R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q1 Religion and Art
Card 1 Side 1
• Definition of Religious Art: Art that expresses a spiritual message. It includes drawing,
painting, sculpture, icons, stained glass, calligraphy and graffiti.
It can be art produced by a person who is religious, or contains a religious theme, or has
been paid for by a religious group or organization. It can be art that produces a spiritual
response in a person.
• Remember SIRDS!!! (Spirituality, inspiration, devotion and revelation) when describing
the impact of religious art:
• SPIRITUALITY. The artist may want to make people think about God or reflect on spiritual
ideas. To convey a religious teaching. To express a religious belief about “the meaning of
life”. To help people understand spiritual truths. To aid worship.
• INSPIRATION. This means the artist has had a sudden idea of how a piece should look and
become creative. Divine inspiration means God has inspired the artist to create the work.
• REVELATION. In a revelation, the artist suddenly becomes aware of some spiritual truth
previously unknown to them that they wish to share with others. They share it through
their work of art.
• DEVOTION. The artist and/or client wants to show their devotion to their religion, and do
this through the creation of a work of art. It may be the piece of art is intended as a focus
to aid concentration during prayer and meditation, or simply as a teaching aid.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q1 Religion and Art
Card 1 Side 2
• Icons. Pictures usually painted on word. They show the full face of Christ, Virgin Mary,
angels and/or saints. They are used to teach people about God or as an aid to prayer.
• Paintings. Can be a representation of the real world or abstract. Used as a way of
representing or reminding believers of an aspect of their faith.
• Stained glass. Usually made by spraying colours onto plain glass and then firing it. Usually
found in Christian churches and show scenes from the Bible, a holy person, or special
event.
• Graffiti. Usually found in public places and is images or lettering scratched, painted or
marked on property. Some religious believers use graffiti to share their religious beliefs or
message. For example: “Jesus lives!”
• Sculpture. . Sculpture is three dimensional artwork. Case study: Cristo Redentor, Rio de
Janeiro. Used to remind people of God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, as symbol of the
faith of the people who live in Rio.
• CASE STUDY: RESURRECTION COOKHAM. Painted by Sir Stanley Spencer:
Inspiration. He had a ‘visionary experience’ meeting his future wife, Hilda. Hilda raised such
wonderful thoughts in him to do with love and God’s love for us that he used the theme of
the resurrection of Jesus to express this. Revelation. His ‘visionary experience’ was two-fold.
His love for Hilda he felt came from God and was God’s love. This love made him so happy
that he became aware of what paradise would be like. Devotion. Spencer was a Christian
and he wanted to share his belief in God’s love, that Christ would return and lead
Christians to Heaven. Symbolism. Set in a church-yard. Happy place from Spencer’s
childhood. The resurrection is the ultimate symbol of God’ love and is an event to be
celebrated. He used family and friends in the painting to reflect those he loved.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q2 Religion and Architecture
Card 2 Side 1
• Defining architecture: The activity of designing and constructing buildings and other
physical structures. The functions of buildings include worship, living and working,
education, celebration and leisure activities.
• The influence of function. When designing a building, the architect has to think about its
function (purpose). Some buildings have more than one function. For example, a place of
worship may also be used for social activities or education. Building use can change
through time because its original function may no longer be needed. For example, an old
school building could become a place of worship.
• The influence of spirituality. The person or group who commission the architect may
want the building to express something spiritual or a spiritual meaning. For example, a
church in the shape of a cross.
• The impact of religious architecture. This can be to make people think about God or
reflect on spiritual ideas; to remind people there is an afterlife; to express a religious
belief; to help people understand spiritual truths, to aid worship, to produce a feeling of
awe, grandeur and splendor. For example; Coventry Cathedral was rebuilt after being
bombed but instead of rebuilding on the old site, they built next to it and joined it on to
represent good overcoming evil (Christian teaching.)
