What 4RS1 expects

For Relationships, the specification asks you to describe religious and non-religious beliefs and teachings, and the differing attitudes of believers, to:

• Marriage & partnership — its purpose, and the roles & status of partners.
• The family — its roles, structures and importance.
• Divorce & remarriage — and the breakdown of marriage.
• Sexual relationships — sex before/outside marriage, cohabitation, adultery.
• Contraception and family planning.
• Same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage.
• Gender roles & equality within the family and community.

Assessment skill: you must give more than one view — e.g. how attitudes differ between Christianity and Islam, and within each religion (traditional vs liberal readings), always supported by teachings.

The purposes of marriage

Both Christianity and Islam value marriage as a serious, faithful commitment. Most teachings describe several overlapping purposes:

In Christianity, marriage is often called a covenant reflecting Christ's love for the Church; Genesis speaks of a couple becoming "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). In Islam, marriage (nikah) is a contract and a highly recommended act following the example (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad, providing tranquillity and love (Qur'an 30:21).

Which purpose?

Key terms you must know

The examiner rewards precise vocabulary. Learn these carefully:

Careful: annulment is not the same as divorce. Divorce ends a valid marriage; an annulment says the marriage was never valid in the first place.

Define a key term

Roles & status of partners

The spec asks about the roles and status of partners — and views range widely, often depending on whether teachings are read traditionally or liberally.

• Traditional / complementarian readings see partners as having different, complementary roles — for example the husband providing and the wife nurturing — while being of equal worth before God.
• Egalitarian / liberal readings stress equal roles and shared responsibility, pointing to teachings that men and women are made in God's image (Genesis 1:27) and that "there is neither male nor female... in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

In Islam, the Qur'an teaches that women and men were "created from a single soul" (Qur'an 4:1) and are equal in faith and reward (Qur'an 33:35), while many Muslims also recognise distinct family responsibilities. Practice varies greatly across cultures and communities.

Balance point: "different roles" and "equal worth" are not contradictory in these teachings — describe both traditional and egalitarian voices fairly.

Identify the viewpoint

The family & its roles

Both religions see the family as central: a place to give and receive love, and to raise children in the faith.

• Christianity: children should "honour your father and mother" (Exodus 20:12); parents should bring children up "in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Many Christians support various family structures — nuclear, extended, single-parent and blended.
• Islam: kindness to parents is stressed alongside worship of God (Qur'an 17:23). The extended family is highly valued, and raising righteous children is seen as a trust (amanah).

Religious communities also support family life practically — through places of worship, classes for children (e.g. Sunday school, madrasah), marriage preparation and help for those in difficulty.

Misconception: religions do not all insist on one "correct" family shape. Many believers welcome single-parent, adoptive and extended families as loving and valid.

Sex, cohabitation & adultery

A widely shared teaching is that sex belongs within marriage, expressing faithful, lifelong love. But attitudes to sex before marriage and to cohabitation differ:

Adultery is condemned across both religions — it is one of the Ten Commandments ("You shall not commit adultery", Exodus 20:14) and the Qur'an calls people to keep well away from it (Qur'an 17:32) — because it breaks the trust and faithfulness at the heart of marriage.

Reading the view

Contraception & family planning

Attitudes to contraception differ sharply within Christianity, which is a favourite exam point:

• Roman Catholic (traditional): artificial contraception is generally opposed because sex should stay open to procreation (from the encyclical Humanae Vitae); natural family planning may be used instead.
• Church of England & many Protestants: contraception is accepted as a responsible choice for a married couple, to plan the size and timing of a family.

In Islam, many scholars permit contraception (such as spacing children for the mother's health or the family's wellbeing), often citing the practice of some of the Prophet's companions; but methods that would end a life after conception are widely opposed. Some Muslims prefer to avoid it, trusting in God's provision.

Misconception: it is wrong to say "Christians are against contraception". Some are; many are not. Always name which group or reading you mean.

Which view, which tradition?

Tap a statement on the left, then its best-matching tradition on the right.

Divorce & the breakdown of marriage

Because marriage is meant to be lifelong, divorce is treated seriously — but teachings differ, especially between Christian denominations:

• Roman Catholic: a valid sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved ("what God has joined together, let no one separate", Mark 10:9). Civil divorce is possible, but the Church does not recognise remarriage; an annulment may be granted if the marriage was never valid.
• Church of England & many Protestants: divorce is regretted but permitted where a marriage has truly broken down, and remarriage in church may sometimes be allowed.
• Islam: divorce (talaq) is permitted as, in a hadith, "the most detested of lawful things to God" — a last resort after attempts at reconciliation (Qur'an 4:35). Islamic law sets out procedures, waiting periods (iddah) and rights, and remarriage is allowed.

Misconception: "religions ban divorce" is too simple. Teachings on divorce and remarriage differ by denomination and religion — describe the range.

Whose teaching?

Same-sex relationships & marriage

This is an area of real and ongoing disagreement, both between and within religions. Represent every view respectfully:

• Traditional Christian view: some Christians hold that marriage is between a man and a woman, and read certain biblical passages as teaching that sexual relationships should be heterosexual — while also teaching that all people are loved by God and should be treated with dignity.
• Accepting / affirming Christian view: other Christians and denominations welcome same-sex relationships and support same-sex marriage, emphasising love, commitment and the command to love your neighbour (Mark 12:31). Churches differ, and some are actively debating or changing their practice.
• Islam: most traditional Islamic teaching holds that sexual relationships should be within heterosexual marriage; at the same time, Muslims are taught not to judge others and that God is merciful. Individual Muslims hold a range of personal attitudes.

Balance point: note the difference between civil (legal) same-sex marriage, which is law in many countries, and religious marriage, which each faith community decides for itself.

Civil or religious?

Traditional ↔ Liberal, on every issue

A useful exam habit: for each relationship topic, place views on a traditional–liberal spectrum, and remember believers appear all along it.

Match teaching ↔ religion

Tap the tradition whose teaching each statement best reflects.

Humanist & secular attitudes

The spec also asks for non-religious views, which you should present just as fairly:

• Humanists generally judge relationships by consent, honesty, kindness and happiness rather than by scripture. They typically support cohabitation, contraception, divorce where a relationship has failed, gender equality, and same-sex marriage.
• Many secular people share these views but for varied reasons — personal freedom, wellbeing, or equality under the law.

Careful: "non-religious" is not one single view either — humanists, atheists and agnostics can disagree. Avoid sweeping statements about any group.

Whose reasoning?

Writing a balanced answer

Longer 4RS1 questions reward you for showing contrasting views with support. A reliable structure:

• State a view and name whose it is (e.g. "Many Catholics believe…").
• Support it with a teaching or source ("because Mark 10:9 says…").
• Give a contrasting view ("However, many Anglicans / Humanists think…") with its own support.
• Note differences within a religion too, not just between religions.
• Reach a brief, fair conclusion — you may weigh views, but you are not marked on picking a "right" answer.

Respect & accuracy: always represent each belief as its followers would recognise it. Never caricature a view you are about to disagree with.

Term ↔ definition

Tap a definition on the left, then the term it defines on the right.

The big ideas to know

You've covered the whole Relationships area of study for 4RS1, across Christianity and Islam with non-religious views. Press Finish to see your score.