Exam-style questions by topic — AQA A-Level Religious Studies
One question for each of 62 topics. These are written for this specification by MasteryMind. They are not past-paper questions, and they are not from AQA.
Philosophy of religion: Arguments for the existence of God
Hume argues that order in the universe might arise from generation rather than design. What does this alternative suggest about the universe?
Practise Philosophy of religion: Arguments for the existence of GodPhilosophy of religion: Evil and suffering
Natural evil includes earthquakes and diseases, while moral evil includes acts such as murder and fraud. Why does this distinction pose a particular difficulty for the free will defence?
Practise Philosophy of religion: Evil and sufferingPhilosophy of religion: Miracles
A critic argues that anti-realism about miracles cannot do justice to the religious believer's claim that God really acted in the world. Which reply best defends anti-realism against that criticism?
Practise Philosophy of religion: MiraclesPhilosophy of religion: Religious experience
Some people with temporal lobe epilepsy report an intense feeling of a divine presence during seizures. Why is this evidence used as a scientific challenge to the claim that religious experiences are of God?
Practise Philosophy of religion: Religious experiencePhilosophy of religion: Religious language
R. M. Hare described a student convinced that his university dons want to murder him, whom no evidence of their kindness can reassure. In Hare's response to Flew's falsification challenge, what is a blik?
Practise Philosophy of religion: Religious languagePhilosophy of religion: Self, death and the afterlife
John Hick imagines a man who dies in London, after which an exact replica with the same body, memories and character appears in another world. Which option correctly states what this thought experiment assumes about personal identity and a standard objection to it?
Practise Philosophy of religion: Self, death and the afterlifeEthics and religion: Conscience
According to Sigmund Freud's non-religious account, what is conscience?
Practise Ethics and religion: ConscienceEthics and religion: Free will and moral responsibility
Which pair of conditions is standardly required for an agent to be morally responsible for an action?
Practise Ethics and religion: Free will and moral responsibilityEthics and religion: Introduction to meta ethics: the meaning of right and wrong
Which claim best captures the intuitionist view that moral values are self-evident?
Practise Ethics and religion: Introduction to meta ethics: the meaning of right and wrongEthics and religion: Normative ethical theories
Fletcher describes situation ethics as having four working principles. Which of the following correctly identifies one of them and the role it plays in his method?
Practise Ethics and religion: Normative ethical theories2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism and science
How have some contemporary Buddhists used neuroscientific findings about neuroplasticity to support their spiritual teachings?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism and science2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism and the challenge of secularisation
Why might Secular Buddhism appeal to someone who has rejected organised religion but values meditation and ethics?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism and the challenge of secularisation2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism, gender and sexuality
In the late 1990s controversy over reviving the Theravāda bhikkhunī order, what was the primary canonical objection raised by conservative monks against ordaining women?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism, gender and sexuality2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism, migration and religious pluralism
How does Ashoka's Edict 12 recommend that a follower of one tradition should behave towards adherents of another tradition?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Buddhism, migration and religious pluralism2A Buddhism - Section A: Expressions of religious identity
A hospital offers a secular mindfulness course in which patients practise breath awareness to reduce stress, with all Buddhist imagery and ethical teachings removed. Which feature of traditional Buddhist meditation has been retained in this course?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Expressions of religious identity2A Buddhism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles
Which statement best explains how the six perfections differ in character from the five precepts?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles2A Buddhism - Section A: Self, death and afterlife
In Buddhist teaching, which term names the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth that is driven by the effects of intentional action?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Self, death and afterlife2A Buddhism - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority
In the parable of the burning house, a father lures his children out of a blazing building by promising them three kinds of cart. How does this parable illustrate the Mahayana claim that the Buddha's teaching is 'skilful means'?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority2A Buddhism - Section A: Ultimate reality
In Theravada Buddhism, what is the primary sense in which Gautama is understood as the Buddha?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section A: Ultimate reality2A Buddhism - Section B: The dialogue between Buddhism and ethics
A government proposes banning a minority religion whose practices it dislikes. How would a Buddhist ethical assessment of tolerance and freedom of religious expression most likely evaluate this proposal?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section B: The dialogue between Buddhism and ethics2A Buddhism - Section B: The dialogue between Buddhism and philosophy
In the parable of the poisoned arrow, the Buddha declines to answer questions such as whether the universe is eternal, saying a wounded man should first have the arrow removed. What does this suggest about the relationship between philosophical enquiry and Buddhist faith?