• Inspiration. The religious building can inspire people to think about God. For example a
church is not only a place of worship but is a reminder to the community about Christian
teachings.
• Revelation. For example St Bernadette had a vision at Lourdes and an edifice has now
been built on the site. This edifice reveals to people God’s immanence in the world and
benevolence. Christians travel from all over the world to be healed at Lourdes.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q2 Religion and Architecture
Card 2 Side 2
• Religious buildings as a place of worship. “Where two or more people gather in my
name, I will be there with them”. This is a teaching from the Bible that tells Christians to
get together to worship God. By doing so, God will be with them.
• Exterior features. A tower on a church used to be the highest point in the community, so
no matter where you were you could always see the tower. Traditionally, a church is in the
shape of a cross to represent the resurrection of Jesus. Internal feature. Christian
churches have an alter to represent the table at the last supper. This is where the Holy
Eucharist takes place (the bread to represent the body of Jesus, the wine his blood.
• Other forms of religious architecture include gravestones (give a few details of a person’s
life and normally an epitaph to sum up that person). Edifices such as at Lourdes to mark a
place of religious importance, or the burial site of a religious person. Statues (case study:
Cristo Redentor, Rio de Janeiro). A monument is a piece of religious architecture that
marks the spot where something of religious or historical significance happened.
• Case study: St Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry Inspiration. Sir Basil Spence had a spiritual
experience when he viewed the old bombed cathedral. By building a new cathedral next
to the ruins he wanted to show good overcoming evil. The ruined cathedral – sacrifice,
the new cathedral – triumph over death. Revelation. The design of the cathedral reveals
the Christian message of good over evil, of suffering overcome by Jesus’ sacrifice.
Devotion. The very act of raising the money and the time it took to build the new
cathedral demonstrates people’s devotion to God and their beliefs. The font was made
from a boulder sent from Bethlehem, and therefore a link to the town where Jesus was
born. Symbolism. The cross on the Alter is made from two nails welded by bombs and
again represents Jesus’ sacrifice and good overcoming evil.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q3 Religion and Literature
Card 3 Side 1
• Defining literature. Poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, drama.
• Influence of literature. Means of getting a message across to people, to tell a story that
contains a religious message.
• Influence of spirituality on literature. Means to express a message such as good
overcoming evil.
• What is religious literature? Holy books (scripture – for Christians: The Bible). Non-fiction
such as writings about the meaning of a holy book. Works of fiction with a religious
theme.
• Religious poetry (Footprints in the Sand – Mary Stevenson, inspires people that God will
carry them through their troubles. Reveals God’s immanence, omnipotence, benevolence.
Devotion – lead a Christian life and God will be there for you.) Sir John Betjeman; “Diary
of a Church Mouse”. People had stopped going to church. The Church of England
commissioned Sir John Betjeman to write a poem that would encourage people to go to
church. Broadcast on the radio at tea-time on a Sunday when most people listened to the
radio (to inspire people to return to church. The symbolism of the Church Mouse who
could not believe that people would only go to church for special events).
• Revelation. The Bible is an example of revelation and indeed has a book in it called
Revelation that reveals to the reader what happens when the world ends.
• Inspiration. CS Lewis wrote his fictional stories The Chronicles of Narnia because he
wanted children to understand the Christian beliefs in the Bible (good overcoming evil,
sacrifice and resurrection).
• Devotion. The book of Psalms in the Bible contains poems in praise of God and these are
often sung as Hymns (religious songs) as part of private or public worship.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q3 Religion and Literature
Card 3 Side 2
• Holy books. The Bible is the main holy book (scripture) for Christians. It inspires Christians
by telling them how they should live their lives. Christians can express their devotion the
their beliefs by studying the Bible and trying to get a true understanding of the messages
it contains. The Bible reveals to Christians God’s omnipotence, omniscience, benevolence,
immanence, transcendence, personal and impersonal nature, the Holy Trinity (Father,
Son, Holy Spirit) as the three aspects of God.
