Religion, Peace & Conflict is a core part of GCSE Religious Studies. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
Just War TheoryAugustine and Aquinas developed criteria: just cause, last resort, proportionality, just authority, intention of peace.
PacifismRefusal to participate in war; Quakers, Mennonites; Christian basis in Matthew 5:9 'blessed are the peacemakers'.
JihadArabic 'struggle'; greater jihad is inner struggle against sin; lesser jihad is defensive warfare under strict rules.
Holy WarConflict justified by religion; Crusades 1095-1291 against Muslims; rejected by mainstream Christianity today.
Weapons of Mass DestructionNuclear, biological, chemical; religions generally oppose; Vatican II called nuclear war 'crime against God'.
ForgivenessReligious response to conflict; Christian 'turn the other cheek' (Matthew 5:39); restorative not retributive justice.
Just warWar meeting strict moral conditions
Holy warWar for religious reasons — e.g. the Crusades
QuakersReligious Society of Friends — historic pacifists
BonhoefferLutheran pastor who opposed the Nazis
Defensive jihadIslamic teaching: force only to defend
TerrorismViolence against civilians for political ends
WMDWeapons of mass destruction — nuclear, biological, chemical
Nuclear deterrenceOwning nukes to discourage attack
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one: