Religious Studies

Course summary

There are three elements to the course, Philosophy of Religion, Religion and Ethics and Developments in Christian Thought. Philosophy of Religion considers the question of God's existence, the nature of the self, the challenge of evil and suffering to belief in God and the age-old question of what, if anything, happens when we die. Ethics involves asking questions about right and wrong and whether it is possible, or even desirable, to develop a system for telling us how we ought to behave in every situation. You will learn about ethical decision making in the real world by focusing on euthanasia, business ethics and issues concerning sex and sexuality in the Twenty-first Century. Developments in Christian Thought focuses on key areas of Christian theology which have shaped Western Philosophy and culture over the past two thousand years and investigates reasons why religion seems to be in decline in the modem world. You will also study some of the ways in which Christianity has responded to the changing roles of men and women and the way in which feminist theology has challenged traditional male- dominated religious world views. Due to the nature of the subject matter and the skills you will develop, RS A- Level complements both the Sciences and the Humanities and is an excellent preparation for any degree course or career which values a questioning mind, academic rigour, critical analysis and the ability to construct persuasive arguments.