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Religious Studies

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Entry Requirements

Normal BSFC entry requirements for an AS programme of study. There is no specific prior knowledge required to take this subject but a grade C in English GCSE is required 

About the Subject

In Religious Studies we study TWO areas, covering Philosophy of |Religion Ethics. We will use books and notes as well as discussions during lessons. At times we will watch videos to promote discussions and to back up learning. You will sometimes work in groups to present information to the rest of the class.

You will have access to the internet to obtain information for the course. There is no Course work but there is a one and a half hour exam for each module where FOUR questions will be set and TWO need to be answered.

AS Year

Assessment
Unit
 		 Name Type of
Assessment
 		 Date of
Exam
 		 Weighting
in AS
 
UNIT A ETHICS Examination June 50%
UNIT C Philosophy Of
Religion
 		 Examination June 50%

 

General Information

Unit 1A. Ethics

Ethics involves asking whether any action is good or bad and deciding how one makes that decision.

This unit looks at HOW people make moral decisions. It looks at different Ethical Theories. We look in detail at the ideas of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill who both had a different form of Utilitarianism. This theory claims that a moral choice should be made on the idea of “ the greatest good for the greatest number”

We also look at the idea of Situation Ethics championed by Joseph Fletcher which says that each moral decision should be made by looking at sthe situation individaully so that what is wrong one time may not always be wrong.

We also look at Religious teachings on the nature and value of life.

We will look at how each of these ideas affects making hard moral choices such as who sould have the limited resouces in organ transplants. We will also look in detail at the moral questions surrounding the issues of abortion and euthanasia.

Unit 1C. Philosophy of Religion

This unit asks lots of questions about Why people believe in God and whether god,s existence can be proved. It covers a wide range of topics and does not seek to answer questions about the mystery and meaning of life. |It will make you THINK.

Topics covered include

The Cosmological Argument: i.e. everything has a cause and the universe’s cause is God

Religious Experience. Proving the existence of God by the argument of people’s religious experiences, including conversions, visions and mystical experiences.

Challenges to religious experiences from philosophy and science.

Psychology and Religion, concentrating on the ideas of Freud and Jung

The Challenge of Athiesm and the Post- modern view of religion as a personal spiritual search where one can pick and choose from a variety of different faiths. 

What Next?

Religious Studies can also be studied at A2 level where these two units on Ethics and Philosophy are studied in greater detail