diff --git a/django/contrib/auth/tests/test_context_processors.py b/django/contrib/auth/tests/test_context_processors.py
index e0e75a947ef..cb96bf5d6d4 100644
--- a/django/contrib/auth/tests/test_context_processors.py
+++ b/django/contrib/auth/tests/test_context_processors.py
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ class PermWrapperTests(TestCase):
     TEMPLATE_DIRS=(
         os.path.join(os.path.dirname(upath(__file__)), 'templates'),
     ),
+    TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=(
+        'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
+        'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages'
+    ),
     ROOT_URLCONF='django.contrib.auth.tests.urls',
     USE_TZ=False,                           # required for loading the fixture
     PASSWORD_HASHERS=('django.contrib.auth.hashers.SHA1PasswordHasher',),
@@ -80,9 +84,6 @@ class AuthContextProcessorTests(TestCase):
             'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
             'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
         ),
-        TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=(
-            'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
-        ),
     )
     def test_session_not_accessed(self):
         """
@@ -97,9 +98,6 @@ class AuthContextProcessorTests(TestCase):
             'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
             'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
         ),
-        TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=(
-            'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
-        ),
     )
     def test_session_is_accessed(self):
         """
diff --git a/django/contrib/auth/tests/urls.py b/django/contrib/auth/tests/urls.py
index 8145f2f69cc..41e742a93b0 100644
--- a/django/contrib/auth/tests/urls.py
+++ b/django/contrib/auth/tests/urls.py
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 from django.conf.urls import url, include
 from django.contrib import admin
-from django.contrib.auth import context_processors
 from django.contrib.auth.forms import AuthenticationForm
 from django.contrib.auth.urls import urlpatterns
 from django.contrib.auth import views
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
 from django.contrib.messages.api import info
 from django.http import HttpResponse, HttpRequest
-from django.shortcuts import render_to_response
+from django.shortcuts import render
 from django.template import Template, RequestContext
 from django.views.decorators.cache import never_cache
 
@@ -27,39 +26,35 @@ def remote_user_auth_view(request):
 
 
 def auth_processor_no_attr_access(request):
-    render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_no_access.html',
-        context_instance=RequestContext(request, {}, processors=[context_processors.auth]))
+    render(request, 'context_processors/auth_attrs_no_access.html')
     # *After* rendering, we check whether the session was accessed
-    return render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_test_access.html',
-        {'session_accessed': request.session.accessed})
+    return render(request,
+                  'context_processors/auth_attrs_test_access.html',
+                  {'session_accessed': request.session.accessed})
 
 
 def auth_processor_attr_access(request):
-    render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_access.html',
-        context_instance=RequestContext(request, {}, processors=[context_processors.auth]))
-    return render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_test_access.html',
-        {'session_accessed': request.session.accessed})
+    render(request, 'context_processors/auth_attrs_access.html')
+    return render(request,
+                  'context_processors/auth_attrs_test_access.html',
+                  {'session_accessed': request.session.accessed})
 
 
 def auth_processor_user(request):
-    return render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_user.html',
-        context_instance=RequestContext(request, {}, processors=[context_processors.auth]))
+    return render(request, 'context_processors/auth_attrs_user.html')
 
 
 def auth_processor_perms(request):
-    return render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_perms.html',
-        context_instance=RequestContext(request, {}, processors=[context_processors.auth]))
+    return render(request, 'context_processors/auth_attrs_perms.html')
 
 
 def auth_processor_perm_in_perms(request):
-    return render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_perm_in_perms.html',
-        context_instance=RequestContext(request, {}, processors=[context_processors.auth]))
+    return render(request, 'context_processors/auth_attrs_perm_in_perms.html')
 
 
 def auth_processor_messages(request):
     info(request, "Message 1")
-    return render_to_response('context_processors/auth_attrs_messages.html',
-         context_instance=RequestContext(request, {}, processors=[context_processors.auth]))
+    return render(request, 'context_processors/auth_attrs_messages.html')
 
 
 def userpage(request):
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/admin/widgets.py b/django/contrib/gis/admin/widgets.py
index 716327cf0a2..c85e7a61259 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/admin/widgets.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/admin/widgets.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import logging
 
 from django.forms.widgets import Textarea
-from django.template import loader, Context
+from django.template import loader
 from django.utils import six
 from django.utils import translation
 
