Christianity: Practices overview - Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A

This unit, Christianity: Practices, is one of the four sections in the in depth study of Christianity on Paper 1 of Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A (1RA0). It sets out how Christians worship and live out their faith, building on the beliefs and teachings unit.

What the unit covers

The unit moves from worship and the sacraments to prayer, pilgrimage, festivals and the wider work of the Church.

• Worship and sacraments: liturgical and non-liturgical worship, and the sacraments, especially baptism and the Eucharist, across denominations.
• Prayer and pilgrimage: set, informal and the Lord's Prayer, and pilgrimage to sites such as Lourdes, Iona, Taize and Walsingham.
• Festivals and celebrations: the meaning and celebration of Christmas (the incarnation) and Easter (the resurrection).
• The Church in the community: mission and evangelism, the local church, and the worldwide Church, including reconciliation and the work of Christian Aid.

How it is assessed

This is one section of Paper 1, the in depth study of one religion, worth 102 marks and 50 percent of the GCSE. Each topic uses the (a) to (d) pattern: Outline three (3 marks), Explain two (4 marks), Explain two and refer to a source of wisdom and authority (5 marks), and Evaluate a statement (12 marks plus 3 for spelling, punctuation and grammar).

How to study it

Learn what Christians do and, more importantly, why it matters, linking each practice to belief (baptism to entry into the Church, the Eucharist to the Last Supper, Easter to the resurrection). Note the divergent views between traditions (the number of sacraments, infant and believers' baptism, the meaning of the Eucharist) for the higher tariff questions, and learn a source for each practice for part (c).

For the official specification

Pearson publishes the full specification (1RA0), past papers and mark schemes at qualifications.pearson.com. Always revise from the current specification and Edexcel past papers.