Religious Studies

Religious Studies The Religious Studies AS/A level course focuses on Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion. In the Philosophy of Religion sections of the course, we investigate questions such as:

• Does God exist?
• Is there life after death?
• Do miracles occur?
• Does the existence of evil and suffering show that there is no God?
• Have religious beliefs been undermined by Science?
• Is religious experience genuine or a delusion?

In the Ethics sections of the course, we investigate questions such as:

• Are there absolute standards of right and wrong?;
• Should we aim to ensure the ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number’?
• What is conscience?
• Should we be blamed for our wrong doings or are our actions simply the result of past circumstances?
• Do we have a right to die?
• What are the ethical issues raised by fertility treatments?

The AS course consists of two modules.

Students take two exams in June, one on the Philosophy of Religion and the other on Ethics. The Philosophy of Religion module covers ancient Greek and Judaeo-Christian influences on the Philosophy of Religion, traditional arguments for the existence of God, and challenges to religious belief. In the Ethics module, students are examined on ethical theories including Kantian ethics, Natural Law and Utilitarianism and the application of these theories to the issues of war and peace, abortion, euthanasia and genetic engineering.

To complete the A level, a further two modules are taken in the second year. The Philosophy of Religion exam explores the implications of traditional views about the nature of God. It also examines beliefs in life after death and miracles, religious language, religious experiences and scripture. The Ethics module explores meta-ethics, free will/determinism, virtue ethics, sex and relationships, environmental and business ethics.

The RS course requires no previous experience of the subject and has been taken and enjoyed by students of all religious persuasion and none. It can be successfully combined with almost every other subject in college. The subject is highly regarded by universities and helps develop skills required for a range of careers including, law, education, social work, medicine, nursing, politics, administration and the media.

A past student summed up the course as follows:
‘the course was really interesting and enjoyable. I’d recommend it to anyone. I was stimulated, made to think and to work hard – but it was fun.’