A Level Religious Studies

Subject Leader: 
Ms H Fox-Adams

Exam Board: 
OCR

Entry Requirements.
Grade 5 GCSE Religious Studies or GCSE English (if RS wasn’t taken as a GCSE)

Specification

Why choose A Level Religious Studies

You will:

• develop your critical thinking, analytical, and argumentative skills and be able to relate it to the wider world
• develop an understanding and appreciation of religious thought and its contribution to individuals, communities and societies
• adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion, developing skills which are transferable to other subjects and your future career.

What you will study in A Level Religious Studies

The course is divided into 3 papers studied across the 2 years:

Philosophy of religion:

• exploring philosophical issues and questions raised by religion and belief (e.g. arguments about the existence or non-existence of God, and the challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil).

Religion and ethics:

• studying key concepts related to religion and ethics (e.g. euthanasia and sexual ethics)

Developments in Christian thought:

• undertaking a systematic study of key concepts within the development of Christian thought (e.g. gender and society and liberation theology and Marx).

How you will be assessed in A Level Philosophy.

Paper 1 – Philosophy of religion

Paper 2 – Religion and ethics

Paper 3 – Developments in Christian thought

3 x 2 hour written exams: there will be 4 essay questions on each paper, from which you choose to answer 3.

Progression and Careers linked to Religious Studies

• Prepare for university: gain an edge in humanities and social science subjects; build textual analysis and critical thinking skills; develop academic essay writing skills.
• Empower your journey: develop essential life skills for the workplace and beyond; deepen empathy and adaptability for personal growth; justify your views and challenge assumptions effectively.
• Unlock diverse career paths: open doors to teaching, charity, and equality, diversity and inclusion jobs; find opportunities in a variety of other careers from law to business; understand people from diverse backgrounds and handle respectful disagreements.

Additional Information.

Useful sites to help you understand what you will study in A Level

Religious Studies:

• https://peped.org/
• https://thepanpsycast.com/
• https://massolit.io/