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.

What is 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.

What is 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.

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.

Christians believe God reveals himself, supremely in Jesus and in scripture. Revelation makes God knowable and is the basis for belief and moral life.

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.

What are 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.

What are 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.

What are 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.

§-Syllabus dot point

NSWStudies of ReligionSyllabus dot point

What are the principal beliefs of Christianity, and how are they grounded in its sacred texts and writings?

Outline the principal beliefs of Christianity and demonstrate how sacred texts and writings provide a record of the beliefs of Christianity

A focused answer to the principal beliefs and sacred texts component of the Christianity depth study. Covers the Trinity, the divinity and humanity of Jesus, the death and resurrection, salvation and revelation, and how the Bible records and transmits these beliefs.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.86 min answerUpdated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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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 the principal beliefs and sacred texts component of the Christianity depth study, examined in both Studies of Religion I and II.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Linking a principal belief to a sacred text

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.

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

HSC 20213 marksOutline how ONE sacred text or writing provides a record of the principal beliefs of Christianity.

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"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.

HSC 20236 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.