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from django.contrib.gis.geos import GEOSGeometry, GEOSException
 
 # Creating a template context that contains Django settings
 # values needed by admin map templates.
-geo_context = Context({'LANGUAGE_BIDI': translation.get_language_bidi()})
+geo_context = {'LANGUAGE_BIDI': translation.get_language_bidi()}
 logger = logging.getLogger('django.contrib.gis')
 
 
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ class OpenLayersWidget(Textarea):
             # geometry.
             self.params['wkt'] = wkt
 
-        return loader.render_to_string(self.template, self.params,
-                                       context_instance=geo_context)
+        self.params.update(geo_context)
+        return loader.render_to_string(self.template, self.params)
 
     def map_options(self):
         "Builds the map options hash for the OpenLayers template."
diff --git a/django/shortcuts.py b/django/shortcuts.py
index f3c07a6972f..780f89a6b54 100644
--- a/django/shortcuts.py
+++ b/django/shortcuts.py
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ This module collects helper functions and classes that "span" multiple levels
 of MVC. In other words, these functions/classes introduce controlled coupling
 for convenience's sake.
 """
-import warnings
-
 from django.template import loader, RequestContext
 from django.template.context import _current_app_undefined
 from django.template.engine import (
@@ -16,44 +14,57 @@ from django.db.models.manager import Manager
 from django.db.models.query import QuerySet
 from django.core import urlresolvers
 from django.utils import six
-from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
 
 
-def render_to_response(template_name, dictionary=_dictionary_undefined,
+def render_to_response(template_name, context=None,
                        context_instance=_context_instance_undefined,
-                       content_type=None, dirs=_dirs_undefined):
+                       content_type=None, status=None, dirs=_dirs_undefined,
+                       dictionary=_dictionary_undefined):
     """
     Returns a HttpResponse whose content is filled with the result of calling
     django.template.loader.render_to_string() with the passed arguments.
     """
-    # TODO: refactor to avoid the deprecated code path.
-    with warnings.catch_warnings():
-        warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
-        content = loader.render_to_string(template_name, dictionary, context_instance, dirs)
+    if (context_instance is _context_instance_undefined
+            and dirs is _dirs_undefined
+            and dictionary is _dictionary_undefined):
+        # No deprecated arguments were passed - use the new code path
+        content = loader.get_template(template_name).render(context)
 
-    return HttpResponse(content, content_type)
+    else:
+        # Some deprecated arguments were passed - use the legacy code path
+        content = loader.render_to_string(
+            template_name, context, context_instance, dirs, dictionary)
+
+    return HttpResponse(content, content_type, status)
 
 
-def render(request, template_name, dictionary=_dictionary_undefined,
+def render(request, template_name, context=None,
            context_instance=_context_instance_undefined,
            content_type=None, status=None, current_app=_current_app_undefined,
-           dirs=_dirs_undefined):
+           dirs=_dirs_undefined, dictionary=_dictionary_undefined):
     """
     Returns a HttpResponse whose content is filled with the result of calling
     django.template.loader.render_to_string() with the passed arguments.
     Uses a RequestContext by default.
     """
-    if context_instance is not _context_instance_undefined:
-        if current_app is not _current_app_undefined:
-            raise ValueError('If you provide a context_instance you must '
-                             'set its current_app before calling render()')
-    else:
-        context_instance = RequestContext(request, current_app=current_app)
+    if (context_instance is _context_instance_undefined
+            and current_app is _current_app_undefined
+            and dirs is _dirs_undefined
+            and dictionary is _dictionary_undefined):
+        # No deprecated arguments were passed - use the new code path
+        content = loader.get_template(template_name).render(context, request)
 
