Principal beliefs and sacred texts of Christianity: HSC Studies of Religion
“Preliminary course, Religious Tradition Study (Christianity): outline the principal beliefs regarding the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ; explain the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for Christians; outline the beliefs about the nature of God and of the Trinity; examine the Christian understanding of revelation; describe the Christian understanding of salvation; identify the importance of the Bible in Christianity; examine extracts from the Bible which demonstrate the principal beliefs of Christianity”
The principal beliefs of Christianity are the Trinity, the divinity and humanity of Jesus, his death and resurrection, salvation through Christ, and revelation. These are recorded in the Bible: the Gospels record Jesus' life, death and resurrection, the letters articulate salvation and the Church, and Acts records the Holy Spirit and mission. The Nicene Creed summarises the beliefs, and scripture is the shared authority uniting Christian denominations.
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What this dot point is asking
NESA wants you to outline the principal beliefs of Christianity and show how its sacred texts and writings record and communicate those beliefs. You must treat Christianity accurately and respectfully, name the central doctrines, and connect each to where it is grounded in scripture. This is Preliminary (Year 11) content from the Christianity Religious Tradition Study, not one of the three HSC depth study parts (a significant person or school of thought, ethics, and a significant practice). It is not set as a separate HSC question, but HSC questions reward you for linking a practice or an ethical teaching to the beliefs and texts on this page, so it is the foundation for every Christianity depth study answer.
The answer
The principal beliefs of Christianity
- The Trinity
- Christians believe in one God who exists as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is monotheism, not belief in three gods. The doctrine was clarified at the early councils of Nicaea and Constantinople and is summarised in the Nicene Creed, which most denominations affirm.
- The divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ
- Christians hold that Jesus is fully divine and fully human, the incarnate Son of God. This belief shapes Christian worship and the conviction that God entered human history personally.
- The death and resurrection of Jesus
- The crucifixion and the resurrection on the third day are the centre of Christian faith. Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death and offering the hope of eternal life.
- Salvation
- Christians believe humanity is reconciled to God through the saving work of Jesus. Denominations express the means differently, emphasising grace, faith, and the sacraments, but all hold that salvation comes through Christ.
- Revelation
- Christians believe God reveals himself, supremely in Jesus and in scripture. Revelation makes God knowable and is the basis for belief and moral life.
Key extracts from the Bible
The syllabus asks you to "examine extracts from the Bible which demonstrate the principal beliefs of Christianity". These are short and reliable to quote (New Revised Standard Version):
| Belief | Extract | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The divinity and humanity of Jesus | "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" | John 1:14 (the Catechism: "Jesus Christ is true God and true man", 464) |
| The death and resurrection of Jesus | "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures" | 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 |
| The Trinity | "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" | Matthew 28:19 (the Catechism: "We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons", 253) |
| Revelation | "Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son" | Hebrews 1:1-2 |
| Salvation | "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" | John 3:16 |
| The importance of the Bible | "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching" | 2 Timothy 3:16 |
How sacred texts record these beliefs
- The Bible
- The Christian sacred text is the Bible, made up of the Old Testament (shared in large part with Judaism) and the New Testament. Christians regard it as the inspired word of God and the primary record of their beliefs.
- The Gospels
- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John record the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus. They are the principal source for beliefs about his identity and saving work. The accounts of the resurrection are the textual basis for the central Christian hope.
- The Letters
- The epistles, especially those of Paul such as Romans and Corinthians, articulate the theology of salvation, grace and the nature of the Church. They are the earliest Christian writings and provide the doctrinal record of the first communities.
- The Acts of the Apostles
- Acts records the coming of the Holy Spirit and the spread of the early Church, grounding belief in the Spirit and the mission of the community.
The divinity and humanity of Jesus in more detail
- Divine. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
- Human. "The Word became flesh and lived among us" (John 1:14); he "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness" (Philippians 2:7); he was "tested as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
- Defined. Early debates (for example against Arius, who denied Christ's full divinity) led the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Chalcedon (451) to teach that Christ is one person in two natures, fully God and fully human.
