A2

Why study Religious Studies at GCE?

Religion plays an important role in our society and can influence what people think, feel, and believe. Through studying Religious Studies, students get a broad look at how religion and spirituality form the basis of our culture

Many of our students with a GCE Religious Studies qualification go on to undertake further study and have successful careers in a range of industries including: education, accountancy, IT, , administration, management, Law, Social Work, Journalism and Health related careers.

If you enjoyed RE at GCSE, and would like to delve into it in more depth, then A level Religious Studies is the course for you.

Entry Requirements

Students studying A2 level Religious Studies must have achieved Grade C or better in their AS Studies.

What you will study at A2

Unit A2 4: Themes in the Early Church and the Church Today

The first two sections of this unit consist of themes in the Early Church followed by a section dealing with belief and belonging in the modern world. Students learn about the changing nature of authority and church government and the challenges of heresy. They link these to leadership, organisation and challenges to belief. Students also study the writings of Tertullian and Cyprian and consider the impact of modern theologians and apologists. In the final theme on faith, morality and the state, students consider the relationship between religious faith and state authority.

Unit A2 7: Global Ethics

At the start of this unit, students focus on moral theory. This includes the origins and development of virtue ethics and a study of free will, determinism and libertarianism. The moral theory underpins the study of global ethics, focusing on topical issues in the world today. Students learn about global rights, including the historical development of Christian and secular perspectives on human rights. These focus on sexual identity and gender-related issues. Students examine the nature and purpose of justice and punishment and the problems presented by contemporary warfare as global ethical issues.

In the final theme on conscience, freedom and tolerance, students consider the notion of moral duty and the link between religion and morality. An important issue relating to the capacity for religion to promote tolerance is the question of whether fundamentalism has the opposite effect. Students initially study this theme in relation to religious ethics. It then provides a perspective from which students can consider the content of at least one other unit of study.

Synoptic assessment at A2

Each A2 subject content unit prescribes the themes and content that is to be covered for the synoptic assessment. This is the fourth theme and content of each A2 unit. Synoptic assessment encourages candidates to develop their understanding of the subject as a whole. Each synoptic question will assess the candidates’ ability to the set theme in relation to at least one other unit of study and to other aspects of human experience.