Is there a God? How should we live? These two fundamental questions underlie everything you will be looking at in the Religious Studies A level. You will be approaching them in a distinctively philosophical way. You will be exploring many arguments for God’s existence and problems that argue for atheism. You will be comparing different theories of ethics from across the ages and looking at what they have to say about some very modern ethical problems. The importance of religious belief is being questioned today like never before and you will develop the skills to look at the issues in a sophisticated and critical way. Many of the arguments and views have emerged within the Judaeo-Christian tradition, and studying the New Testament will enrich and give context to these debates. However, the fundamental questions we started with transcend any one faith and this is not a course that tries to get you to make up your mind. Wherever you stand, there is much to be learned and admired from the complexity and subtlety with which theists, agnostics and atheists have addressed the sorts of questions that fascinate everyone. In Paper 1 (Philosophy of Religion) you will begin by looking at the philosophical concept of God, tracing its roots back to the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, and famous arguments for the existence of God: the design; cosmological and ontological arguments. You will also consider religious experiences and the problem of evil. In Paper 2 (Religion and Ethics) you will study four ethical theories: Utilitarianism, Situation Ethics, Natural Moral Law and Kantian deontology. You will then consider how they inform thinking about euthanasia and ethics in business. In Paper 3 (Developments in Religious Thought: Christianity) you will explore Augustine’s teachings on human nature, the afterlife, and faith and grace. You will also look at the person and moral teachings of Christ. You will continue with all three papers. In Paper 1 (Philosophy of Religion) you will look at God’s attributes and whether they are coherent along with the questions of whether and how religious language is meaningful. In Paper 2 (Religion and Ethics) you will look at meta-ethics and the objectivity of moral discourse. You also examine religious and non-religious views on the concept of conscience and apply the ethical theories you have studied to topics in sexual ethics. In Paper 3 (Developments in Religious Thought: Christianity) you will look at religious pluralism, gender and theology, the challenge of secularism and liberation theology.