Religious Studies

A Level Religious Studies (EDUQAS/WJEC)

Aims

A level in Religious Studies encourages learners to:

• develop their interest in a rigorous study of religion and belief and relate it to the wider world

• develop knowledge and understanding appropriate to a specialist study of religion

• 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

• reflect on and develop their own values, opinions and attitudes in the light of their study.

A level Religious Studies is designed to enable learners to develop their interest in, and enthusiasm for, a study of religion and its place in the wider world.

Content

Learners must study all three components. 

Each component has been designed to encourage learners to demonstrate their ability to:

• reflect on, select and apply specified knowledge about religion and belief

• account for the influence of social, religious and historical factors on developments in the study of religions and beliefs

• construct well informed and reasoned arguments about religion and belief, substantiated by relevant evidence

• understand, interpret and evaluate critically religious concepts, texts and other sources

• present responses to questions which are clear and coherent

• use specialist religious language and terminology appropriately

• identify, investigate and critically analyse questions, arguments, ideas and issues arising from the study of religion including those of scholars/academics

• analyse the nature of connections between the components they have studied.

Each component has been designed to allow learners to acquire and develop knowledge and a critical understanding/awareness of:

• religious thought, belief and practice and the different ways in which these are expressed in the lives of individuals, communities and societies

• how religious texts and/or other relevant sources of wisdom and authority are interpreted and applied

• major issues, challenges and questions within and about the study of religion (for example, the role of tolerance, respect and recognition and interreligious dialogue, methods of study, relevance to contemporary society) and responses to these

• the causes, meanings and significance of similarities and differences in religious thought, belief and practice within and/or between religion(s)

• questions, issues and arguments posed by scholars from within and outside religious traditions

• social, religious and historical factors that have influenced developments in the study of religions and beliefs

• connections between the various elements of the components studied.

Component 1

Component 1: A Study of Religion

Written examination: 2 hours

33.3% of qualification

100 marks

Learners will be assessed on the following religion: 

Islam

This component provides learners with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth and broad study of their chosen religion covering themes ranging from religious figures and sacred texts to practices that shape religious identity.

This component includes the study of the following content:

• religious beliefs, values and teachings, in their interconnections and as they vary historically and in the contemporary world, including those linked to the nature and existence of God, gods or ultimate reality, the role of the community of believers, key moral principles, beliefs about the self, death and afterlife, beliefs about the meaning and purpose of life

• sources of wisdom and authority including, where appropriate, scripture and/or sacred texts and how they are used and treated, key religious figures and/or teachers and their teachings • practices that shape and express religious identity, including the diversity of practice within a tradition

• significant social and historical developments in theology or religious thought including the challenges of secularisation, science, responses to pluralism and diversity within traditions, migration, the changing roles of men and women, feminist and liberationist approaches

• a comparison of the significant ideas presented in works of at least two key scholars selected from the field of religion and belief

• two themes related to the relationship between religion and society, for example: the relationship between religious and other forms of identity; religion, equality and discrimination; religious freedom; the political and social influence of religious institutions; religious tolerance, respect and recognition and the ways that religious traditions view other religions and non-religious worldviews and their truth claims

• how developments in beliefs and practices have, over time, influenced and been influenced by developments in philosophical, ethical, studies of religion and/or by textual interpretation.

Component 2:

Component 2: Philosophy of Religion

Written examination: 2 hours

33.3% of qualification

100 marks

This component provides learners with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth and broad study of fundamental philosophical themes, ranging from arguments for the existence of God to the use of religious language.

This component includes the study of the following content:

• philosophical issues and questions raised by religion and belief including at least three contrasting arguments about the existence or non-existence of God, gods or ultimate reality

• the nature and influence of religious experience

• challenges to religious belief such as the problems of evil and suffering

• philosophical language and thought through significant concepts and the works of key thinkers, illustrated in issues or debates in the philosophy of religion

• how views of religious language have changed over time; the challenges posed by the verification/falsification debate and language games theory over whether religious language should be viewed cognitively or non-cognitively; and a consideration of at least two different views about religious teachings being understood symbolically and analogically

• a comparison of the significant ideas presented in works of at least two key scholars selected from the field of the philosophy of religion, and developments in the way these ideas are applied to issues in religion and belief

• how the philosophy of religion has, over time, influenced and been influenced by developments in religious beliefs and practices, ethics or textual interpretation. The following grids exemplify how the required content has been developed in a clear and concise way into four themes.

Component 3

Component 3: Religion and Ethics

Written examination: 2 hours

33.3% of qualification

100 marks

This component provides learners with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth and broad study of fundamental ethical themes, ranging from ethical language and thought to freewill and determinism.

This component includes the study of the following content:

• ethical language and thought through significant concepts and the works of key thinkers, illustrated in issues or debates in religion and ethics

• three normative ethical theories such as deontological, teleological or character-based ethics (at least two of which must be religious approaches)

• the application of ethical theory to two personal, societal or global issues of importance, including religious ethical perspectives

• how ethical language in the modern era has changed over time; including a study of meta-ethical theories and significant ideas in religious and moral thought such as free will, conscience or authority

• a comparison of the significant ideas presented in the works of at least two key scholars selected from the field of religion and ethics, and developments in the way these ideas are applied to significant issues in religion and belief

• how the study of ethics has, over time, influenced and been influenced by developments in religious beliefs and practices, the philosophy of religion and/or textual interpretation.

 

Assessment

Assessment objectives and weightings

Below are the assessment objectives for this specification.

 

Learners must demonstrate their ability to:

AO1

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including:

• religious, philosophical and/or ethical thought and teaching

• influence of beliefs, teachings and practices on individuals, communities and societies

• cause and significance of similarities and differences in belief, teaching and practice

• approaches to the study of religion and belief.

AO2

Analyse and evaluate aspects of, and approaches to, religion and belief, including their significance, influence and study.

The table below shows the weighting of each assessment objective for each component and for the qualification as a whole.

	AO1	AO2
Component 1	13.3%	20%
Component 2	13.3%	20%
Component 3	13.3%	20%
Overall weighting	40%	60%

Marking entries

This is a linear qualification in which all assessments must be taken at the end of the course. Assessment opportunities will be available in May/June each year.

Grading, awarding and reporting

A level qualifications are reported as a grade from A* to E. Results not attaining the minimum standard for the award will be reported as U (unclassified).