Christian attitudes to wealth
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Christian views on wealth, stewardship, and giving.
Key learning points
- Christians see wealth as a gift from God to be used responsibly.
- The Bible warns against greed and neglecting the poor.
- Early Christians valued sharing and spiritual wealth over material riches.
- Giving ranges from tithing (10%) to radical generosity.
- Both Christianity and Islam emphasise charity, but only Islam has a fixed requirement.
Keywords
Poverty - the state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life, so that day-to-day living is a struggle
Tithe - the practice of giving 10% of income to the Church or charity, based on biblical teachings.
Wealth - the money, possessions, resources, and opportunities a person has
Common misconception
Christianity teaches that wealth is bad
Wealth itself is not condemned, but greed and misuse of wealth are warned against (e.g., 1 Timothy 6:10).
Teacher tip
Encourage debate on questions such as whether giving should be down to personal choice or an obligiation
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Who is considered the central figure of Christianity?
Q2.What is the Christian holy book called?
Q3.What do Christians believe about Jesus' resurrection?
Q4.Christians believe that Jesus is the of the world, meaning he came to save humanity from sin and offer eternal life.
Q5.What does the term "Trinity" refer to in Christianity?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.According to the Bible, what is the root of all kinds of evil?
Q2.What does the Bible say about storing up treasures on earth?
Q3.What is the concept of tithing in Christianity?
Q4.What does the parable of the talents teach Christians about wealth?
Q5.What is the role of wealth in early Christian communities?
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Christian attitudes to wealth, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Christian attitudes to wealth, 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.
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Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Issues of Human Rights unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.