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GCSE
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
HINDUISM
For examination 2014 onwards
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1 GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES HINDUISM
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2 GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES HINDUISM
Table of Contents
Belief about a Deity ..................................................................................................................... 5
Nature of God(s): .......................................................................................................................... 5
Gods and goddesses: .................................................................................................................... 5
Beliefs about the nature of God(s): ............................................................................................... 5
Belief in Gods: .............................................................................................................................. 5
Miracles: ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Accounts of miracles in the Hindu scriptures: ............................................................................... 6
Hindus beliefs about miracles: ...................................................................................................... 6
Religious and Spiritual Experiences ............................................................................................... 7
Public and Private Worship: .......................................................................................................... 7
Symbols used in Hinduism: ........................................................................................................... 7
Music used in worshipping: .......................................................................................................... 7
Prayer and Meditation:................................................................................................................. 9
Food and Fasting: ......................................................................................................................... 9
The End of Life .............................................................................................................................. 9
Body and Soul:.............................................................................................................................. 9
Life after Death: ......................................................................................................................... 10
Concept of life after death: ......................................................................................................... 10
Varnasharmadharma .................................................................................................................. 10
Funeral Rites: ............................................................................................................................. 11
Good and Evil ............................................................................................................................. 11
The Problem of Evil:.................................................................................................................... 12
Coping with Suffering: ................................................................................................................ 12
Sources and Reasons for Moral Behaviour: ................................................................................. 12
Religion, Reason and Revelation ................................................................................................. 13
Form and Nature of Revelation: .................................................................................................. 13
Authority and Importance of Sacred Texts: ................................................................................. 14
Religion and Science ................................................................................................................... 15
Origins of the World and Life: ..................................................................................................... 15
People and Animals: ................................................................................................................... 16
Environmental Issues:................................................................................................................. 16
Religion and Human Relationships .............................................................................................. 17
Roles of Men and Women in the Family: .................................................................................... 17
Marriage: ................................................................................................................................... 17
3 GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES HINDUISM
Divorce: ...................................................................................................................................... 18
Sexual Relationships and Contraception: .................................................................................... 19
Religion and Medical Ethics ........................................................................................................ 19
Attitudes towards Abortion: ....................................................................................................... 19
Attitudes to Fertility Treatments:................................................................................................ 20
Attitudes to Euthanasia and Suicide: ........................................................................................... 20
Using Animals in Medical Research: ............................................................................................ 21
Religious Views of Wealth and the Causes of Hunger, Poverty and Disease:................................ 21
The Uses of Money: .................................................................................................................... 22
Moral and Immoral Occupations: ............................................................................................... 22
Religion, Peace and Justice ........................................................................................................ 23
Attitudes to the War: .................................................................................................................. 23
Violence and Pacifism: ................................................................................................................ 23
Crime and Punishment: .............................................................................................................. 23
Social Injustice: ........................................................................................................................... 24
Religion and Equality .................................................................................................................. 25
Principle of Equality: ................................................................................................................... 25
Attitudes towards Racism: .......................................................................................................... 25
Attitudes towards Gender: ......................................................................................................... 25
Attitudes to Religion: .................................................................................................................. 26
Forgiveness and Reconciliation: .................................................................................................. 26
Religion and the Media ............................................................................................................... 26
Use of the Media: ....................................................................................................................... 27
Censorship/ Freedom of Speech: ................................................................................................ 27
4 GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES HINDUISM
Belief about a Deity
Nature of God(s):
Deity: is a god or a goddess. They have divine status and are a supreme being.
Polytheism: is the belief in many Gods.
Words that describes the nature of Gods in Hinduism:
Destroyer
Creator
Supreme Spirit
Transcendent
Sustained
Personal
Infinite
Omnipotent
Omnipresent
Omniscient
Trimurti: a trinity within Hinduism consisting of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva
the Destroyer.
Brahman: the ultimate reality underlying all phenomena in the Hindu scriptures.
Hindus believe that Brahman is the universal spirit and the source of all living things in the universe.
The Brahman is revealed by the Trimurti. Brahman has no shape or form. Belief in Brahman provides
purpose and meaning in the life of Hindus. There is evidence in the sacred texts of Brahman and also
historical evidence in the life and work of incarnations of the Trimurti through avatars.
Gods and goddesses:
Brahma the God who created the world.
Vishnu the God who protects people from evil and wrongdoing.
Shiva the God who destroys and then rebuilds.
Krishna: is one of the most famous Hindu Gods.
Hindus believe that Krishna is the incarnation of Vishnu or the eighth avatar. Krishna is one of the
most worshipped figures in Hinduism. Hindus believe that Krishna is the source of many legends and
he was a scholar who encouraged a more personal approach to religion.
Atman: is another word for the individual self or the soul.
Beliefs about the nature of God(s):
Hindus have different beliefs about the nature of God as personal or not. Beliefs about the nature of
God(s) may come from characteristics of Trimurti, Krishna and Ganesh. Beliefs can also come from
characteristics of any Hindu deities.
Belief in Gods:
Founding story:
Hinduism was founded about 4,000 years ago in the Indus Valley in India. Hinduism has no founder.
Hinduism is seen as a way of living. The creed sums up what the religion believes. Hindus believe
that their supreme spirit or soul has no shape or form. This is the Brahman; everything in the
universe flows from this. There are many gods and goddesses that represent the power of Brahman.
Hindus are free to worship whatever God they would like.
5 GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES HINDUISM