Religious Studies is an intellectually stimulating and exciting new course with a focus on the philosophy of religion, religion, and ethics, and developments in religious thought. It is designed to stretch and challenge you to ensure that you reach your full potential. It will encourage you to develop your higher thinking skills, intellectual progress, and independent inquiry. This course offers you the opportunity to ask meaningful questions about the world around you and understand the influence of philosophy on modern thinking and the concepts of good, bad, right, and wrong. It also offers you the opportunity to explore religious beliefs, values and teachings, sources of wisdom and authority, and practices that shape and express religious identity. It is an intensely academic subject meaning that you need to possess both self-discipline and a positive work ethic. You must have an inquiring mind and a desire to develop your knowledge of philosophical, political, and social issues. You must be able to communicate ideas and participate in discussions. Paper 01: Philosophy of Religion Ancient philosophical influences, the nature of the soul, mind and body, arguments about the existence or non-existence of God, the nature and impact of religious experience, the challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil and issues in religious language. Paper 02: Religion and Ethics Normative ethical theories, the application of ethical theory to euthanasia and business ethics, ethical language and thought, debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience, sexual ethics, and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs. Paper 03: Development in Christian Thought key themes related to the relationship between religion and society.