Practise 2A Buddhism - Section B: The dialogue between Buddhism and philosophy2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity and science
Which claim best expresses John Polkinghorne's view of the relationship between Christian belief and scientific enquiry?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity and science2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity and the challenge of secularisation
A militant atheist argues that because scientific method can explain natural events without invoking God, religious belief is irrational. Which criticism best assesses this argument?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity and the challenge of secularisation2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity, gender and sexuality
Which nineteenth-century intellectual movement encouraged Christian readers to treat biblical books as historically conditioned human texts rather than as uniform divine dictation?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity, gender and sexuality2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity, migration and religious pluralism
How might a Christian defend legal limits on religious expression, such as banning a procession that incites violence, while still affirming religious freedom?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Christianity, migration and religious pluralism2B Christianity - Section A: Expressions of religious identity
In a Catholic Mass, what does the Church teach happens to the bread and wine when the priest speaks the words of consecration?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Expressions of religious identity2B Christianity - Section A: God
In John 10:30 Jesus says, 'I and the Father are one.' Why do Christians treat this saying as significant for the doctrine of the Trinity?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: God2B Christianity - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles
A Christian argues that detonating a nuclear bomb over a crowded city would breach just war theory, because the blast and radiation would kill soldiers and civilians alike. Which just war criterion is most directly breached by this feature of the weapon?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles2B Christianity - Section A: Self, death and afterlife
A Christian writer argues that the 'fire' of hell is a symbol for the inner anguish of a conscience that finally sees its own selfishness clearly, and that hell is therefore a state of mind experienced by the person rather than a place of literal flames. Which interpretation of hell does this best illustrate?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Self, death and afterlife2B Christianity - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority
A Christian treats the Bible as the supreme authority for doctrine and conduct, while accepting that its human authors wrote in different genres and historical settings. Which consequence for using the Bible as a source of beliefs and teachings follows most directly from this position?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority2B Christianity - Section B: The dialogue between Christianity and ethics
A parish council must decide whether to fund a night shelter. Using Bentham's hedonic calculus, which consideration would be most relevant to judging the rightness of the decision?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section B: The dialogue between Christianity and ethics2B Christianity - Section B: The dialogue between Christianity and philosophy
Amira accepts that God exists and that Jesus rose from the dead, but feels no trust in God and makes no commitment. Ben trusts God through a bereavement, though he is unsure which philosophical arguments for God succeed. Which evaluation of the debate between 'belief that' and 'belief in' is best supported?
Practise 2B Christianity - Section B: The dialogue between Christianity and philosophy2C Hinduism - Section A: Expressions of religious identity
In Hindu worship, what does the term darshan refer to?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Expressions of religious identity2C Hinduism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles
A student says that karma yoga means doing good deeds in order to gain a better rebirth. Which correction best expresses the teaching of karma yoga?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles2C Hinduism - Section A: Hinduism and science
A student claims: "Radhakrishnan called Hinduism scientific, so every Hindu teaching must match the findings of modern science." Which response best evaluates this claim?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Hinduism and science2C Hinduism - Section A: Hinduism, gender and sexuality
What kind of organisation is Manushi, founded in India in 1978?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Hinduism, gender and sexuality2C Hinduism - Section A: Hinduism, migration and religious pluralism
Which Hindu response to the claim that Vedanta is the religion underlying all faiths accepts that other religions contain truth while still treating Vedanta as the fullest expression of it?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Hinduism, migration and religious pluralism2C Hinduism - Section A: Self, death and afterlife
In the parable of the chariot, which element represents the atman, the true self that must be distinguished from the body and its faculties?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Self, death and afterlife2C Hinduism - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority
Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society in 1936. Which activity best shows how he used a modern organisation to extend a guru's teaching role?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority2C Hinduism - Section A: Ultimate reality
Which statement best describes the Rig Veda's treatment of divine reality?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section A: Ultimate reality2C Hinduism - Section B: The dialogue between Hinduism and ethics
A Hindu argues that ahimsa supports a vegetarian diet because animals are also souls on the cycle of rebirth. Which further Hindu belief most directly strengthens this argument?
