How to Revise Theme C: The existence of God and revelation — AQA GCSE Religious Studies
Examination of the philosophical proofs for the existence of a deity, specifically the Cosmological, Teleological, and Ontological arguments, alongside the validity of religious experiences and revelation. It assesses the tension between empirical evidence and faith-based epistemology within Western and Eastern theological traditions, evaluating the impact of these arguments on theistic belief systems and the challenges posed by secular critiques such as the Problem of Evil and the limitations of inductive reasoning.
Examiner Tips for Theme C: The existence of God and revelation
- Ensure you can define and distinguish between 'general' and 'special' revelation.
- When discussing the Design or First Cause arguments, always provide at least one strength and one weakness.
- Practice applying the problem of evil and suffering as a direct counter-argument to the existence of an omnipotent/omniscient God.
- Be prepared to evaluate the reliability of religious experiences, considering psychological or alternative explanations.
- Use the 12-mark evaluation questions to demonstrate a balanced argument, weighing religious and non-religious viewpoints.
Common Mistakes in Theme C: The existence of God and revelation
- Failing to include non-religious perspectives such as atheism and humanism.
- Confusing general revelation with special revelation.
- Providing generic descriptions of arguments without evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.
- Failing to link the nature of the divine (e.g., omnipotence) to the problem of evil and suffering.
- Neglecting to provide specific examples for miracles or visions when required.
Key Marking Points
- Ability to explain contrasting beliefs on visions, miracles, and nature as general revelation.
- Reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and non-religious beliefs (atheism and humanism).
- Understanding of the Design argument and its strengths/weaknesses.
- Understanding of the First Cause argument and its strengths/weaknesses.
- Understanding of the argument from miracles and one specific example.
- Understanding of evil and suffering as an argument against God.