Religious Studies

Course summary

The Religious studies A Level allows for a deep exploration of three components, each with clear and well-defined content and strong supporting materials. We rigorously investigate a range of topics under the banner “Philosophy of Religion”. The students debate, evaluate and analyse concepts from the ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle through medieval thinkers such as Aquinas and Augustine, to the Enlightenment with luminaries such as Kant and Hume, even up to modern scholars involved with issues surrounding epistemology and the philosophy of language. The debate is not limited to this stream of content however; there is a plethora of discussion to be had in the “Ethics” side of the course, from inquiring about normative ethical theories to the application of those theories to issues such as business, even sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs. We complete our A Level deliberations with a serious consideration into the “Development of Christian Thought”, wherein we have the opportunity to undertake a systematic study of key concepts within the development of Christian thought. Students explore religious beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections, how they have developed historically and how they are presently discussed. Overall, this is a thought-provoking programme of study which also acts as a rigorous course of scholarship for progression to Higher Education.