-    # TODO: refactor to avoid the deprecated code path.
-    with warnings.catch_warnings():
-        warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
-        content = loader.render_to_string(template_name, dictionary, context_instance, dirs)
+    else:
+        # Some deprecated arguments were passed - use the legacy code path
+        if context_instance is not _context_instance_undefined:
+            if current_app is not _current_app_undefined:
+                raise ValueError('If you provide a context_instance you must '
+                                 'set its current_app before calling render()')
+        else:
+            context_instance = RequestContext(request, current_app=current_app)
+
+        content = loader.render_to_string(
+            template_name, context, context_instance, dirs, dictionary)
 
     return HttpResponse(content, content_type, status)
 
diff --git a/docs/internals/deprecation.txt b/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
index f703b958a0a..0adf08ed5e1 100644
--- a/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
+++ b/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ details on these changes.
 * The ``dictionary`` and ``context_instance`` parameters for the following
   functions will be removed:
 
+  * ``django.shortcuts.render()``
+  * ``django.shortcuts.render_to_response()``
   * ``django.template.loader.render_to_string()``
 
 * The ``dirs`` parameter for the following functions will be removed:
diff --git a/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt b/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt
index 6e2ca745cf0..040dc25fe09 100644
--- a/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ you can document in your view function docstrings include:
 
 For example::
 
+    from django.shortcuts import render
+
     from myapp.models import MyModel
 
     def my_view(request, slug):
@@ -103,8 +105,6 @@ For example::
 
         **Context**
 
-        ``RequestContext``
-
         ``mymodel``
             An instance of :model:`myapp.MyModel`.
 
@@ -113,10 +113,8 @@ For example::
         :template:`myapp/my_template.html`
 
         """
-        return render_to_response('myapp/my_template.html', {
-            'mymodel': MyModel.objects.get(slug=slug)
-        }, context_instance=RequestContext(request))
-
+        context = {'mymodel': MyModel.objects.get(slug=slug)}
+        return render(request, 'myapp/my_template.html', context)
 
 Template tags and filters reference
 ===================================
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
index 3e6a95006eb..8f871cb96c0 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
@@ -1210,6 +1210,8 @@ now optional.
 The following functions will no longer accept the ``dictionary`` and
 ``context_instance`` parameters in Django 2.0:
 
+* ``django.shortcuts.render()``
+* ``django.shortcuts.render_to_response()``
 * ``django.template.loader.render_to_string()``
 
 Use the ``context`` parameter instead. When ``dictionary`` is passed as a
diff --git a/docs/topics/http/shortcuts.txt b/docs/topics/http/shortcuts.txt
index 7a92b690e95..5c356c2b3b9 100644
--- a/docs/topics/http/shortcuts.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/http/shortcuts.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ introduce controlled coupling for convenience's sake.
 ``render``
 ==========
 
-.. function:: render(request, template_name[, dictionary][, context_instance][, content_type][, status][, current_app][, dirs])
+.. function:: render(request, template_name[, context][, context_instance][, content_type][, status][, current_app][, dirs])
 
    Combines a given template with a given context dictionary and returns an
    :class:`~django.http.HttpResponse` object with that rendered text.
@@ -41,15 +41,24 @@ Required arguments
 Optional arguments
 ------------------
 
-``dictionary``
+``context``
     A dictionary of values to add to the template context. By default, this
     is an empty dictionary. If a value in the dictionary is callable, the
     view will call it just before rendering the template.
 
+    .. versionchanged:: 1.8
+
+       The ``context`` argument used to be called ``dictionary``. That name
+       is deprecated in Django 1.8 and will be removed in Django 2.0.
+
 ``context_instance``
     The context instance to render the template with. By default, the template
     will be rendered with a ``RequestContext`` instance (filled with values from
-    ``request`` and ``dictionary``).
+    ``request`` and ``context``).
+
+    .. deprecated:: 1.8
+
+       The ``context_instance`` argument is deprecated. Simply use ``context``.
 
 ``content_type``
     The MIME type to use for the resulting document. Defaults to the value of
@@ -67,7 +76,7 @@ Optional arguments
 
    The ``dirs`` parameter was added.
 
