Religious Studies

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This subtopic examines the philosophical challenge posed by the existence of evil and suffering to the classical concept of God as omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient. Students explore the distinction between the logical problem (inconsistent triad) and the evidential problem (probabilistic argument from gratuitous suffering), alongside major theodicies such as those proposed by Augustine, Irenaeus, and Hick. Practical skills include critical evaluation of theological responses and construction of reasoned arguments for both atheistic and theistic positions, preparing learners for high-level philosophical debate.

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Christianity – Religious figures and sacred texts

This theme explores the religious figures and sacred texts of Christianity, focusing on the birth and resurrection of Jesus, the authority of the Bible, the early church as presented in Acts, and a comparative study of the scholarly approaches of John Dominic Crossan and N.T. Wright.

Christianity – Religious concepts and religious life

This theme explores core Christian religious concepts and the practical expression of religious life, focusing on the nature of God, the Trinity, the Atonement, justification by faith and works, the role of the community of believers, and key moral principles.

Christianity – Significant social and historical developments in religious thought

This theme explores significant social and historical developments in Christian religious thought, focusing on attitudes towards wealth, migration, the relationship between religion and society (including secularisation, science, and pluralism), and the changing roles of men and women, including feminist theology.

Christianity – Religious practices that shape religious identity

This theme explores how specific religious practices in Christianity, such as baptism, the Eucharist, festivals, ecumenism, charismatic movements, and liberation theology, shape and express the religious identity of individuals and communities.

Islam – Religious figures and sacred texts

This topic covers the foundational figures and sacred texts of Islam, focusing on the life and teachings of Muhammad in Makkah and Madinah, the nature and authority of the Qur'an, the sources of Shari'a, and the concept of Jihad.

Islam – Religious concepts and religious life

This topic explores the core religious concepts and practices within Islam, focusing on the nature of Allah, the role of prophets, the afterlife, the pillars of Islam, and the ethical framework for Muslim living.

Islam – Significant social and historical developments in religious thought

This topic explores significant social and historical developments in Islamic religious thought, focusing on the relationship between religion and society, the challenges of secularisation and science, attitudes towards pluralism, family life, migration, and Western perceptions of Islam.

Islam – Religious practices that shape religious identity

This topic explores the religious practices within Islam that shape and express religious identity, including the role of the masjid, the significance of festivals like Ashura, Ramadan, and Id-ul-Fitr, diversity within Islam (specifically Shi'a beliefs), Sufi devotional practices, and ethical debates regarding crime and punishment.

Judaism – Religious figures and sacred texts

This topic covers the foundational religious figures of Abraham and Moses, the nature and authority of the Torah, the structure and importance of the Talmud, the role of Midrash (Halakhah and Aggadah), and the scholarly contributions of Rashi and Maimonides within Judaism.

Judaism – Religious concepts and religious life

This topic explores the core religious concepts and practices within Judaism, focusing on the nature of God, the meaning of life, the role of mitzvot, prayer, charity, and the Ten Commandments, alongside the diversity of views within the Jewish community.

Judaism – Significant social and historical developments in religious thought

This topic explores significant social and historical developments in Jewish religious thought, focusing on the challenges posed by secularisation, science, and pluralism, as well as issues of equality, discrimination, and Holocaust theology.

Judaism – Religious practices that shape religious identity

This topic explores the diverse religious practices within Judaism that shape and express religious identity, including the role of the synagogue, major festivals, Hasidic traditions, Kabbalistic philosophy, and ethical debates regarding embryo research.

Buddhism – Religious figures and sacred texts

This topic covers the foundational figures and texts of Buddhism, focusing on the life of the historical Buddha, the significance of his birth and enlightenment, and the role of sacred texts such as the Pali Canon and Mahayana sutras. It also examines the contributions of contemporary Buddhist teachers to the development of Buddhist thought.

Buddhism – Religious concepts and religious life

This topic explores the core religious concepts and religious life within Buddhism, focusing on the nature of ultimate reality, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the moral principles governing the community of believers (lay and monastic).

Buddhism – Significant social and historical developments in religious thought

This topic explores significant social and historical developments in Buddhist thought, focusing on the evolution of traditions in Japan, responses to challenges from science and secularisation, the role of pluralism, the development of Buddhism in Britain, and changing roles of men and women including feminist approaches.

Buddhism – Religious practices that shape religious identity

This topic explores the diverse religious practices within Buddhism that shape and express religious identity, including the role of the sangha, meditation, giving, and the influence of contemporary movements like Mindfulness and Socially Engaged Buddhism.

