Religious Studies
To find out where you can study this subject post-18 go to https://www.unifrog.org/student/universities/start and complete some simple questions to find out which universities offer this course and different ways you can study.
A-Level Religious Studies
Careers in RE
Jobs where studying RS could useful include:
• Primary school teacher
• Secondary school teacher
• Charity fundraiser
• Counsellor
• Human resources
• Police officer
• Youth and Community worker
• Social work
• Public sector work
Degrees linked to your RS A-level:
Degrees linked to your RS A-level:
• Religious Studies Degree
• Theology Degree
• Philosophy Degree
• PPE – Philosophy, Politics & Economics Degree
Additional reading and videos to watch for RS
Philosophy of Religion and Ethics
Peter Vardy, The Puzzle of Ethics ( William Collins, 1999)
Peter Vardy, The Puzzle of God ( Harper Collins, 1999)
Peter Vardy, The Puzzle of Evil ( Fount, 1999)
Tim Bayne, Philosophy of Religion: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2018)
Brian Clack, An Introduction to Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Religion (Edinburgh University Press, 1991)
George Pattison, A Short Course in the Philosophy of Religion (SCM Press, 2009)
Richard Swinburne, The Existence of God (Clarendon Press, 2004)
Judaism
Norman Soloman, Judaism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2014)
Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Judaism: History, Belief and Practice (Routledge, 2003)
Jacob Neusner, Torah Through the Ages: a Short History of Judaism (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2004)
Wayne Dostick, Living Judaism: The Complete Guide to Jewish Belief (HarperCollins, 2010)
Pete Tobias, Liberal Judaism: A Judaism for the Twenty-First Century (Liberal Judaism, 2013)
Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective
(Bravo Ltd, 1991)
Ted Talks
3 interesting Ted Talks that will get you thinking like an A-level RS student
Ted Talk by Kwame Anthony Appiah -- Is Religion Good or Bad? (This is a trick question)
https://www.ted.com/talks/damon_horowitz/transcript
Ted Talk by Damon Horowitz – We Need a Moral Operating System
https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_honey_on_god_and_the_tsunami/transcript
Ted Talk by Tom Honey – Why Would God Create A Tsunami?
Films/ TV:
Watch The Matrix (film). Note down your thoughts on the themes of truth, perception and reality.
Watch Lost (TV series). What moral and ethical points does this raise?
God on Trial( film) . What responses are given to the Holocaust ?
RE at Horsforth School
Year 7
All year groups complete 12 mark debate questions. ‘ A Barrister would have to have the skills we are going to use in lesson to argue well in court’
In the SOW on Christianity and Chocolate Term2 students study the Quakers and how their religious beliefs were intertwined with their business ethics, so a case study of religious beliefs impacting business
Year 8
All year groups complete 12 mark debate questions. ‘ A Barrister would have to have the skills we are going to use in lesson to argue well in court’
Year 9
Year 9 Ethics SOW on Crime – refers to justice system and what lawyers/ judges/ those working in the justice system would consider when punishing criminal
SOW in term 2– Medical Ethics– teachers can make links to professions in medical research e.g. organ donation / stem cell research
SOW – Ethics: War and Conflict – teachers can make links to how Politicians / governments would use ideas studied to inform decision e.g. Just War theory
Year 10
All year groups complete 12 mark debate questions. ‘ A Barrister would have to have the skills we are going to use in lesson to argue well in court’
When studying the GCSE AQA Crime topic we refer to how ‘ the government, the court system , social care and charity workers would have to work together in the treatment of criminals’
When studying the AQA GCSE topic of Religion and Life , in learning the topics of Abortion and Euthanasia we would refer to how ‘ those working in law/ politics / government making decisions on laws that affect human rights’
In the same SOW we study Animal experimentation and we would discuss statistics of those working in animal research and the lab work involved.
Year 11
GCSE AQA Social Injustice SOW – a slight link can be made to whom religious expression might impact a person in the workplace e.g. decision to wear religious clothing
When studying GCSE topics of Social Injustice we refer to how ‘ the government, social care and charity workers would have to ensure social justice’ in reference to specific case studies of Grenfell tower and hate crimes such as Stephen Lawrence.
All year groups complete 12 mark debate questions. ‘ A Barrister would have to have the skills we are going to use in lesson to argue well in court’
Year 12
All year 12 complete 30 mark debate questions. ‘ A Barrister would have to have the skills we are going to use in lesson to argue well in court
Year 12 study Component 3 Ethics. When studying ethical approaches to Animal experimentation we would discuss statistics of those working in animal research and the lab work involved.
Year 13
Medical research work when delivering Judaism A level SOW on Embryos and Ethics - the study of specific Scientists research work
All year 13 complete 30 mark debate questions. ‘ A Barrister would have to have the skills we are going to use in lesson to argue well in court’
Year 13 study Component 1 Judaism with lessons on assimilation and segregation into society, in these lessons we would refer to ‘ reasonable requests a Jewish person might make within their workplace and laws around employment, equality and religious expression in the UK’
Year 13 study Component 3 Ethics with a focus on application of ethical theory to Immigration. In these lessons we would discuss ‘ the decisions and considerations made by those working in immigration law’