Christian Beliefs About Life After Death, Heaven and Hell
Explore Christian beliefs about life after death, resurrection, judgement, heaven and hell for AQA GCSE Religious Studies, with a clear example and exam tip.
Christians believe that death is not the end of life. They believe God will judge people and that there is life after death, associated with heaven or hell. Christians differ, however, on exactly what heaven and hell are like and how to understand descriptions of them in the Bible.
Resurrection and judgement
Resurrection means being raised from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection is central to Christian belief in life after death: Christians believe it shows that death can be overcome. Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).
Christians also believe in judgement, when God judges how a person has lived. Many believe that both faith and actions matter. In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31–46), Jesus describes people being judged partly by how they treated those in need.
Heaven and hell
Heaven is understood as eternal life with God. Some Christians picture it as a place; others focus on it as a state of perfect closeness to God.
Hell is commonly understood as separation from God. Some Christians understand biblical descriptions of punishment literally, while others see images such as fire as symbols of the suffering caused by that separation. Christians do not all agree on whether hell is eternal or whether its descriptions should be taken literally.
For example, a GCSE answer could link a belief to its effect: a Christian who believes God will judge how people treat others may be motivated to help someone in need. The mistake to avoid is saying that all Christians imagine heaven and hell in exactly the same way. Explain the shared belief in life after death, then acknowledge differences in interpretation.