• Religious literature in worship. Christians read the Bible on their own at home for private
worship. In public worship, a sermon (religious lesson) is read from the Bible and then
made relevant to people.
• Impact. Religious literature can make people think about their own lives. It may inspire
them to be better Christians or even turn non-believers into believers.
• Controversial. Some books about religion can cause offence. For example: Galileo’s
writings in the 16th Century were suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church because they
challenged the Church’s belief that God had put humans at the centre of the universe.
(Remember – Cosmological Revolution from Unit 4).
• CASE STUDIES
• Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson; Sir John Betjeman’s Diary of A Church Mouse;
The Parables of Jesus (stories Jesus told to demonstrate how to live a Christian life). C.S.
Lewis – The Chronicles of Narnia (written by Lewis to explain key Christian teachings from
the Bible to children). The book of Revelation in the Bible that reveals to Christians what
happens when the end of the world comes and the signs to look for.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q4 Religion and the Media
Card 4 Side 1
• The media is how we receive information in today’s society. It includes newspapers,
magazines, television, internet, films and documentaries. The purpose of the media is to
educate, inform, entertain, influence and persuade. The power of the media is incredible!
Look at how quickly people share things on social media.
• Religion on television. Religious programming on television has strict rules laid down in
law. Ofcom is the organisation responsible for monitoring religious programmes to ensure
they do not break these laws. However, satellite channels do not have to follow these
laws.
• Portrayal of religion on television. Songs of Praise is a key programme that allows
Christians to access their spirituality and faith through the media. Other programmes
such as comedies like Father Ted can ridicule religion. In the Simpsons, Ned Flanders is a
Christian who is always portrayed as a “Do gooder!”. Case Study: The Vicar of Dibley. This
was a comedy about a woman vicar. The impact of the programme is said to have possibly
resulted in the highest number of women applying to be vicars.
• Newspapers and magazines. Newspapers and magazines can be biased and often reflect
their political beliefs. Often newspaper and magazine portrayal of moral issues often
focuses on bad behaviour by celebrities and can glamourise their lifestyle, encouraging
others to behave the same way. Bad news sells better than good news. So for example a
religious story about a priest behaving badly is more likely to be reported than a good
news story. Censorship. There is a watershed in Britain that means extreme violence,
sexual behaviour cannot be shown before 9pm to protect children. This only applies to
terrestrial television and not satellite. Films have classifications to censor them from
children.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q4 Religion and the Media
Card 4 Side 2
• Blasphemy is when people poke fun at religion or people’s beliefs. Blasphemy can be
used to justify censorship. There are laws which prohibit blasphemy, religious insults and
hate speech in Britain. Programmes that do this are censored and often have warnings or
shown late in the evening.
• Film censorship. All films have a classification which recommends the age at which a
person can watch the film. This applies to cinemas and DVDs. However, once a parent
purchases a DVD, it is up to them to decide whether a child watches it.
• Internet censorship. It is very difficult to censor the internet because anybody can access
information. There are attempts at restricting some internet sites based on age but these
rely on the honesty of the user. CEOP (Child exploitation and Online Protection) is an
organisation that attempts to protect children online and report to the police any child
exploitation. Most internet providers also include parental settings for their internet
browsers that allow parents to restrict the type of material children can access.
• How and why do religions use the media? A very useful tool to get your religious
message to as many people as possible. Some religious believers may be too ill or too
busy to attend church but can join in their belief through the media.
• Spirituality and the media. The media can be a very useful tool for explaining a complex
religious idea and sharing that with as many people as possible, for example through
social media. Specialist TV channels for religious believers such as God TV for Christians.
Christian newspapers and magazine such as “Warcry”, a weekly newspaper produced by
the Salvation Army. Programmes such as Morning Worship on a Sunday on Radio 4 allow
people to join in a religious service if they cannot attend church for any reason.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q5 Religion and Music.
