What are the sacraments and why do they matter to Christians?
The meaning and importance of the sacraments, focusing on baptism and the Eucharist, and the different ways Christian denominations understand and practise them.
A focused answer on Christian sacraments for AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062), covering the meaning of sacraments, baptism, the Eucharist and denominational differences.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to explain what a sacrament is, describe baptism and the Eucharist, and show how different denominations understand and practise them. Denominational difference is the key skill here: examiners reward correctly attributing views to Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists and others.
What is a sacrament
A small number of Christians, the Quakers and the Salvation Army, keep no outward sacraments at all, holding that grace is inward and does not require ritual. This is a useful contrasting view for evaluation questions.
Baptism
The two forms reflect different beliefs. Those who baptise infants stress that baptism brings the child into God's family from the start and washes away original sin. Those who practise believers' baptism stress that baptism should follow a personal decision of faith, following the pattern of Jesus' own baptism as an adult in the River Jordan.
The Eucharist
The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, the Mass or the Lord's Supper, remembers Jesus' Last Supper. Christians share bread and wine because Jesus said "This is my body... do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). Catholics believe in transubstantiation: the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ while keeping their outward appearance. Many Protestants take the bread and wine as symbols that help believers remember and give thanks for Jesus' sacrifice, while Anglicans hold a range of views in between. The frequency varies too, from daily Mass to a monthly Communion service.
Why sacraments matter
Sacraments mark the key moments and rhythms of faith, are believed to give or signify God's grace, strengthen commitment, and unite the Christian community in shared ritual. For most Christians they are central acts of worship; for a few they are replaced by an emphasis on inner spiritual experience.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20172 marksWhat is a sacrament?Show worked answer →
A 2-mark AO1 definition question. A sacrament is an outward, visible sign of an inward, invisible grace from God: a ritual through which Christians believe God gives grace. One mark for outward sign, the second for inward grace. The standard phrase, an outward sign of inward grace, secures both marks cleanly.
AQA 20194 marksExplain two different Christian views about the Eucharist. Refer to scripture or another source of Christian belief in your answer.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark AO1 contrast question. View one (Catholic): transubstantiation, the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ, based on Jesus' words "This is my body" (Luke 22:19). View two (many Protestants): the bread and wine are symbols that help believers remember Jesus' sacrifice, "do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). Markers reward two genuinely different, developed views plus a source. Attribute each view to the right tradition.
AQA 202312 marks"Baptism is the most important sacrament." Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should refer to Christian teaching, give reasoned arguments to support this statement, give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view, and reach a justified conclusion. [12 marks plus 3 SPaG]Show worked answer →
The AO2 evaluation, 5 bands plus 3 SPaG. Arguments for baptism: it is the entry into the Church, cleanses from sin and happens once, commanded in the Great Commission, "baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Arguments against (the Eucharist may be greater): it is repeated regularly, re-presents Jesus' sacrifice and unites the community, "do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19); Quakers and the Salvation Army keep neither, so for them inner grace matters more than any ritual. Use terms (sacrament, baptism, Eucharist, transubstantiation). Reach a justified conclusion weighing the two.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062) specification — AQA (2016)