- Why it matters. Because Jesus is God, his death can save; because he is human, he truly represents and shares the human condition.
Why the death and resurrection matter
- Sacrifice and love. "God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
- Victory over death. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17).
- Lived in practice. Sunday worship (the day of resurrection), Easter, the Eucharist ("proclaim the Lord's death until he comes", 1 Corinthians 11:26) and baptism (dying and rising with Christ, Romans 6:4) all express these beliefs.
Revelation and authority
| Tradition | Source of revelation and authority |
|---|---|
| Catholic | Scripture and tradition, "one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church" (Dei Verbum 10), interpreted by the magisterium |
| Orthodox | Scripture read within holy tradition, the Fathers and the seven ecumenical councils |
| Protestant | Sola scriptura: Scripture alone is the final authority, read with the help of the Spirit, reason and the Church's teaching |
Salvation across denominations
All Christians believe salvation comes through Jesus: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). They express how it is received differently: Catholics and Orthodox emphasise grace received through faith and the sacraments, lived out in love; Protestants emphasise justification "by grace ... through faith ... not the result of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The 1999 Catholic and Lutheran Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification recorded a shared basic understanding.
The importance of the Bible
- Canon. Protestant Bibles have 66 books; Catholic Bibles 73 (including the deuterocanonical books); Orthodox Bibles include some further books.
- Use. Read in every service, studied personally, and the basis of creeds, ethics (the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, Jesus' commandment of love) and preaching.
- Unity. It is the shared reference point for all denominations.
The Trinity is the Christian belief that the one God exists eternally as three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, of one being. It is monotheistic and was defined in the early creeds, not a belief in three separate gods.
How beliefs are transmitted and lived
Beliefs recorded in scripture are transmitted through creeds, liturgy, preaching and teaching. The Nicene and Apostles' Creeds summarise the principal beliefs for worship and instruction. Sacred texts are read aloud in services, so that belief in the Trinity, the incarnation, the resurrection and salvation is continually affirmed by the community. In this way the sacred texts are both the historical record of Christian belief and the living source from which faith is taught and renewed.
The Bible, comprising the Old and New Testaments, is the principal sacred text of Christianity. The Gospels record the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, while the New Testament letters articulate the theology of salvation and the Church. The Nicene Creed summarises the principal beliefs, including the Trinity.
Why the texts matter for the tradition
Without the sacred texts, the principal beliefs would have no shared record or authority. The Bible provides the common reference point across the diversity of Christian denominations, so that even communities differing on church order or sacraments share the same scriptural basis for the Trinity, the person of Christ, the resurrection, salvation and revelation. The texts therefore both preserve the beliefs and unite the tradition.
Step 1: name the belief precisely
Begin with a clearly stated principal belief, for example the resurrection of Jesus: that he rose from the dead on the third day, conquering sin and death.
Step 2: name the text that records it
Identify where the belief is recorded: the Gospel resurrection narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the primary textual source for the belief.
Step 3: state the link explicitly
Spell out the connection: the Gospel accounts are the basis on which Christians affirm the resurrection and the hope of eternal life, so the text is the record of the belief, not just a related passage.
Step 4: add the creeds for transmission
Show how the belief is carried forward: the Nicene Creed summarises it for worship, so the belief is preserved in scripture and transmitted through liturgy and creed across denominations.
- Describing the Trinity as three gods
- Christianity is monotheistic; the Trinity is one God in three persons.
- Listing Bible books without linking them to belief
- Marks come from showing how a text records a specific belief, for example the Gospels recording the resurrection.
- Forgetting the creeds
- The Nicene Creed is the clearest summary of the principal beliefs and is worth naming.
In one sentence
Christians believe in one God as Trinity, in Jesus Christ as fully divine and fully human, whose death and resurrection bring salvation, and in God's self-revelation in Christ and Scripture, beliefs recorded in the Bible and summarised in the creeds that shape every Christian practice and ethical teaching.
Try this
Q1. Outline the Christian belief in the Trinity. (3 marks)
- What the marker wants. One God in three persons, a scriptural source (Matthew 28:19), the Nicene Creed, and that it is monotheistic.
