How to Revise Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment — AQA GCSE Religious Studies
Theme E examines the ethical and theological tensions between legal systems and religious teachings regarding criminal behavior and penal responses. It scrutinizes the concepts of good and evil, the causes of crime—including poverty, upbringing, and addiction—and the moral justifications for punishment. Candidates must evaluate the competing aims of punishment—retribution, deterrence, reformation, and protection—while analyzing religious attitudes toward the death penalty and the treatment of prisoners, drawing on scriptural authority and contemporary social justice movements.
Examiner Tips for Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment
- Ensure you can explain contrasting beliefs with reference to Christianity and at least one other religious tradition
- Be prepared to discuss whether it can ever be good to cause suffering
- Focus on the application of religious teachings to the specific issues of corporal punishment, the death penalty, and forgiveness
Key Marking Points
- Understanding of good and evil intentions and actions
- Analysis of reasons for crime including poverty, upbringing, mental health, addiction, greed, hate, and opposition to unjust laws
- Evaluation of views on different types of crime such as hate crimes, theft, and murder
- Knowledge of the three aims of punishment: retribution, deterrence, and reformation
- Understanding of the treatment of criminals including prison, corporal punishment, and community service
- Religious perspectives on forgiveness