Religious Studies - Post GCSE

Welcome to A Level Philosophy of Religion, Ethics and Developments in Christian Thought

This is a very popular subject nationally and it has the fastest growing uptake for comparable A level subjects, so you are part of a wider team of scholars! With this in mind we hope to offer you the best available opportunities and experiences as they arise. The course will offer you the opportunity to join in class discussions, view DVD coverage of important philosophers, use of ICT for research and presentation, as well as attending a conference to hear scholars speak and listening to guest speakers. It is my hope that you will enjoy the course on offer as well as achieve great success through your time with us. If there are any further questions please do not hesitate to approach myself, Mrs Brett or Mrs Cunningham for any advice.

Sixth Form Expectations:

This is an Academic Course, which means that you are mainly required to research and evaluate different philosophers and their concepts throughout history. Part of the research involves reading texts, which are written by specific philosophers alongside articles, which are written about the philosophers and their concepts. The course involves a trip to a relevant conference, usually in Cambridge. We also often get a lecturer into school to deliver a talk to you. Homework will be a regular feature of the course as it is important that all students are working to the standards required at A level. It is essential that this is completed within the time frame set. Regular timed essays will be set and these are to enable you to experience the timing of exam style questions as well as allow you the opportunity to develop your essay style. There is NO coursework requirement for the A level RS course.

You will be required to sit three exams for the A Level: H573 A Level Specification

Philosophy of Religion (H573/01) two hour written exam

1. Philosophical language and Thought

2. The Existence of God

3. God and the World

4. Theological and Philosophical Developments

5. Language: Negative, Analogical or Symbolic

6. Religious Language: twentieth Century Perspectives

Religion and ethics (H573/02) two hour written exam

1. Normative Ethical Theories: Religious Approaches

2. Normative Ethical Theories

3. Applied Ethics: Business and Euthanasia

4. Ethical Language: Meta-ethics

5. Significant ideas: Conscience

6. Developments in Ethical Thought: Sexual Ethics

Developments in Christian thought (H573/03) two hour written exam

1. Insight

2. Foundations

3. Living

4. Development: Gender

5. Society: Pluralism

6. Challenges: Secularisation

A Level Specification overview (H573)

Content Overview

Assessment Overview

Philosophy of religion

Learners will study:

ancient philosophical influences

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.

Philosophy of religion

(01)

120 marks

2 hour written paper

33.3% of total

A Level

Religion and ethics

Learners will study:

normative ethical theories

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.

Religion and ethics

(02)

120 marks

2 hour written paper

33.3% of total

A Level

Developments in religious thought

Learners will study:

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

of one religion chosen as Christianity, (03)

Developments in religious thought (03)

120 marks

2 hour written paper

33.3% of total A Level

1. Ethics

TASK – what do you think Ethics is? Look up a definition

In year 12 we study:

Normative ethics - describing and prescribing what is right and wrong.

Christian theories:

• Natural law

• Situation Ethics

‘Non-Christian’ theories:

• Utilitarianism

• Kantian ethics

Applied ethics: applying moral theories to particular issues

• Business Ethics

• Euthanasia

2. Philosophy

TASK – what do you think Philosophy is? Look up a definition

In year 12 we study:

Philosophical language and thought:

• Plato

• Aristotle

• Mind, body and soul - Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes

Arguments for God’s existence:

• Based on observation

• Based on reason

• God and the world:

• Religious experience

• The problem of evil

3. Theology/DCT

TASK – what do you think Theology is? Look up a definition

In year 12 we study:

Insight:

• Augustine and human nature

• Death and the afterlife

Foundations:

• Knowledge of God’s existence – natural and revealed theology

• Jesus Christ – who is Jesus – liberator, teacher of wisdom, Son of God?

Living:

• Christian moral principles – how do Christians make moral decisions?

• Christian moral action – Dietrich Bonhoeffer case study

General information:

We study the OCR A level Religious Studies course.

Lessons:

• Attendance is essential!