Hinduism – Religious figures and sacred texts

This topic covers the foundational religious figures and sacred texts within Hinduism, including the origins of the tradition, the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the role of the Upanishads, and the contributions of key figures like Gandhi and Ramakrishna.

Hinduism – Religious concepts and religious life

This theme explores core Hindu religious concepts, including the nature of Brahman and atman, the Trimurti, karma, reincarnation, and moksha. It also examines religious life through the lens of Varnashramadharma, the status of Dalits, and the concept of ahimsa.

Hinduism – Significant social and historical developments in religious thought

This topic covers significant social and historical developments in Hindu religious thought, focusing on the growth of ISKCON, the challenges posed by secularisation and science, Hindu attitudes toward wealth and poverty, the distinction between diversity and pluralism, the impact of migration on Hindu identity in Britain, and the changing roles of men and women including feminist perspectives.

Hinduism – Religious practices that shape religious identity

This topic explores the diverse religious practices within Hinduism that shape and express religious identity, including the role of puja, festivals, the Bhakti movement, philosophical understandings of reality, and Hindu bioethics.

Sikhism – Religious figures and sacred texts

This topic covers the life and teachings of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, the authority and use of the Guru Granth Sahib, the significance of the Mul Mantra and Japji, the contributions of Guru Arjan, and the historical context of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Sikh empire.

Sikhism – Religious concepts and religious life

This topic covers the core religious concepts and religious life within Sikhism, focusing on the nature of God, the soul, karma, rebirth, mukti, and key moral principles such as sewa, Kirat Karo, Vand Chhako, and the Sant Sipahi tradition.

Sikhism – Significant social and historical developments in religious thought

This topic explores significant social and historical developments in Sikh religious thought, focusing on the aspiration for Khalistan, the changing roles of men and women, attitudes towards pluralism and diversity, challenges from science and secularisation, the development of the Sikh community in Britain, and the challenges of being a minority with reference to the concepts of miri and piri.

Sikhism – Religious practices that shape religious identity

This topic explores the religious practices within Sikhism that shape and express religious identity, focusing on the role of the gurdwara, the significance of festivals, the authority of the Rahit Maryada, and the application of Sikh teachings to contemporary bioethical issues.

Philosophy of Religion – Arguments for the existence of God (inductive and deductive)

This topic covers the philosophical arguments for the existence of God, divided into inductive (a posteriori) and deductive (a priori) approaches, including cosmological, teleological, and ontological arguments, along with their respective challenges.

Philosophy of Religion – Challenges to religious belief (problem of evil and the human mind)

This topic explores the philosophical challenges to religious belief, specifically focusing on the problem of evil and suffering (logical and evidential) and the psychological critique of religion as a product of the human mind.

Philosophy of Religion – Religious experience

This theme explores the nature and influence of religious experience, including visions, conversion, mysticism, and prayer. It examines the challenges to the objectivity and authenticity of these experiences, the role of miracles, and the impact of religious experience on religious practice and faith, including a comparative study of scholars' views on miracles.

Philosophy of Religion – Religious language

This topic explores the philosophical challenges surrounding religious language, examining whether it is cognitive or non-cognitive, and evaluating various theories on how religious statements function, including verification, falsification, analogy, symbolism, myth, and language games.

Religion and Ethics – Ethical thought (Divine Command, Virtue Theory, Ethical Egoism, meta-ethics)

Component 3, Theme 1 covers the foundational theories of ethical thought, including Divine Command Theory, Virtue Theory, and Ethical Egoism, alongside meta-ethical approaches (Naturalism, Intuitionism, and Emotivism) that explore the nature of moral language and truth.

Religion and Ethics – Deontological ethics (Natural Law: Aquinas, Finnis, Proportionalism)

This topic covers deontological ethical theories within the Religion and Ethics component, specifically focusing on the Natural Law tradition as developed by Thomas Aquinas and John Finnis, and the Proportionalist approach to moral decision-making.

Religion and Ethics – Teleological ethics (Situation Ethics, Utilitarianism)

Component 3, Theme 3 covers teleological ethical theories, specifically Situation Ethics and Utilitarianism, focusing on their principles, application to moral issues, and critical evaluation.

Religion and Ethics – Determinism and free will

This topic explores the tension between determinism and free will, examining religious, philosophical, scientific, and psychological perspectives on human agency and moral responsibility.