Religious Studies

Course summary

Religious Studies does not require any personal religious commitment; it is about the ‘academic study of religion’ and is not ‘educating pupils to be religious’! The nature of the course will appeal to pupils wherever they are on a ‘spectrum of belief’ – from those with a strong religious faith in a world religion to agnostics, atheists and humanists. The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates famously stated “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Hence the course will attract pupils with enquiring minds who are interested in the intellectual exploration of fundamental Philosophical, Ethical (Moral) and Theological (Religious) questions of human life such as: If God exists, why is there evil in the world? How do we know what is right or wrong? Is religion a force for good or bad in the world? The course is taught by three specialist teachers and there are three written examinations at the end of the Upper Sixth; namely a two-hour paper in each component – Philosophy, Ethics and Theology – in which pupils will need to construct their arguments within a series of essays. Pupils of Philosophy, Ethics and Theology have sometimes been called ‘conceptual engineers’ – those who analyse human thinking to ensure that ideas and arguments have strong ‘foundations’ and solid ‘structures’. Thus the A-level course enables pupils to develop a range of intellectual skills which are highly valued by universities and employers such as independent critical thinking; empathy and openness to diverse views; the ability to construct and defend logical arguments; identifying false premises and invalid reasoning; thinking and problem-solving; writing skills and clarity of expression. However, the subject also expects and encourages wide-ranging discussion and debate in the classroom – ‘soft skills’ which are not formally examined, but which are useful in all walks of life and enable pupils to build self-confidence and powers of expression.