The Meaning and Purpose of Life (AQA A-Level Religious Studies): Revision Notes
The Meaning and Purpose of Life
Introduction
Christians seek to understand the meaning and purpose of life through the teachings of their faith, personal experiences, and observations of the world around them. There is no single answer that applies to all Christians, as different denominations and individual believers interpret these questions differently. However, three central purposes emerge from Christian theology.
The three main purposes of life in Christianity are:
- To glorify God and have a personal relationship with him
- To prepare for judgement
- To bring about God's Kingdom on Earth
Each Christian may emphasise these purposes differently based on their denomination, personal experiences, and theological understanding. The variety of interpretations reflects the richness and diversity within Christian thought.
To glorify God and have a personal relationship with him
Creation in God's image
Christian understanding of life's purpose begins with the belief that God is the creator and sustainer of all existence. The meaning of life must therefore be understood in relation to God. A key question is: why did God create humans?
The first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:4a)
In the first Genesis account, God creates humans by speaking: Let us make man in our image. The text emphasises several important points:
- Humans are created in God's image, making them very like God
- They are instructed to be fruitful, multiply, fill the Earth and subdue it
- God declares everything he made to be very good
Key Interpretation: Humans as God's Image
Humans are God's image in the created order. They represent God's qualities to everything else in creation and to one another. By reproducing and filling the Earth, humans spread the qualities of God across the whole Earth.
The concept of glory
Glory (kabod in Hebrew): The term used throughout the Old Testament to describe God's essential quality. Since God's nature is beyond human understanding, 'glory' captures the divine essence that cannot be fully expressed in language.
The prophet Isaiah connects this to life's purpose: Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made (Isaiah 43:7).
Early Christians recognised this quality in Jesus. John's Gospel states: We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only son from the Father (John 1:14).
Ways Christians glorify God
Many Christians believe their purpose is to represent and spread God's glory. This influences them in several ways:
- They try to show God's glory through their own lives and actions
- They tell others about God and encourage them to become Christians so they too can glorify God
- They try to make their lives more God-like to better represent him in the world
- They draw people's attention to God's qualities by talking and writing about them
- They engage in worship which draws on and reflects God's glory
Jesus summarises this in the Sermon on the Mount: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
This teaching emphasizes that Christians glorify God not through words alone, but through visible good works that point others toward God.
The second creation story (Genesis 2:4b-3:24)
The second Genesis account presents a different perspective, depicting God as intimately involved with physical creation:
- God forms man from dust and breathes life into his nostrils
- God plants a garden in Eden and places the man there
- God creates animals as companions, then creates woman as a partner
- God walks in the garden and talks with Adam and Eve
This story emphasises God's care and affection for individuals, leading to the belief that another purpose of human existence is to share a personal relationship with God. Unlike the first creation story which focuses on humanity's role in creation, this account highlights the intimate, personal nature of God's interaction with humans.
Building a personal relationship with God
The relationship between Jesus and God the Father serves as the model for every human's relationship with God. In John's Gospel, Jesus prays for his disciples and future believers, expressing the desire that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us (John 17:20-23).
This prayer shows the intimacy between Father and Son and uses it as a model for Christians' relationship with God.
Ways Christians build this relationship:
- Communicating through prayer
- Studying the Bible to know God better
- Following Jesus' teachings, as Christians believe God can be known through Jesus Christ
- Modelling their lives on the life of Jesus
To prepare for judgement
The fall and the need for reconciliation
The second creation story also reveals another purpose of life. Humans were originally created to be with God, but Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were banished from the garden. This broke the close relationship between humans and God, introducing work, pain and death into human experience.
The Doctrine of Atonement
Doctrine of Atonement: The teaching that Jesus' death can make up for human sin. The closest meaning of atonement is reconciliation – Jesus' death reconciles God and the world.
God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19)
To complete God's plan for reconciliation, humans must face judgement of their lives at the end of time.
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)
Jesus taught that people would be judged according to how they treated those less fortunate than themselves. In this parable:
Worked Example: Understanding the Parable
The righteous (sheep) are welcomed into the kingdom because they:
- Fed the hungry
- Gave drink to the thirsty
- Welcomed strangers
- Clothed the naked
- Visited the sick
- Came to those in prison
The unrighteous (goats) are sent away to eternal punishment because they failed to do these things.
The key message is that treating the least fortunate is the same as treating Jesus himself: As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.
The purpose of preparing for judgement
This leads to the view that life's purpose is to prepare for judgement. All who have died will be raised and judged. Those who have treated others with compassion and justice will be welcomed into God's eternal presence; those who have not will be forever excluded from God.
Liberal Christian interpretations
Many liberal Christians today do not accept a literal Judgement Day at the end of time. Instead, they argue the story is designed to show an important truth about human existence.
They believe some form of eternal existence in God's presence is the outcome of striving for moral perfection. For some, judgement happens in response to Christ in this life, and being born of spirit means living eternal life as a quality of life now.