-.. versionchanged:: 1.8
+.. deprecated:: 1.8
 
    The ``dirs`` parameter was deprecated.
 
@@ -99,7 +108,7 @@ This example is equivalent to::
 ``render_to_response``
 ======================
 
-.. function:: render_to_response(template_name[, dictionary][, context_instance][, content_type][, dirs])
+.. function:: render_to_response(template_name[, context][, context_instance][, content_type][, status][, dirs])
 
    Renders a given template with a given context dictionary and returns an
    :class:`~django.http.HttpResponse` object with that rendered text.
@@ -116,32 +125,48 @@ Required arguments
 Optional arguments
 ------------------
 
-``dictionary``
+``context``
     A dictionary of values to add to the template context. By default, this
     is an empty dictionary. If a value in the dictionary is callable, the
     view will call it just before rendering the template.
 
+    .. versionchanged:: 1.8
+
+       The ``context`` argument used to be called ``dictionary``. That name
+       is deprecated in Django 1.8 and will be removed in Django 2.0.
+
 ``context_instance``
     The context instance to render the template with. By default, the template
     will be rendered with a :class:`~django.template.Context` instance (filled
-    with values from ``dictionary``). If you need to use :ref:`context
+    with values from ``context``). If you need to use :ref:`context
     processors <subclassing-context-requestcontext>`, render the template with
     a :class:`~django.template.RequestContext` instance instead. Your code
     might look something like this::
 
         return render_to_response('my_template.html',
-                                  my_data_dictionary,
+                                  my_context,
                                   context_instance=RequestContext(request))
 
+    .. deprecated:: 1.8
+
+       The ``context_instance`` argument is deprecated. Simply use ``context``.
+
 ``content_type``
     The MIME type to use for the resulting document. Defaults to the value of
     the :setting:`DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE` setting.
 
+``status``
+    The status code for the response. Defaults to ``200``.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 1.8
+
+   The ``status`` parameter was added.
+
 .. versionchanged:: 1.7
 
    The ``dirs`` parameter was added.
 
-.. versionchanged:: 1.8
+.. deprecated:: 1.8
 
    The ``dirs`` parameter was deprecated.
 
diff --git a/tests/context_processors/tests.py b/tests/context_processors/tests.py
index 8d58f5c6954..7a0d8220a84 100644
--- a/tests/context_processors/tests.py
+++ b/tests/context_processors/tests.py
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ Tests for Django's bundled context processors.
 from django.test import TestCase, override_settings
 
 
-@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='context_processors.urls')
+@override_settings(
+    ROOT_URLCONF='context_processors.urls',
+    TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=('django.template.context_processors.request',),
+)
 class RequestContextProcessorTests(TestCase):
     """
     Tests for the ``django.template.context_processors.request`` processor.
@@ -35,7 +38,12 @@ class RequestContextProcessorTests(TestCase):
         self.assertContains(response, url)
 
 
-@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='context_processors.urls', DEBUG=True, INTERNAL_IPS=('127.0.0.1',))
+@override_settings(
+    DEBUG=True,
+    INTERNAL_IPS=('127.0.0.1',),
+    ROOT_URLCONF='context_processors.urls',
+    TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=('django.template.context_processors.debug',),
+)
 class DebugContextProcessorTests(TestCase):
     """
     Tests for the ``django.template.context_processors.debug`` processor.
diff --git a/tests/context_processors/views.py b/tests/context_processors/views.py
index 913877f20ae..1a7eda0b161 100644
--- a/tests/context_processors/views.py
+++ b/tests/context_processors/views.py
@@ -1,20 +1,12 @@
-from django.shortcuts import render_to_response
-from django.template import context_processors
-from django.template.context import RequestContext
+from django.shortcuts import render
 
 from .models import DebugObject
 
 
 def request_processor(request):
-    return render_to_response(
-        'context_processors/request_attrs.html',
-        context_instance=RequestContext(request, {}, processors=[context_processors.request]))
+    return render(request, 'context_processors/request_attrs.html')
 
