Christianity and the origins and value of the universe
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Christian beliefs about the origins and value of the universe, including their responses to scientific explanations.
Key learning points
- Georges Lemaître proposed the 'primeval atom' theory in 1927.
- Genesis 1 covers six-day creation; Genesis 2 focuses on humanity’s role.
- Fundamentalists take Genesis literally; liberals see it metaphorically.
- Many Christians view the Big Bang as part of God’s design.
- Most see Genesis 1:28 as stewardship; a minority interpret it as dominion.
Keywords
Big Bang theory - a scientific theory of the universe's origin, starting from a singularity approximately 14 billion years ago
Commodity - something that can be used for personal gain
Georges Lemaître - a Belgian priest and physicist who laid the foundations for the Big Bang theory in 1927
Fundamentalist - someone who rejects modern knowledge in favour of a literal interpretation of religious texts
Liberal - someone who prioritises modern knowledge and interprets religious texts metaphorically
Common misconception
Christians reject the Big Bang theory because it contradicts the Bible.
Many Christians accept the Big Bang as part of God's design and interpret Genesis metaphorically, seeing no conflict between science and faith.
Teacher tip
Introduce the key words 'stewardship' and 'dominion' in preparation for studying Christian responses to issues in the natural world later in this unit.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following best describes the Trinity?
Q2.What does the term 'incarnation' mean in Christianity?
Q3.Why do Christians believe Jesus’ crucifixion was significant?
Q4.Why is Jesus’ resurrection important to Christians?
Q5.The belief that God is means that He is all-powerful.
Q6.The belief in means that Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who proposed the 'primeval atom; theory in 1927?
Q2.What does the Big Bang theory explain?
Q3.What is a fundamentalist Christian?
Q4.How do liberal Christians interpret Genesis?
Q5.Why do many Christians accept both science and faith?
Q6.Genesis 1:28 teaches that humans have a responsibility to care for the Earth. This is known as .
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Christianity and the origins and value of the universe, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Christianity and the origins and value of the universe, 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 Matters of life and death unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.