Christianity & the Sacraments (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

Diverse beliefs & the Sacraments

What are sacraments?

• Sacraments play a key role in worship and belief for many Christians

• Sacraments are rites and rituals through which the believer receives a special gift of grace

• For Catholics, Anglicans and many Protestants, sacraments are “outward signs” of “inward grace”

• Sacraments are important to Christians as they show God’s grace as gifts offered at appropriate times in their lives

  • They are seen as something physical that is done to the body and has a permanent effect on the soul

• Sacraments must have form (words and/or actions), matter (physical objects/matter such as water) and intention (of the person to perform the sacrament)

• Many Christians believe that sacraments bring them closer to God and help them develop spiritually

• The blessings that are given to a person during a ceremony can be conducted by clergy either privately or in public

  • They can take place as part of a wider community or have a dedicated service

• Most Christians will agree that sacraments:

  • Play an important role in Christian life  

  • Are a way in which human beings can receive the grace, favour and kindness of God

  • Strengthen their relationship with God  

  • Enable them to grow in goodness and faith and become more like Jesus

The sacraments in the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches

• Different Christian denominations believe in different sacraments

• Some Christians, such as the Salvation Army and Quakers, do not recognise any of the sacraments 

  • They see them as unnecessary symbols for the inward acceptance of God’s grace

• Some Christians even see the whole world as sacramental and believe God’s grace can be experienced through his creation

• The Roman Catholic Church teaches that there are seven sacraments:

  • Baptism

  • Confirmation

  • Eucharist

  • Penance/Reconciliation 

  • Ordination

  • Marriage

  • Healing the sick

• However, most Protestant Churches recognise just two: Baptism and Eucharist

  • This is because they believe that these are the only two caused by Jesus

  • The others, although they are means of grace, are not necessary for everyone in the same way that Baptism and the Eucharist are

The role of Baptism

Christian Baptism

• Baptism is a very important sacrament for many Christians

• In the Bible, it states that Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist 

• When Jesus was crucified and resurrected, he told his disciples to go out and baptise people

• There are many other reasons why Baptism is an important sacrament for many Christians

  • They see it as welcoming Christians to the Church and the family of God

  • Some Christians believe that it cleanses Christians of the original sin they were born with

  • As a sacrament, it recognises a time of great change in the lives of Christians

  • Some Christians believe that a person is unable to enter heaven unless they have been baptised

• Christians see baptism as the point in their lives when they are resurrected

The Eucharist

What is the Eucharist?

• The Eucharist is celebrated by almost all denominations

• It has many names, including:

  • The Lord's Supper

  • Holy Communion

  • The Breaking of Bread 

  • Mass

• Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians see the service as a sacrament

  • Sacraments are important ceremonies in which a sacred or spiritual power (grace) is believed to be transmitted from God to the worshipper

• It remembers the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples and remembers his death, his sacrifice and the miracle of his resurrection

• During Holy Communion, Christians give thanks to God for sending Jesus to save people from sin and enable them to experience God’s love for all eternity

• During the service, Christians remember the biblical account of The Last Supper with bread and wine representing the body and blood of Christ

• Some Christians believe that transubstantiation takes place during the service

Diverse interpretations of Baptism

What is an infant baptism?

• Many Christians (Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists) baptise when the person is a baby

  • They will also baptise an adult who hasn’t been baptised if they want to join the church

  • Christians who are baptised as babies also usually have a confirmation service to declare their faith when they are old enough to understand

  • Other Christians (Baptists and Pentecostals) do not baptise until a person is older as they believe they should have a choice

    • This is called a believer’s baptism

• During an infant baptism/christening, there are certain symbolic practices that take place:

  • Blessed water is combined with the Trinitarian Formula (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit)

  • The sign of the Cross is made on the infant’s forehead to show that the child will remain faithful to Christ and fight against evil

  • The lighting of the candle symbolises that the child has received the Light of Christ

  • The Bible is read and prayers are recited

  • Parents and godparents are reminded of their responsibility to bring up the child in the Christian faith

  • Promises are made by parents and godparents to:

    • Reject evil, repent of sins and submit to Christ

    • Accept the Church’s faith as set out in the Apostles’ Creed

  • The newly baptised child will be dressed in a white robe

  • At two different points in the service, the infant will be anointed with oils as a sign of receiving the strength to fight evil and salvation

What is a believer’s baptism?

• A believer’s baptism has some similarities to an infant baptism but also some distinct differences

  • White clothes are often worn as a sign of the new life about to begin

  • Testimony is read from the person due to be baptised explaining why they came to believe and why they are seeking baptism

  • The candidate makes a Declaration of Penitence for sin, of faith in Christ as their personal Saviour and of their dedication of lifelong service to Christ

  • The candidate walks down the steps into the pool and is fully submerged in the water

  • The minister then baptises the person in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

  • When the person leaves the pool, it symbolises an end to their old life of sin and separation from God and the start of a new life serving God

Diverse interpretations of the Eucharist

What are the different Christian interpretations of the Eucharist?

• There are different understandings of the Eucharist depending on the Christian denomination

• Many of the different beliefs centre around the bread and wine and transubstantiation

• Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation

  • They also believe that Holy Communion (Mass) is a re-enactment of the sacrifice of Jesus

  • The bread and wine give worshippers the saving power of Jesus

• Orthodox Christians believe in trans-elementation or metousiosis:

  • Bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the body and blood of Christ but retain their outward form

  • The service is referred to as the Divine Liturgy

• Lutherans, Methodists and most Anglicans believe in consubstantiation (not transubstantiation)

  • Like Catholics, they believe that Holy Communion is a re-enactment of the sacrifice of Jesus

  • There is a “real presence” of Christ in the bread and wine, but they are not literally transformed

• Baptists do not believe in transubstantiation

  • They believe that communion is mainly an opportunity for worshippers to gather together

  • Bread and wine are symbols; God is present through the community of believers