John Hick's soul-making theodicy
John Hick agrees with St Irenaeus (130-202 CE) that evil in the world is not a flaw but an essential part of God's plan. Key points of this theodicy:
Hick's Soul-Making Theodicy
- God created humans as incomplete beings with the potential to achieve likeness with God
- The existence of evil allows humans to grow and develop virtues
- God could have made humans with ready-made virtues, but this would not be real moral goodness
- Humans are free to choose good or evil, so true virtues come from freely overcoming temptations and trials
- The purpose of life is soul-making, in which evil plays an essential role
In a world where evil exists, people can choose to overcome it. Christians who respond to hunger, poverty or exclusion with compassion and generosity become better people. Hick believes this process continues, perhaps through different levels of existence, until everybody reaches God's Kingdom. Therefore, Hick argues there is no possibility of God sending anybody to hell.
To bring about God's Kingdom on Earth
A holistic view of life's purpose
The previous two purposes focus on the individual (glorifying God personally or preparing oneself for judgement). A more holistic view is that humans are part of the whole fabric of creation, and the purpose of everything is to bring to completion God's work by bringing about God's Kingdom on Earth.
The concept of God's Kingdom
At the time of Jesus, Jews were expecting a Messiah who would free them from Roman oppression as both an earthly king and spiritual leader. When Jesus refers to the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew's Gospel), he links God's kingship over all creation to the possibility that all creation, on Earth as well as in heaven, will follow God's laws.
The Lord's Prayer makes this clear: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in Heaven.
Two interpretations
Eschatological view: Some Christians believe this hope relates to the end of time. They expect Jesus Christ to return to Earth in glory, when sin and death will be eliminated.
Active view: Other Christians see their purpose as a responsibility to work towards creating perfection on Earth now. They not only build their own relationship with God and develop virtues, but also work to bring about the conditions of a perfect heaven in their community and the world.
Jesus as the inaugurator of the Kingdom
Many Christians believe Jesus' coming made it possible to imagine God's Kingdom on Earth. The first words recorded in Mark's Gospel are: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).
Jesus is therefore called the inaugurator of the kingdom. To make this kingdom a reality on Earth, Christians must:
- Repent (turn away from) all that is not god-like
- Work to bring about the qualities of God to fruition on Earth
Qualities of God's Kingdom
These qualities are drawn largely from Old Testament texts, especially the prophets and the Book of Psalms. The key features are:
- Peace
- Justice
- Freedom from want
Christians who see their purpose this way seek these qualities not only for themselves but for all victims of conflict, injustice and poverty worldwide. They focus on bringing about these qualities themselves as God's stewards, rather than waiting for God to intervene.
Example: The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Worked Example: Quakers Bringing About God's Kingdom
Quakers describe their work based on the belief that there is something of God in everyone:
- They treat everyone with respect, whatever their circumstances, beliefs, race, age or gender
- They work to make the world a better place
- They support vulnerable and marginalised people including refugees, asylum seekers, prisoners, war casualties and those with mental health issues
- They work for peace locally, nationally and internationally, believing that working for peace begins in their own hearts
This demonstrates how the purpose of bringing about God's Kingdom translates into concrete, practical action in the world.
Evaluating the relative importance of these purposes
Different meanings for different people
The varied approaches to life's meaning and purpose suggest these terms may mean different things for different people.
Preparation for judgement can imply being good simply to earn a reward, so some might be motivated by fear of punishment rather than genuine desire to follow God's laws. However, many people are likely motivated by both self-interest and a desire to do right.
Personal relationship with God could result in a contemplative life – a lifelong journey of prayer and contemplation, perhaps within a monastic community. Some might focus on Christian mysticism, working through study, worship and contemplation towards a transformative experience of God.
Non-exclusive purposes
These purposes are not mutually exclusive. Many Christians work to bring about God's Kingdom on Earth while also developing their own virtues and a closer personal relationship with God.
For some Christians, doing God's will or being a good person is an end in itself. For others, what they do has a focus and purpose aligned with their personal circumstances and abilities.
Exam tips
Key Points for Exam Success:
- Be able to explain all three purposes of life with relevant Biblical support
- Understand the differences between the two creation stories and what each contributes to understanding life's purpose
- Know the key Biblical passages, especially the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
- Be able to explain John Hick's soul-making theodicy and how it relates to preparing for judgement
- Understand different Christian views on bringing about God's Kingdom (eschatological vs active)
- Be prepared to evaluate which purpose might be most important and why
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Christians understand life's purpose through three main approaches: glorifying God and having a personal relationship with him; preparing for judgement; and bringing about God's Kingdom on Earth.
- The two Genesis creation stories emphasise different aspects: humans as God's image (Genesis 1) and the intimate personal relationship between God and humanity (Genesis 2).
- Glory (kabod) describes God's essential quality, which Christians are called to represent and spread in the world.
- The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats teaches that people will be judged by how they treat the least fortunate, as this is equivalent to how they treat Jesus.
- These three purposes are not mutually exclusive – many Christians embrace all three in their understanding of life's meaning and purpose.