RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Why should I choose Religious Studies?

Religious Studies is a course for pupils who want to understand society around them. In an increasingly interconnected world, being able to understand how others think and see the world is essential. We explore key moral and social issues that divide society and how religious and nonreligious beliefs add to these debates. Alongside this, you will study two faith traditions and their place in 21st Century Britain. You will develop key skills of analysis and evaluation as well as developing your communication skills and your ability to construct a persuasive argument. This makes Religious Studies relevant to a wide range of careers; particularly those that involve understanding or working with people. Choosing this GCSE will demonstrate to universities or future employers that you are interested in other people and their ideas, and that you can see critical issues from more than one point of view.

Do I have to be a believer?

No - some of the best pupils studying Religious Studies have no particular personal faith, but they do have a willingness to understand how other people see the world. If, on the other hand, you do have a faith, you will be able to apply your own insights to making sense of how faith inspires others.

What will I study? Part A: Religious Belief and Practice Christian Beliefs:

• The nature of God • Suffering as a challenge to faith and responses to this • Beliefs about creation, and debates over science and the Bible. • The incarnation and Jesus as the Son of

God • The crucifixion and the idea of atonement • Sin and the way to salvation • Beliefs about the afterlife and their importance

Islamic Beliefs:

• The nature of Allah • The paradox of Allah’s supreme will and human freedom • The divide between Sunni and Shia Islam • The role and importance of Angels • The role and importance of the Prophets • Beliefs about life after death, justice and judgement • The importance of the Qur’an and other holy books in Islam

• Christian practices: • Worship and the diverse forms it takes • Prayer and its significance • The role and meaning of the sacraments • The role and importance of pilgrimage • The celebration of religious festivals • The Church in the local community • The place of mission and evangelism • The work of the Church on a global scale

Islamic Practice:

• Islamic worship as a way of life • Faith and the public declaration of faith • The significance of prayer • The importance of fasting • Islamic festivals • Alms giving and charity work • The Haji Pilgrimage • The idea of Jihad and what it really means

Part B Themes (Controversial Moral Issues) Relationships and families:

Is our society moving in a positive direction or losing its moral way? Sex and sexuality, marriage and divorce, families, including discussions about cohabitation, divorce, and same-sex partnerships, gender prejudice and discrimination

Peace and conflict:

Is violence ever justified? Does religion do more to promote peace or cause conflict? War, peace-making, political protests, terrorism, rules for conflict and weapons of mass destruction

Life: debates about the origins and value of life on earth:

How do different beliefs about the origin and value of life impact modern ethical debates? The Big Bang and evolution, the use and abuse the natural world, humans and other animals, the sanctity of life and debates over abortion and euthanasia

Crime and Punishment:

How should or society respond to those who break the law? The causes of crime, the aims of punishment, the effectiveness of prisons and examples from other countries, the death penalty and why this divides religious believers

Exams or coursework?

There is no coursework. There are two exam papers at the end of Year 11. Note: Year 9 pupils have already been working on some of these topics and tackling work at GCSE level, so are already aware of what will be expected. We revisit this material, so pupils joining in Year 10 will not have missed out. If you enjoyed the subject in Year 8 but did not take it this year, you are still welcome to join us at GCSE.

Mr P Low Head of Religious Studies

pdl@wellingboroughschool.org