Practise 2C Hinduism - Section B: The dialogue between Hinduism and ethics2D Islam - Section A: Expressions of religious identity
The London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre in Regent's Park is a purpose-built mosque that opened in 1977. Which of the following best shows its role in the community extending beyond congregational prayer?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Expressions of religious identity2D Islam - Section A: God
In the Qur'anic verse of Light, God is described as the Light of the heavens and the earth, and the imagery includes a niche, a glass and a lamp. How do Sufi interpreters typically use this imagery to express their understanding of God's relationship to the soul?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: God2D Islam - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles
In Islamic teaching, which term refers to the inward struggle to purify the self and resist sinful inclinations?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles2D Islam - Section A: Islam and science
A Muslim thinker claims that a Qur’anic verse about the developing human embryo proves the Qur’an’s divine origin because modern embryology agrees with it. Which criticism most directly challenges this reasoning?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Islam and science2D Islam - Section A: Islam and the challenge of secularisation
In the British context, which development best illustrates the claim that religion has been replaced as the source of truth and moral values?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Islam and the challenge of secularisation2D Islam - Section A: Islam, gender and sexuality
Which experience gave many Muslims direct contact with western values and lifestyles as a result of British imperial rule?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Islam, gender and sexuality2D Islam - Section A: Islam, migration and religious pluralism
A Muslim inclusivist cites a Qur'anic verse (often given as 2:62) which says that Jews, Christians and others who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds will have their reward with their Lord. Which reasoning best shows how this verse supports inclusivism?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Islam, migration and religious pluralism2D Islam - Section A: Self, death and afterlife
A Muslim argues that because this life is only a preparation for the next, believers should not care about improving conditions in the present world. How might another Muslim most plausibly respond?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Self, death and afterlife2D Islam - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority
Why do Twelver Shi'a Muslims regard the teachings of the Imams as authoritative sources for understanding Islamic law?
Practise 2D Islam - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority2D Islam - Section B: The dialogue between Islam and ethics
A Muslim thinker claims that God knows in advance what a person will choose, yet the person remains answerable for that choice on the Day of Judgement. Which distinction is being used to hold both claims together?
Practise 2D Islam - Section B: The dialogue between Islam and ethics2E Judaism - Section A: Expressions of religious identity
How does the existence of different Jewish understandings of identity create tension over the matrilineal principle?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Expressions of religious identity2E Judaism - Section A: God
Which belief about God is expressed by the term monotheism in Judaism?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: God2E Judaism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles
A farmer in a Jewish community plans to muzzle his ox while it threshes grain so that it cannot eat any. Which Jewish principle is most directly relevant to showing that this is wrong?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism and science
How does Maimonides connect the intellectual study of nature with the love and fear of God?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism and science2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism and the challenge of secularisation
Why does Religious Zionism typically give the state of Israel a positive theological significance that Political Zionism does not?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism and the challenge of secularisation2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism, gender and sexuality
Which statement best describes how the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA) responds to the problem of agunot and to women's place in the minyan?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism, gender and sexuality2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism, migration and religious pluralism
What does the concept of Pluralistic Judaism affirm about the different traditions within Judaism?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Judaism, migration and religious pluralism2E Judaism - Section A: Self, death and afterlife
In kabbalistic thought, what is the term for the rebirth of a soul in a new body so that it can complete unfinished religious work?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Self, death and afterlife2E Judaism - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority
A believer argues that the Tenakh is inspired by God but written by human beings. Which view of how the Tenakh should be used as a source of authority is most consistent with that belief?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section A: Sources of wisdom and authority2E Judaism - Section B: The dialogue between Judaism and ethics
Which feature of Kant's ethics makes it a deontological theory?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section B: The dialogue between Judaism and ethics2E Judaism - Section B: The dialogue between Judaism and philosophy
Martin Buber contrasted two types of faith, using the Hebrew term emunah and the Greek term pistis. Which option correctly matches each term to the model of faith it represents?
Practise 2E Judaism - Section B: The dialogue between Judaism and philosophy
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