Religious Studies
Exam Board: OCR

Why do Religious Studies?

Religious Studies offer you an interesting and intellectually challenging A Level.  It helps develop understanding of spiritual, moral, ethical, social and cultural issues.  Religious Studies develops a variety of skills, including those of discussion and debate.  The valuable skills of logical argument and critical evaluation are also developed and can be transferred to other areas of study.  Religious Studies is a useful stepping stone to many careers where it helps to understand what people believe and how it affects their lives.  For example medicine, social work, law, the armed services, police force, journalism, teaching and many more.

What will you study?

AS – Year 12

Philosophy of Religion (1):
This paper looks at a variety of philosophical issues.  It examines questions about the existence of God and challenges to belief.

This paper explores:

Religious Ethics (1):
Ethics is about choices which matter.  This paper looks at the question of right and wrong.  It applies the study of ethical theory and religious responses to medical matters, abortion, euthanasia, the right to life, the right to a child, genetic engineering and embryo research, war and peace.

A2 – Year 13

Topics studied at AS are developed in more depth at A2.

Philosophy of Religion (2)
This paper explores the distinction between the body and soul and issues related to life and death.  It examines the concept of religious experience including miracles.  It also allows a study of religious language and its use to express human understandings of God.

Religious Ethics (2)
This paper looks at issues including whether or not we are free and whether or not we should listen to our conscience.  It examines Christian ethics and its role in the twenty-first century.  It also offers further exploration into the application of ethical theory to issues including: sex and relationships, the environment and business. You will not be required to do coursework.

Assessment

All papers are assessed through examinations.

Religious Studies provides an opportunity to: think, discuss, reflect, evaluate and understand your own views, ideas and opinions and those of others.

“This is quite a three-pipe problem and I beg you not to disturb me for at least forty-five minutes”
(Sherlock Holmes in The Red Headed League, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, first published 1891)

This course may not help you become a good person but at least you will have had a good think about it.

Thinking Robot

Entry Requirements

At least 5 GCSE grades at A* - C.