The Divine Presence & Beliefs

Shekhinah

When Jews speak of experiencing God they might refer to the Shekhinah, which is also referred to as the Divine Presence.

The Temple in Jerusalem

The Temple in Jerusalem was the house of God and was where God could be experienced most powerfully.
The Temple was destroyed in 70CE and never rebuilt.

Torah

There are stories in the Torah where Jews had encounters with God, sometimes in open miracles and other times in the daily love and care they experienced.

Death

The Jewish customs related to death are about showing respect to the dying and dead and helping to support the grieving relatives.

The blessed acknowledgement

When learning of a death, Jews say a blessing acknowledging that what happened is just.
This means that they do not blame God and are not angry with God.
Jews also tear their clothing as a sign of grief.

Helping the dead

Helping the dead, by preparing the body for burial or by showing respect to the body, is seen as the ultimate kindness as the dead can never repay the favour.
If someone is there at the time of death they should make sure the dead person’s eyes are closed.

Beliefs About Life and the Afterlife

Some Jews believe that the afterlife is a spiritual concept and others believe that it is also physical.

Torah

The Torah focuses on living this life and making life holy and meaningful.
There is very little in Jewish scriptures about what happens after death.
Living according to the Torah is the most important Jewish idea and most Jews do not spend too much time thinking about death and what happens.

Judgement

A person is judged after their death. Depending on the outcome of the judgement, 2 options are available:
- The ‘good’ go to Gan Eden (garden of Eden/heaven) to receive rewards for good behaviour.
- The 'bad' go to Gehenom, or Sheol, which isn’t hell as understood in the Christian sense. This is more like a ‘fixing zone’, where the soul is cleansed so that it can enter heaven.

Resurrection

The biblical Book of Daniel mentions a time of resurrection when the dead will come back to life to be rewarded and live again.

1Buddhism

2Christianity

2.1Key Beliefs

2.1.1The Nature of God

2.1.2The Problem of Evil

2.1.3Monotheism

2.1.4Creation

2.1.5Bible Accounts of Creation

2.1.6The Trinity and Creation

2.1.7Afterlife

2.1.8Heaven and Hell

2.1.9The Influence of Afterlife on Life

2.1.10End of Topic Test - Christianity Key Beliefs

2.1.11Exam-Style Questions - Christian Beliefs

2.2Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.2.1The Incarnation

2.2.2Jesus - Divine & Human

2.2.3The Crucifixion

2.2.4Jesus' Betrayal

2.2.5Resurrection & Ascension

2.2.6Sin

2.2.7Original Sin

2.2.8Punishment

2.2.9The Means of Salvation

2.2.10Achieving Salvation

2.2.11Disagreements About Salvation

2.2.12The Role of Christ in Salvation

2.2.13Theories of Salvation

2.2.14End of Topic Test - Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.3Worship & Festivals

2.3.1Different Forms of Worship

2.3.2Prayer

2.3.3Sacrament

2.3.4Baptism

2.3.5Other Sacraments

2.3.6Eucharist

2.3.7Pilgrimage & Celebrations

2.3.8Christmas & Easter

2.3.9End of Topic Test - Worship and Festivals

2.4Community

2.4.1Local Community

2.4.2Mission, Evangelism & Church Growth

2.4.3Worldwide Church

2.4.4Reconciliation

2.4.5Persecution

2.4.6Caring for Those in Need

2.4.7End of Topic Test - Community

2.4.8Exam-Style Questions - Christian Practices

3Catholicism (Christianity)

4Islam

5Judaism

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