• Copy up what is missed

• Make good and useful notes

Write those notes up in summary at home

Independence:

• Be an active learner; I will not get you this A level alone…

• Read a range of sources

• Do all set reading and practise questions

• Use me: see me if stuck, attend revision sessions

Activities

Activity 1

Scenario: I’m on school lunch duty and I see and hear a girl saying nasty things to another girl while they’re eating their shepherd’s pie.

Questions:

Why is it OK, and my duty, to tell her off for being unkind?

Why is it not OK for me to tell her off for eating meat (I’m vegetarian)?

And then:

Which, if any, of our beliefs are ‘just a matter of personal preference’ and which, if any, refer to some kind of absolute fact?

Should we leave others to their ‘personal preference’ in matters of religious belief, or are some religious beliefs right and others wrong in an absolute sense?

Is there an ultimate truth, an absolute right and wrong, about religious truth claims?

At what point, if any, does one culture have the right to tell another ‘you’re doing it wrong’ over matters of religion and ethics?

To what extent, if at all, do people have an obligation to share their religious faith with others – or should we keep our beliefs to ourselves and try and respect the views of others even if we think they’ll miss out on going to heaven?

Activity 2 – choose either activity 2 or activity 3, below.

Get to know some of the philosophers you will meet during your A level course

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f0vzr

(These are a bit more heavyweight, but have a go at least)

Practice your note-making skills by pausing and writing a summary of what you’ve heard so far. Think about whether you agree with what the philosopher is saying.

Listen to whatever takes your interest:

Plato’s Republic ** St Thomas Aquinas

**Augustine The Ontological Argument

** The Soul **Redemption

**Kant **Relativism

**Utilitarianism William James

Nietzsche

Al-Ghazali

**Duty

**Good and Evil

Altruism

**Feminism

**Evil

Empiricism

**David Hume

Logical Positivism

**Mill

Activity 3

Take a look at any two of the following questions that take your fancy. Choose your two questions, research some different ideas and write a couple of paragraphs explaining what you have found out and what you think about it.

1. What is a moral judgement? What, if any, truth-value do moral judgements possess?

2. Is there a single, ultimate goal towards which people should aim?

3. What is happiness? Is happiness an appropriate good toward which someone should aim?

4. Should our actions be guided by rules or duties?

5. What is the good life?

6. Is it ever right to break society’s code of conduct?

7. Is there a code of conduct which would be put forward by all rational persons?

8. How do religion, etiquette, morality and custom differ (if at all)?

9. Is morality based on the commands of God?

10. What motivates humans?

And finally, a thought… What are you most looking forward to studying?

‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ Socrates

Summer reading/listening suggestions - A starting point for A level – reading, listening and watching

Here are a list of things that you might want to think about having a look at over the summer as a way into the course. This list is not exhaustive, definitive or a must-read list, just some ideas that may help give you a flavour of the course. Anything else you find that interests you would be equally good as a way in!

The Panpsycast podcast - especially Ethical Theories and Plato. Made for A level students on relevant topics.

Unbelievable podcasts, Premier Christian radio - genuinely balanced debates mostly between Christians and non Christians, high profile scholars.

‘Crash Course Philosophy’ on YouTube

Websites:

‘IthinkthereforeIteach’ – really good blog by an RS teacher.

‘PhilosopherKings’ another RS A level

Take a look on BBC iplayer – there are always relevant programmes on there.

Unbelievable ‘The Big Conversation’ – similar to the radio show but you can watch the debate too! Really high profile and interesting scholars:

https://www.thebigconversation.show/

Reading:

• Jostein Gaarder - ‘Sophie's World’ (also a good book by the same author for Christmas (!) called ‘A Christmas Mystery’ – try reading it throughout advent if that takes your fancy, one chapter per day!

• Julian Baggini - 'Without God is everything permitted? 20 big questions in Ethics.' In some places called ‘Ethics – 20 questions’

• Julian Baggini – ‘The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten: And 99 Other Thought Experiments’

• For Theology/DCT, anything by Alister McGrath! ‘Introduction to Christian Theology’ is very good

• Stephen Law – ‘The Philosophy Files’

• Neil Messer - ‘Christian Ethics’

This really is a starting point – if there is anything else in the bookstores that takes your fancy, give it a go and let us know what you find!