Card 5 Side 1
• Why do people listen to music? Music is an ancient form of entertainment and
expressing a message. In the Bible, the Book of Psalms is often referred to as the hymn
book of the Bible. Hymns being religious songs.
• What is the purpose of music today? To assist with an activity (dancing, driving, skating);
to help set a mood (eg. For a romantic mood to go with a romantic meal); enhance
concentration (when studying, driving); provide comfort (for a lonely person); provide
pleasure (enjoyment); help with religious worship (such as hymns sung in church or by a
person on their own at home); help with religious practice (chanting may inspire
worship); to express spirituality or spiritual message (such as love); support a cause (such
as protest songs against war).
• Different types of music. Commercial music is made to make the artist rich and/or
famous. Spiritual music is made because the artist wants to express a spiritual feeling or
message. Case Study: Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, Clapton wanted to express his
spiritual emotion over the accidental death of his son. Mainstream music is pop music
that most people listen to.
• Religious music is music either written by a religious person, commissioned by a religious
person or group, or has a religious message. The composer may want to inspire the
listener by sharing a religious message, they may be using their God given talent to
inspire others. It can reveal to people God’s benevolence, omnipresence, etc. It can be
used in worship to express devotion (for example gentle, calm music to aid prayer).
• CASE STUDIES OF RELIGIOUS MUSIC: Swing Low Sweet Chariot, All Because of Jesus by
The Casting Crowns. The Lord is My Shepherd (Psalm 23).
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q5 Religion and Music.
Card 5 Side 2
• Music in Christianity. Used to inspire Christians to live their lives according to the
teachings of Jesus. The singing of hymns in worship. To reveal to Christians God’s
benevolence, omnipresence, immanence, omnipotence, omniscience, personal and/or
impersonal nature.
• Music as an expression of spirituality. A composer or artist writes a piece of music to
express a message, for example about love, death, life (in other words their spiritual
nature). Believers are more likely so see a piece of music as spiritual because of their faith
than non-believers.
• The symbolic nature of music. We use the word idol to describe successful pop artists. It
could be said that by using the word idol, we are giving these artists the same status as
God and that could be said to be blasphemous.
• Composing elaborate and beautiful music can be the means that an artist expresses their
talent from God.
• The type of music can be used to reach different types of people and share a religious
message with people who may not listen to traditional religious music. (Will I Am is a
Christian who uses pop music to share his Christian beliefs – “Where is the love?”.
• Lyrics can be deeply symbolic to convey meaning.
• Instrumental music can aid meditation and prayer.
• Further case study: Zadok the Priest by Handel. Handel chose the biblical account of the
coronation of King Soloman and is sung at the coronation of every new King or Queen in
England. The simple words make it clear that the King or Queen has been chosen by God.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q5 Religion in Contemporary Society.
Card 6 Side 1
• The expression of spirituality in society. Materialism by the throw away culture that we
have, must have it now, latest fashions and gadgets. Spirituality by people who choose
not to adopt the materialistic approach to life.
• Membership of a faith. Choosing to follow a faith usually involves a commitment and
religious ceremony welcoming the person into the faith (e.g. baptism for Christians). Once
a person chooses a faith then they observe the rules of that religion and it becomes their
way of life. Christians read the Bible to get a deeper understanding of God. They go to
Church to worship with other Christians who share the same beliefs.
• Religious Communities. Some religious believers choose to separate themselves from
everyday life. For example, some Christians believe they can express their spirituality best
by joining a monastic community as monks (male) or nuns (female). They believe they
have had a calling from God. They may go out into the community to share their faith,
help others, but each morning and evening they spend together in prayer and worship
with the other monks/nuns.
• Living in a faith commune. Some religious believers choose to live their life in wider
society but every now and then take time out to visit a commune. Here they will be other
believers who share their faith and live their lives for a short period of time away from the
modern pressure of life. This allows them to focus on their faith.
