Lesson 6: Belief, non-belief and where I stand
Belief, non-belief and identity
Items in this lesson
Belief, non-belief and identity
Use this as the final lesson in the unit, signalling that pupils will draw together earlier learning about religion, non-religion and different ways of thinking about God.
Learning goal
I can explain why some people believe in God, why some do not, and describe which position is closest to my own.
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What words come to mind when you hear belief in God?
Use this to surface prior ideas such as faith, doubt, religion, evidence, prayer, science, family or choice. Invite pupils to notice the variety of associations before the lesson develops them.
What the census can show
Census data can show patterns in religious identity
Two categories often compared are Christian and No religion
Looking at charts over time helps us notice change in society
A census shows what people say about themselves at that moment
The original plan uses matching two census charts. On this slide, keep the focus on what census information is useful for in RE: describing patterns of identity, not proving whether beliefs are true or false.
A change in religious identity
When pupils compare the census charts, the key pattern is that Christian identity has become less common, while No religion has become more common. This does not mean everyone has the same reasons. It shows that beliefs and identities in the UK have been changing.
Avoid overloading with figures unless they are already familiar from the unit. The main teaching point is the broad trend and the idea that social change does not explain individual belief by itself.
Three positions on belief in God
Theist - a person who believes God exists
Atheist - a person who does not believe God exists
Agnostic - a person who is unsure whether God exists, or thinks it cannot be known for certain
Belief terms
Uncertainty
Keep the definitions simple and consistent. Some agnostics lean towards belief and some towards non-belief, but the key idea here is uncertainty or suspended judgement.
Why might someone be a theist?
They were raised in a religious family or community
They find religious teachings convincing
Prayer or worship feels meaningful to them
They believe personal experience points to God
They think the world makes most sense with a creator
Frame these as possible reasons, not assumptions about all religious people. This keeps the slide rooted in understanding lived religion in RE.
Why might someone be an atheist or agnostic?
They may see no convincing evidence for God
Science or philosophy may shape how they think
Suffering in the world may raise doubts about God
They may reject organised religion but still ask big questions
They may think the truth about God is unknown or unknowable
Stress that atheist and agnostic are not identical positions. The slide groups them because both can involve non-belief or uncertainty, but pupils should keep the distinction clear.
What does census data mainly help us describe here?
Patterns in identity
Proof about God
Sacred teachings
Private prayers
Checks the key caution from the census slides: census data shows what people report about identity at a given time, not whether beliefs are true or false.
Belief terms and change
The census can show changes in religious identity over time. In the UK, Christian identity has become less common, while No religion has become more common. A person who is unsure whether God exists may be agnostic.
All four blanks come directly from the first teaching block: census patterns and the key term agnostic.
Psychology and theology
These are two different ways of approaching questions about God and belief.
Psychology asks what people think, feel and experience
Theology asks what God is like by studying religious texts and teachings
This distinction is central to the lesson. Keep it clear that psychology studies human belief, while theology studies claims about God from within religious traditions.
A psychological approach
A psychological approach focuses on people.
It explores why humans believe, doubt or reject belief. It may study upbringing, emotion, identity, experience and behaviour. It does not try to prove whether God exists; it tries to understand how belief works in human life.
Useful misconception to address: pupils may think psychology is 'against religion'. Clarify that it is a method for studying human thought and behaviour.
A theological approach
A theological approach focuses on religious claims.
It studies sacred texts, traditions and teachings to ask what God is like, what God wants, and how humans should respond. It works from within religious ways of thinking, rather than simply measuring people's opinions.
You can mention Christianity here if that has been the main tradition in the unit, but the distinction works more broadly across religions.
Two approaches, different strengths
Theology
Good for studying religious ideas
Uses texts, doctrines and interpretation
Helps explain what believers say about God
Psychology
Good for studying human experience
Uses observation, interviews or surveys
Helps explain patterns in belief and non-belief
If pupils start asking which is 'more true', steer them back to the idea that each approach answers a different kind of question.
How are psychology and theology different?
Expected elements: psychology studies what people think, feel, experience and why they believe or doubt; theology studies religious texts, teachings and claims about what God is like. A strong answer should show that they answer different kinds of questions.
Which approach studies what believers say about God?
Census study
Psychology
Theology
Observation
Observation is a method linked to psychology on the slides, not the wider approach focused on religious claims.
Two ways of approaching belief
A psychological approach focuses on people and explores belief, doubt and experience. It does not try to prove whether God exists. A theological approach studies sacred texts and teachings to ask what God is like. These approaches have different strengths.
This anchors the core contrast: people/existence/texts/strengths.
Where do I stand?
People may describe themselves as theist, atheist or agnostic
A position can be influenced by family, culture, experience and reflection
Some people hold their view strongly; others are still exploring
In RE, reflection on belief and identity is part of learning
This slide prepares for personal reflection without turning the slide itself into an activity instruction. Keep the classroom climate respectful and non-pressured.
Looking back at the unit
This lesson brings together key ideas from the unit:
religious and non-religious identity can change over time
people use different words to describe their position on God
belief and non-belief can both have reasons behind them
psychology and theology approach the topic in different ways
You can connect this back to questions pupils raised earlier in the unit and note that some questions may now be answerable, while others remain open.
Which word is closest to your current position?
Theist
Atheist
Agnostic
Still unsure
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Which factor could influence a person's position on God?
Family only
One lesson only
Culture only
Family and reflection
The slide says a position can be influenced by family, culture, experience and reflection. The distractors reduce this to a single cause.
What is one idea from this lesson you will remember?
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What helped you understand this topic best?
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Glossary
Christian - a person who follows Christianity
No religion - a census category for people who do not identify with a religion
theist - a person who believes God exists
atheist - a person who does not believe God exists
agnostic - a person who is unsure whether God exists, or thinks it cannot be known
psychology - the study of how people think, feel and behave
theology - the study of God, religious beliefs and religious texts
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