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Religious Studies
GCSE >
A Level >

Religion has always been, and continues to be for us today, a powerful driving force in society - for good and ill. It affects us all, whether or not we are believers. A knowledge of religion is needed to inform our own political and social understanding, to enlighten the subtleties of literature and to aid our understanding of history. Beyond this, the study of Religious Studies is a fascinating one, interesting for its own sake and useful in that it sharpens the mind and provides an insight into the study of ideas and their accompanying debates. It forces you to examine your own ideas and raises questions where before you thought there were none. The focus on developing analytical skills means that Religious Studies qualifications are valued by universities and employers.
Head of Department, Mr D C C Mochan



GCSE
Aims & Content
The Religious Studies Department follows the OCR Religious Studies B GCSE, a stimulating course that provides two years of interesting study and lively debate, which equips Stoics with skills in written argument. It gives a lifelong appreciation of the part faith plays in the lives of believers and fosters the ability to interact with people of different religious backgrounds. It encourages thought and reflection on the meaning and purpose of life and consideration of religious and other responses to moral issues. Be prepared to contribute to discussion by putting forward your own viewpoints and challenging both the viewpoints of others and attitudes which society at large accepts as the norm.
The course is open to Stoics of any religious persuasion, or none. It is taught objectively and pre-supposes no existing knowledge, although the work and the skills you have developed in the Third Form provide a useful grounding.

Assessment
The course consists of two papers assessed in two 2-hour examinations. There is no coursework, though research project work will be set.

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 Paper 1: Philosophy (50%)

Religious Philosophy examines questions such as the nature of

God and belief; good and evil; the relationship between religion

and science, and death and the afterlife. In this part of the course

Stoics grapple with some of the big fundamental questions about

life, and consider different responses to these, as well as

evaluating their own position. They think through such issues as

the cruelty of evolution by natural selection and the inadequacy of

religion to give certain or even satisfactory answers to questions

about the purpose of suffering. They examine ideas about life after

death, and investigate claims of near-death experiences. The

likelihood of God-given miracles is discussed, as is the morality of

a miracle-inducing God. The examination of these questions is

approached through an Islamic perspective, though the beliefs of

other world religions are also considered.
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 Paper 2: Ethics (50%)

Ethics examines issues such as human relationships; peace and

justice; medical ethics; materialism, and equality. These ethical

issues are examined from a secular, Western perspective, from an
  Islamic perspective, and reference is sometimes made to Christian ethical
  viewpoints. Islam is viewed by many with suspicion because of its
  dogma and terrorist links and this is especially so in light of recent
  World events. It is the fastest growing of the World's religions, and
  viewed by many as a threat to our way of life in the Western World.
  Some of the questions we will be considering are: Does it matter

how we live? Why should we not do as we please as long as we do not

hurt other people? What responses should we have to issues such

as abortion, the environment or euthanasia? Is it realistic  for

religious people still to take the view that sexual relationships be

confined to marriage? A trip to London, a flight or a train journey

could bring us face to face with a terrorist attack - is there ever any

justification for terrorism? Is pacifism a viable response to

aggression or is there such a thing as a "just war"? These are only

some of the topics that the ethics paper examines. Stoics should

arrive with their own opinion; be prepared to defend it but also

to listen to the opinions of others. Learn how open-minded you

really are!

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A Level
To study Religious Studies at A level you do not need to have done GCSE. However, you should not be daunted by essay writing and be willing to do background reading and research. You must come to class with a readiness to participate in discussion. This course is open to students of any religious persuasion or none.
Our A level Religious Studies students will frequently go on to study subjects such as Theology or Philosophy. We have had successful Oxbridge candidates in recent years, but other common choices are English, History, Law, Languages, Drama, Geography, History of Art - and even subjects such as Engineering when Religious Studies has been the 'third' A level. Religious Studies graduates frequently move into careers in the Media, Publishing, Banking, Management, the Civil Service - and even Teaching.

The New OCR Specification


 AS Level 2 modules

Religious Ethics
- Ethical Theories: Natural Law, Kant and Utilitarianism
-
 Religious Ethics: Christian Views
-
 Applied Ethics: Euthanasia, Aborton, Genetic Engineering and

War and Peace

New Testament
-
 First Century Gospel Setting
-
 Gospel of St Mark
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 Themes and Texts of the Passion Narrative in St Mark's Gospel
-
 Themes and Texts from the Resurrection Narratives in the

Synoptic Gospels



A2 Level 2 modules

Religious Ethics
- Ethical Theory: Meta-Ethics
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 Free Will and Determinism
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 Nature and Role of Conscience
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 Virtue Ethics
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 Applied Ethics: Environmental and Business Ethics, Sexual Ethics

New Testament
-
 New Testament Background
-
 Kingdom of God
-
 Parables
-
 Miracles
-
 Law and Ethics
-
 The Person of Jesus


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