Q2. Describe the Christian understanding of salvation. (4 marks)
- What the marker wants. Salvation through Christ, sin and grace, faith and sacraments, with sources and denominational emphasis.
Q3. Identify the importance of the Bible in Christianity. (3 marks)
- What the marker wants. Inspired word of God, its use in worship and teaching, its role as the shared authority.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
Original3 marksOutline how ONE sacred text or writing provides a record of the principal beliefs of Christianity.Show worked answer →
"Outline" needs a clear text, a clear belief, and the link between them.
Choose the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). They record the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the resurrection accounts are the textual basis for the central Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death.
For full marks, name the text, name the belief it records (the resurrection, or the divinity of Christ), and state the link clearly, for example that the Gospel resurrection narratives are the primary source for the Christian hope of eternal life.
Original6 marksExplain how the principal beliefs of Christianity are recorded in its sacred texts and writings.Show worked answer →
"Explain" at 6 marks asks you to connect several beliefs to the texts that record them, with reasoning.
Establish the Bible (Old and New Testaments) as the inspired record. Then link belief to text: the Gospels record the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus; the Pauline letters (Romans, Corinthians) articulate salvation, grace and the Church; Acts records the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Add the creeds: the Nicene Creed summarises the principal beliefs, including the Trinity, for worship and instruction. Conclude that the texts both preserve the beliefs and, read in liturgy and creed, transmit them to each generation, which is what makes them the shared authority across denominations.
Practice questions
Original practice questions graded from foundation to exam level, each with a full worked solution. Try them before revealing the solution.
foundation3 marksOutline the principal beliefs regarding the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. (Original)Show worked solution →
Christians believe Jesus is fully divine, the eternal Son of God: "the Word was God" (John 1:1). They also believe he is fully human, born of Mary, who lived, suffered and died: "The Word became flesh and lived among us" (John 1:14); he was tested "as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). The Council of Chalcedon (451) taught that he is one person in two natures, "true God and true man" (Catechism 464).
Marking: 1 for divinity, 1 for humanity, 1 for a source or the union of the two.
core5 marksExplain the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for Christians. (Original)Show worked solution →
- Death
- Christians believe Jesus' death was a saving sacrifice: "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3), showing God's love ("while we still were sinners Christ died for us", Romans 5:8) and reconciling humanity with God.
- Resurrection
- His rising "on the third day" (15:4) shows victory over sin and death and confirms his identity as Son of God. Without it, "your faith is futile" (15:17).
- Importance
- They are the centre of Christian belief (the creeds), worship (Sunday, the Eucharist, Easter), hope (eternal life) and practice (baptism as dying and rising with Christ, Romans 6:4).
Marking (Original): 5 for death and resurrection each explained with sources and their importance for belief and practice.
core5 marksExamine the Christian understanding of revelation. (Original)Show worked solution →
- Meaning
- Revelation is God making himself known to humanity, which could not know God fully by reason alone.
- Ways of revelation
- Through creation; through the history of Israel and the prophets; supremely in Jesus: "Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2); and through Scripture, "inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16).
- Denominational differences
- Catholics hold that "Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God" interpreted by the Church (Dei Verbum 10); Protestants hold sola scriptura; Orthodox emphasise Scripture within holy tradition and the councils.
Marking (Original): 5 for a definition, ways of revelation with sources, and denominational differences.
exam8 marksExamine extracts from the Bible which demonstrate the principal beliefs of Christianity. (Original)Show worked solution →
- Divinity and humanity of Jesus
- "The Word was God" (John 1:1) and "The Word became flesh" (John 1:14); Philippians 2:6-8 (he "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave").
- Death and resurrection
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, the earliest summary of the creed, and 15:17.
- Trinity
- "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
- Revelation
- Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:16.
- Salvation
- "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16); "by grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8).
- Examine, do not just list
- For each extract say what it teaches, why it is authoritative, and how the belief is expressed in practice (creeds, baptism, Eucharist, Easter).
Marking (Original): 8 for accurate extracts across all the principal beliefs, each explained and linked to practice.