Nature and significance of the Trinity
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Christian beliefs about the nature of the Trinity, including the significance and influence of these beliefs.
Key learning points
- The Trinity refers to the belief held by most Christians that there is One God, who is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Each Person of the Trinity is fully God, but at the same time, is distinct from the other Persons.
- There are references to the three Persons of the Trinity in the Bible, which later influenced the Nicene Creed.
- The Trinity is significant for most Christians because it emphasises the belief in one God.
- Belief in the Trinity can have a significant influence on Christian life, including worship.
Keywords
Holy Spirit - the third Person of the Trinity; believed to be present with believers since Pentecost and active on earth
Trinity - the Christian belief that there is One God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Oneness of God - the belief that God is one singular divine being (who can be manifest in the three Persons of the Trinity)
The Father - the first Person of the Trinity, the belief in God as creator and sustainer of the universe
The Son/Son of God - the second Person of the Trinity; Jesus believed to be God incarnate
Common misconception
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three separate gods.
Most Christians believe in the Oneness of God and that all three Persons of the Trinity are present in only one God, therefore the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not three separate gods.
Teacher tip
You may wish to provide students with copies of the sources of wisdom and authority referenced in the additional material, particularly Matthew 3:13-17.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.The is the holy book of Christianity.
Q2.Which of these is not one of the Ten Commandments?
Q3.What is the term for the belief that Jesus is both fully human and fully God?
Q4.Which festival celebrates Jesus' resurrection?
Q5.Which sacrament involves the sharing of bread and wine as a remembrance of Jesus' Last Supper?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.The Trinity refers to the belief held by most Christians that there is God, who is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Q2.What does the belief in the Trinity say about each Person (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)?
Q3.There are references to the three Persons of the Trinity in the Bible, which later influenced the Creed.
Q4.Why is the belief in the Trinity significant for most Christians?
Q5.How can belief in the Trinity influence Christian life?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Nature and significance of the Trinity, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Nature and significance of the Trinity, 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 Christian beliefs unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.