 
 def debug_processor(request):
-
-    return render_to_response(
-        'context_processors/debug.html',
-        context_instance=RequestContext(request, {
-            'debug_objects': DebugObject.objects,
-        }, processors=[context_processors.debug]))
+    context = {'debug_objects': DebugObject.objects}
+    return render(request, 'context_processors/debug.html', context)
diff --git a/tests/shortcuts/tests.py b/tests/shortcuts/tests.py
index 029c150644e..429738b22f0 100644
--- a/tests/shortcuts/tests.py
+++ b/tests/shortcuts/tests.py
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ class ShortcutTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response['Content-Type'], 'text/html; charset=utf-8')
 
     def test_render_to_response_with_request_context(self):
-        response = self.client.get('/render_to_response/request_context/')
+        with warnings.catch_warnings():
+            warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
+            response = self.client.get('/render_to_response/request_context/')
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
         self.assertEqual(response.content, b'FOO.BAR../path/to/static/media/\n')
         self.assertEqual(response['Content-Type'], 'text/html; charset=utf-8')
@@ -42,7 +44,9 @@ class ShortcutTests(TestCase):
         RequestContext instance in the dictionary argument instead of the
         context_instance argument.
         """
-        response = self.client.get('/render_to_response/context_instance_misuse/')
+        with warnings.catch_warnings():
+            warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
+            response = self.client.get('/render_to_response/context_instance_misuse/')
         self.assertContains(response, 'context processor output')
 
     def test_render(self):
@@ -53,7 +57,9 @@ class ShortcutTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.context.current_app, None)
 
     def test_render_with_base_context(self):
-        response = self.client.get('/render/base_context/')
+        with warnings.catch_warnings():
+            warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
+            response = self.client.get('/render/base_context/')
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
         self.assertEqual(response.content, b'FOO.BAR..\n')
         self.assertEqual(response['Content-Type'], 'text/html; charset=utf-8')
@@ -70,7 +76,9 @@ class ShortcutTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.content, b'FOO.BAR../path/to/static/media/\n')
 
     def test_render_with_current_app(self):
-        response = self.client.get('/render/current_app/')
+        with warnings.catch_warnings():
+            warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
+            response = self.client.get('/render/current_app/')
         self.assertEqual(response.context.current_app, "foobar_app")
 
     def test_render_with_dirs(self):
@@ -83,4 +91,6 @@ class ShortcutTests(TestCase):
 
     def test_render_with_current_app_conflict(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            self.client.get('/render/current_app_conflict/')
+            with warnings.catch_warnings():
+                warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
+                self.client.get('/render/current_app_conflict/')
diff --git a/tests/test_client_regress/tests.py b/tests/test_client_regress/tests.py
index 0d63ee94294..8bd4ad44aae 100644
--- a/tests/test_client_regress/tests.py
+++ b/tests/test_client_regress/tests.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import os
 import itertools
+import warnings
 
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse, NoReverseMatch
 from django.template import TemplateSyntaxError, Context, Template
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ from django.test.client import RedirectCycleError, RequestFactory, encode_file
 from django.test.utils import ContextList, str_prefix
 from django.template.response import SimpleTemplateResponse
 from django.utils._os import upath
+from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 from django.contrib.auth.signals import user_logged_out, user_logged_in
@@ -999,14 +1001,16 @@ class ContextTests(TestCase):
                          l.keys())
 
     def test_15368(self):
-        # Need to insert a context processor that assumes certain things about
-        # the request instance. This triggers a bug caused by some ways of
-        # copying RequestContext.
-        with self.settings(TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=(
-            'test_client_regress.context_processors.special',
-        )):
-            response = self.client.get("/request_context_view/")
-            self.assertContains(response, 'Path: /request_context_view/')
+        with warnings.catch_warnings():
+            warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
+            # Need to insert a context processor that assumes certain things about
+            # the request instance. This triggers a bug caused by some ways of
+            # copying RequestContext.
+            with self.settings(TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=(
+                'test_client_regress.context_processors.special',
+            )):
+                response = self.client.get("/request_context_view/")
+                self.assertContains(response, 'Path: /request_context_view/')
 
     def test_nested_requests(self):
         """