Religious Beliefs
Senior 4 · General and Religious Studies
Religious Beliefs
Lesson 2 of 5
40 min
On many Rwandan hills you can hear, on a Sunday morning, a Catholic choir, a Pentecostal band and a Presbyterian hymn, while on Saturday the Adventists gather. In the 2022 census, Catholics were 39.9% of residents, ADEPR members 21.3%, Protestants 14.6%, Adventists 12.2% and other Christians 4.2%. Their buildings, music and leaders differ. Do they share one faith?
They do. Beneath the differences lies a common core that almost all Christians confess. This lesson identifies that core in beliefs and practices, and then explains the main differences between denominations without taking sides.
Definition
Christianity: the religion based on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be the Son of God.
Christ: from the Greek for "Anointed One", the same meaning as the Hebrew "Messiah".
Creed: a short, formal statement of what a church believes (Latin credo, "I believe").
Trinity: the belief that the one God exists as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Incarnation: God the Son becoming fully human in Jesus. Resurrection: Jesus rising bodily from death on the third day.
Salvation: being saved from sin and its consequences and brought into new life with God. Grace: God's free, undeserved love and help.
Sacrament (some churches say ordinance): a sacred rite through which, Christians believe, God acts or which Christ commanded, such as baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Denomination: an organised branch of Christianity with its own leadership and traditions, such as the Catholic Church or ADEPR.
The Apostles' Creed, a summary of faith used since the early centuries of the Church, is still said by Catholics, Anglicans and many Protestants. Its traditional English wording, from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, is:
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen."
In the creed, "Catholic" means "universal", the whole Church; "the quick" means "the living"; "Holy Ghost" is an older name for the Holy Spirit. Its three paragraphs follow the three persons of the Trinity.
| Belief | Meaning | Scripture (World English Bible) |
|---|---|---|
| God's love and the Son | God sent his Son out of love, to give eternal life | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) |
| Death and resurrection | Christ died for sins and rose again: the centre of the faith | "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3–4) |
| Salvation by grace | Salvation is God's gift, received by faith | "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast." (Ephesians 2:8–9) |
| The Trinity and baptism | One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, into whose name believers are baptised | "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) |
The differences are real but concern how the common faith is understood and organised. The table describes each tradition as its members describe themselves.
| Tradition | Distinctive emphasis |
|---|---|
| Catholic | Unity under the Pope, the Bishop of Rome; scripture together with Church tradition; seven sacraments; honour given to Mary and the saints |
| Protestant (for example Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist) | Scripture as the final authority; salvation by grace through faith; usually two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper |
| Pentecostal (for example ADEPR) | A personal experience of the Holy Spirit and his gifts; lively worship; baptism of believers |
| Seventh-day Adventist | Worship on the seventh day (Saturday); expectation of Christ's soon return; care for health |
| Orthodox | The ancient Eastern churches; liturgy and icons; few members in Rwanda |
Worked example: how Christian is Rwanda?
Add the Christian groups listed in the 2022 census (Catholic, ADEPR, Protestant, Adventist, other Christians):
This matches NISR's statement that Christianity is the religion of 92% of residents. For every 10 Catholics there were about 5 ADEPR members: .
Warning
Common mistakes
Important
Discuss. In your area, churches of different denominations sometimes pray together, for example on national days or at funerals. Which parts of the common core make this possible? Which differences might make some Christians hesitate?
Zondervan: "What is the Apostles Creed?", about 5 minutes. Note when and why the creed was written and which beliefs it protects.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the opening, the tables, the worked example and the exercises.
Quick check
Match each belief to its meaning.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
