Religious Studies

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 Dominic Mochan

GCSE

Aims and Content

The Religious Studies Department follows the AQA Religious Studies 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.

Pupils can also choose to follow the Short Course option in which they will study the Ethics section of the course over 2 years. This is done from a Christian perspective.

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

Paper 1 and 2: 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.

Paper 3 and 4: 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!

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

1) Religious Ethics

The AS Ethics course looks at 4 of the main approaches, Utilitarianism, Kant, Natural Law and Christian Ethics. These theories are then applied to the issues of Abortion, Euthanasia, Genetic Engineering and War. Pupils will learn how to assess and evaluate the strengths and weakness of the different approaches and see how useful they are when making moral/ethical decisions.

2) Philosophy of Religion

The AS Philosophy of Religion aspect of the course works its way chronologically through philosophical development. Students will begin by studying Plato and Aristotle and the influence they have had on Christianity and Judaism. This is followed by Biblical exegesis of Genesis chapters 1-3 and texts which help explain Plato's Euthyphro Dilemma in a Christian Context. Next up is the arguments for the existence of God (Teleological, Cosmological/Ontological), the Problem of Evil (Theodicies) and finally Religion and Science bring Students up to date with current debates between the two spheres of thinking, especially focusing on how the universe was created.

A2 Level 2 Modules

1) Religious Ethics

At A2, the Ethics course expands into some other areas of Religious Studies, including Sociology and Psychology. Pupils will look at Free Will, Determinism and the Conscience. We also look at Meta-Ethics in which we try and work out what the words "Good" and "Bad" actually mean. Finally, after looking at a new ethical theory, Virtue Ethics, pupils apply their ethical knowledge to the subjects of Business, Environmental and Sexual ethics.

2) Philosophy of Religion

The A2 Philosophy of Religion course is split into 5 sections. The first is Religious Language and whether or not it is meaningful, focusing on the Verification and Falsification Principles. Secondly is Religious Experience and whether or not these can be proved to have happened, focusing on William James and Richard Swimburne. Thirdly is Miracles and again whether or not God can posses the qualities of the God of Classical Theism. Finally 'Life After Death,' where students will again progress through from Platonic thought up to the modern day with Near Death Experiences and Disembodied Existence.