A Level

Religious Studies is a highly valued A level that can complement both science and humanities subjects. It is chosen by students who want to explore philosophical and ethical questions such as does God exist? Why is there so much evil in the world? Is euthanasia morally acceptable? etc. It is essentially a training of the mind and often appeals to those who wish to aspire to professions in law, medicine, education and business. Whether you are a theist, atheist or agnostic, you will benefit from grappling with and debating religious, philosophical and ethical issues.

What skills will I gain?

During the course you will learn how to apply concepts to difficult questions, how to think logically, how to debate, and how to approach problems from different angles. As a training of the mind, Religious Studies is a good preparation for further study at university, and will help you develop the skills needed in any profession where management and thinking skills are needed.

What will I learn?

There are three elements to the Religious Studies A level. These include:

A systematic study of Christianity including religious beliefs, values and teachings, including those linked to the nature and existence of God, 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.

Philosophy of Religion including the nature and influence of religious experience, challenges to religious belief such as the problems of evil and suffering and philosophical language and thought through significant concepts and the works of key thinkers.

Religion and Ethics including ethical and meta-ethical language. Ethical systems compared and contrasted through the works of key thinkers, consideration of different ethical approaches including conscience, deontological and teleological systems. The application of ethical theory to two issues.

Entry requirements

You do not need to have taken Religious Studies GCSE in order to study it at A level. For those who have done GCSE Religious Studies, we would normally expect them to have achieved grade 8 or 9. A genuine interest in and aptitude for the subject is vital.

Examination Board: OCR

Mr S. Toppping
Head of Department