Religious Studies

Exam Board: OCR

Philosophy of religion

• Ancient philosophical influences – Plato + Aristotle
• The nature of the soul, mind and body
• Arguments about the existence or non-existence of God
• The nature and impact of religious experience
• The challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil
• Ideas about the nature of God
• Issues in religious language.

Ethics

• Normative ethical theories – Utilitarianism/ Natural Law/ Kantian Ethics
• The application of ethical theory to two contemporary issues of importance
• Ethical language and thought
• Debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience
• Sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs.

Developments in religious thought

• Religious beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections and how they vary historically and in the contemporary world
• Sources of religious wisdom and authority
• Practices which shape and express religious identity, and how these vary within a tradition
• Significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought
• Key themes related to the relationship between religion and society

Assessment

100% exam

Requirements

General Sixth Form admission requirements.

Where can it lead?

Access to higher education. Primarily useful for a degree course in Philosophy but the intellectual and analytical skills you acquire equip you for a wide range of courses and careers. Many students have gone on to work in education, journalism, the law, government, publishing, social work, local government, and management and financial consultancy.