• Living with faith in everyday life. Most religious believers live in the wider community
and attend their church at least once a week or even once a day. They lead the same life
as materialistic people and non-believers but for Christians, attend church to share in
worship and prayer with other like minded people.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Q5 Religion in Contemporary Society.
Card 6 Side 2
• Religious symbols. Some people may wear symbols of their faith. For example, Christians
may wear a cross or crucifix to signify the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. The cross or
crucifix is an image/symbol the person wears to represent their religion and demonstrate
their beliefs.
• Problems with religious symbols. Some people who are not of the same religious belief
may find the religious symbol being worn by a person to be offensive. Case Study: Nadia
Eweida and British Airways. Nadia was suspended by British Airways for refusing to
remove a small cross she wore round her neck. The case hit the newspapers and
television. British Airways amended their rules to say that people could wear small
religious symbols. This was after public outcry from the Archbishop of Canterbury (leader
of the Church of England), The Pope, some British politicians and the Muslim Council of
Britain who said the symbol was not offensive to Muslims. However, Nadia lost her case
for compensation where she alleged religious discrimination had taken place.
• Acts of Worship. Christian worship varies. Usually it follows set pattern laid out in a prayer
book. It includes activities such as singing hymns, saying prayers, reading from the Bible,
hearing a sermon and taking part in the Holy Eucharist (receiving the bread and wine
from the Priest that represents the body and blood of Christ). This is formal or liturgical
worship. Non-liturgical worship includes praying at home or reading the Bible by
yourself.
• The impact a religion has on a person is life changing. It gives them a faith to follow and
helps define their own spirituality. It gives them someone or something to turn to in times
of need and gives their life a spiritual meaning.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Key Terms For All Questions.
Card 7 Side 1
Make sure you understand all the key terms:
• Symbolism. The message that the artist is trying to convey.
• Materialism means the side of our personality concerned with having the latest gadgets,
judging ourselves against others based on what car we drive, how big our house is, the
latest designer clothes. People who are materialistic think outward appearances matter
and do not not think about spiritual matters.
• Spirituality means the side of our personality not concerned with materialism. It is about
love, faith, finding answers to the spiritual questions; “why are we here?” and “what
happens when we die?” A spiritual truth is a truth based on a person’s faith. Example: For
Christians the existence of Heaven is a spiritual truth because the religion teaches that
when a Christian dies they will have a place in Heaven. Spirituality is a powerful influence
on a persons life as the person seeks answers to spiritual questions about life. A creative
person can express their spirituality through art, architecture, music, literature and the
media. Their work can express inspiration, devotion and revelation.
• Inspiration, looking at something that can inspire you. For example, an artist creates their
art work to inspire others, to provoke certain emotions and feelings. A piece of religious
art could inspire others to lead a better life or even challenge a person’s faith or non-faith.
R.E. Revision Card: Unit 5: Key Terms For All Questions.
Card 7 Side 2
Make sure you understand all the key terms:
• Devotion. A person produces a piece of religious work to show their devotion to their
faith, to share their belief with others. Often devoting a large part of their life to the
completion of the work. It can inspire devotion in other people who share the same faith
and challenge those who do not.
• Revelation. A person can produce a piece of religious work to reveal to others different
aspects of their faith. They may be revealing to others the promise of an afterlife, God’s
omnipresence, omnipotence, immanence, transcendence, benevolence, etc.
REMEMBER IN THE EXAM TO USE SPIRITUALITY, INSPIRATION, DEVOTION, REVELATION IN
EACH ANSWER WORTH 4, 5 or 6 MARKS.
REFER TO THE EXAM TECHNIQUES ON CARD 7 FROM UNIT 4. THE SAME RULES APPLY!
LEARN CASE STUDIES – YOU WILL NEED TO REFER TO THEM IN YOUR ANSWERS.
BIBLE QUOTES: “The parable of the talents shows that God gave each person a skill that
they must use, to waste it is to turn your back on God’s gift.”