Religious Studies

Course summary

Year 12: Philosophy of Religion: Arguments about the existence and non-existence of God; the nature and impact of religious experience; the problem of evil. Religion and Ethics: An examination of ethical theories such as utilitarianism and situation ethics, and their relevance to issues such as homosexual relationships and the use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent. Study of Buddhism: The life of the Buddha; the nature of ultimate reality; religious life and practice as shown through the four noble truths and eightfold path, refuge and meditation. Year 13: Philosophy of Religion: Challenges to religious belief from psychology; the nature and impact of religious experience including miracles; issues in religious language. Religion and ethics: An exploration of the extent to which we are free agents in moral decision-making or whether we are determined by outside factors; a study of Natural Law in relation to immigration and capital punishment. Study of Buddhism: A study of the sacred texts and sources of authority of Buddhism; the historical development of Buddhism; the relationship between Buddhism and society.