South Sudan Primary 7 Curriculum - Religious Education

Unit 1: The Origin of the Bible

• Meaning of the Bible: The Bible is the inspired word of God, a collection of sacred texts written by different authors. It contains God's history of salvation and is used by Christians during worship. It differs from other textbooks in that it is considered a holy book containing divine inspiration.
• Origin of the Bible: The word "Bible" comes from the Greek word for "book." It is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures that Jews and Christians consider to be divinely inspired. The Bible is a record of the relationship between God and human beings.
• Major Divisions of the Bible: The Bible is divided into two main parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament was written before the birth of Jesus Christ and contains 39 books. The New Testament was written after the death of Jesus Christ and contains 27 books.
• Importance of the Bible in Relation to Other Faiths: The Bible is an important learning resource for Christians, guiding their faith and relationship with God. Other religions have their own holy books, such as the Quran for Muslims, the Dharma for Buddhists, and the Vedas for Hindus. These books contain messages from a Supreme Being and are essential in worship.
• Similarities and Differences of the Holy Books: Holy books across different religions contain messages from a Supreme Being and guide human beings in their daily lives. However, they differ in terms of style, content presentation, names of prophets, and chapter divisions.
• Significance of the Bible to Jewish Faith and Its Importance to Christians: The Bible is significant to both Jewish and Christian faiths. Jews, descendants of Hebrews, believe in the Bible's writings and use it during worship and religious festivals. Christians also use the Bible during worship, believing it contains messages about Jesus, the son of God. It guides them in their relationship with God and reveals His will.

Unit 2: Prophets in the Bible

• Meaning of a Prophet: A prophet communicates the word of God to His people. In the Bible, God used prophets to communicate His will to the Israelites, warn sinful nations of impending judgment, and offer hope for restoration.
• Prophets Found in the Bible: The Bible features prophets in both the Old and New Testaments. Old Testament prophets include Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. New Testament prophets include John the Baptist, Zechariah, Simeon, and Anna. The Quran also mentions prophets like Muhammad, Yahya, Zakariya, and Dhulkifl, who played similar roles.
• Prophetic Teachings: Prophetic teachings in the Bible include Isaiah's prophecy about the birth of Jesus, Amos's prophecy of punishment and repentance for the Israelites, Jeremiah's prophecy about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, Daniel's prophecy about the growth of God's kingdom, Micah's prophecy about the Messiah's birthplace, and John the Baptist's role in preparing the way for the Messiah.
• Types of Prophets in the Bible: The Bible distinguishes between major and minor prophets. Major prophets, such as Jeremiah, Daniel, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, had longer periods of prophecy. Minor prophets, like Joel, Hosea, Haggai, Nahum, Zechariah, Zephaniah, Micah, Habakkuk, Obadiah, Malachi, and Nathan, prophesied for shorter periods.
• Relevance of Prophets to Today's Society: Prophets' messages of obedience, faith, prayer, condemnation of social injustices, and hope for salvation remain relevant to Christians today. They teach Christians to stand for their faith, even in the face of persecution, and to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
• The Roles and Importance of the Prophets in Christian Belief: Prophets played key roles in the Bible, foretelling future events, praying for divine intervention, anointing kings, guiding religious ceremonies, interpreting dreams and visions, warning of judgment, and leading people to true worship. In modern Christianity, church leaders play similar prophetic roles, linking Christians to God, leading worship, and advising on matters of governance.

Unit 3: Jesus in the New Testament (Content summarized due to length restrictions. See source for full details.)

This unit covers the annunciation, Mary's visit to Elizabeth, Jesus's conception, birth, presentation and dedication in the temple, circumcision, time in the temple with teachers of the law, major works, feeding the hungry, raising the dead, restoring sight to the blind, death and resurrection, and his life and work according to the Quran.

Unit 4: Biblical Teachings on the Environment (Content summarized due to length restrictions. See source for full details.)

This unit covers Biblical teachings on the environment, concepts of the environment according to other faiths, human activities that affect the environment, the importance of the environment to the human race, and how humankind can protect the environment.

Unit 5: African Heritage Narrative Teachings (Content summarized due to length restrictions. See source for full details.)

This unit covers marriage, weddings, family, types of marriages, the origin of African religion, sacred scriptures in African religion, significant cultural and religious heritages of Africa, the importance of African heritage, and the significance of songs and shrines in African society.