlife
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand different Christian beliefs about life after death and explain how they respond to arguments against these beliefs.
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.
Teacher tip
Recap key concepts including atonement, crucifixion, resurrection and salvation.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why do some religious believers oppose euthanasia?
Q2.What does the term 'quality of life' mean in discussions about euthanasia?
Q3.According to UK law, which of the following is legal?
Q4.Which of these is an argument against euthanasia?
Q5.Match each key term to its definition.
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
Q6.One argument for euthanasia is that it can end unnecessary .
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does 'resurrection' mean in Christian belief?
Q2.Why do Christians believe in life after death?
Q3.How does the belief in a life after death provide comfort to Christians?
Q4.Why do some Christians see heaven and hell as symbolic rather than literal places?
Q5.In Catholic teaching, is a temporary state where souls are purified before entering heaven.
Q6.One argument against life after death is that some accounts of paranormal experiences may be .
To help you plan your 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 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.
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 Religion and life unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.