Religious Studies

Course summary

Year 12 Developments of religious thought: this includes an examination of human nature, death and the afterlife, the nature of God, moral principles and moral action with a specific focus on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Philosophy: this includes a study of ancient Greek philosophy including Plato and Aristotle, an examination of the body, soul, mind dilemma, philosophical proofs based on observation and reason for the existence of God, religious experience, and the problem of evil. Ethics: this involves a study of the normative ethical theories of natural law, situation ethics, Kantian ethics and utilitarianism. Applied ethics involves a discussion of the sanctity and quality of life in relation to euthanasia, business ethics and their relationship with the different ethical theories. Year 13 Developments of religious thought: this includes pluralism and theology which includes gender and society, secularisation and the responses of Freud and Richard Dawkins, humanism and atheism, liberation theology and the responses of Karl Marx. It has links to psychology and sociology. Philosophy: this considers freewill and determinism and religious language (negative, analogical and symbolic), Wittgenstein and logical positivism. Ethics: this includes a study of ethical language (naturalism, intuitionism and emotivism), Freud's psychological approach and Aquinas’ view on conscience and sexual ethics