New
New
Year 11
Eduqas

Christian attitudes to racial prejudice

I can explain some of the issues surrounding racism and explore Christian and other respones to them.

New
New
Year 11
Eduqas

Christian attitudes to racial prejudice

I can explain some of the issues surrounding racism and explore Christian and other respones to them.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Racism exists both at the individual and systemic levels, with multiple causes, and persists despite laws against it.
  2. There is an ongoing debate about the fairness of positive action.
  3. Humanism teaches equal respect and rights for all races based on reason and rejects racism.
  4. Christianity has historic links to slavery, colonialism and segregation, with some using the Bible to justify them.
  5. Martin Luther King drew on his faith to fight racism, and today Christians see the Bible as calling for equality.

Keywords

  • Discrimination - actions that come from prejudice attitudes

  • Equality - belief that everyone is equal in value and worth

  • Positive action - supporting underrepresented groups by encouraging applications from ethnic minority candidates in fields where they are underrepresented

  • Racism - prejudice, discrimination or hostility directed at someone based on their race, ethnicity or skin colour

Common misconception

Racism only exists when someone deliberately says or does something hateful.

Racism can also be unconscious, indirect or systemic. It includes things like biased policies, underrepresentation, microaggressions and privilege.


To help you plan your year 11 religious education lesson on: Christian attitudes to racial prejudice, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You may want to show video footage of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches at protests.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
What is prejudice?
judging someone after getting to know them
treating someone fairly
Correct answer: having negative ideas about someone without knowing them
Q2.
Discrimination happens when prejudice leads to unfair or actions.
Correct Answer: treatment, Treatment
Q3.
Which teaching supports equality in Christianity?
"An eye for an eye."
Correct answer: "Love your neighbour as yourself."
"Might makes right."
Q4.
Many Christians believe everyone is equal because they are made in the of God.
Correct Answer: image, Image
Q5.
Why do some Christians oppose same-sex relationships?
because of government pressure
because it’s modern
Correct answer: because they interpret the Bible as forbidding it

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each term to its meaning.
Correct Answer:discrimination,actions that come from prejudice attitudes

actions that come from prejudice attitudes

Correct Answer:equality,the belief that everyone is equal in value and worth

the belief that everyone is equal in value and worth

Correct Answer:racism,hostility towards someone based on their race or ethnicity

hostility towards someone based on their race or ethnicity

Q2.
Racism can be both individual and , and can continue despite anti-racism laws.
Correct Answer: systemic, Systemic
Q3.
What is “positive action”?
ignoring racism
making negative assumptions about people
Correct answer: giving preference to underrepresented groups
Q4.
Some Christians in history used the to wrongly justify slavery and racism.
Correct Answer: Bible, bible
Q5.
Racism can include unconscious bias, underrepresentation, and , which are subtle, everyday slights.
Correct Answer: microaggressions
Q6.
Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by ...
revenge
Correct answer: his Christian beliefs
humanism

Additional material

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