Philosophy & Religion (Christianity) A-level

Philosophy of Religion 

This topic surrounds debates surrounding the existence of God. In year one, you will study three arguments which try to prove that God exists. These are:  

• The Cosmological argument (God is needed to bring the universe into existence) 

• The Teleological argument (God is needed to explain the complex design of the universe)  

• The Ontological argument (The definition of God and his attributes means that he must exist) 

 

In addition, you will study three arguments which try to prove that there is no God  

• The problem of evil (the existence of evil in the world shows that there cannot be a loving God)  

• God as a creation of the human mind (The ideas of Freud and Jung who argue that humans create the idea of God as some kind of support mechanism)  

• New atheism (The arguments of modern atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens who consider religion to be harmful and so should no longer be accepted in modern society)  

 

In the second year, the topics explore what can be known about God. This is explored through three main topics:  

• Religious Language (how can we use human language to talk about a metaphysical being like God? Can this ever be successful? If so, how?)  

• Religious Experience (Throughout history people claimed to have encountered God, what are these experiences and do they actually help believers to gain a better understanding of God?)  

• Miracles (This topic asks what counts as a miracle? Does  evidence show that they are real and can they help us to gain a better understanding of God?)  

 

Religion and Ethics:  

 In year one, students study a range of different ethical theories that attempt to guide humans as to how they should act morally. Some of the theories we will look at are:  

• Utilitarianism (the correct moral action is the one that makes the most people happy) 

• Natural law (the correct moral action is living according to the God-given purpose that all humans have in life)  

• Situation ethics (the correct moral action is the one that acts in the best interests of other people) 

 

In the second year, this debate is deepened when we start to ask questions about the purpose and nature of morality. This is explored through four key questions: 

• What is the purpose of being moral? (Do we act morally to please God, to become better people, or should we only think about ourselves and our own interests?) 

• When we say that an action is ‘good’, what does it mean? (Does it refer to an objective truth, or a simple opinion?) 

• Do we choose to behave morally, or are our actions the result of a predetermined cause?  (For example, our genetics, upbringing or environment.  

• If we do not fully choose our actions, do we deserve to be rewarded or punished in the afterlife as a result of those choices? 

 

The study of Christianity:  

This is the module that is most similar to GCSE Religious Studies and it explores the core beliefs of Christianity, how it has changed over time and how Christians practice their faith today. In year one, students focus on developing a deep understanding of the core beliefs about Christianity through studying the following topics:  

• The Bible (How was the Bible constructed and what authority does it have for Christians today?)  

• Jesus (What can we know about the historical Jesus, his birth, life and resurrection?) 

• God and Jesus (What do Christians believe about the nature of God, the Trinity and different models of atonement?) 

• Heaven and the afterlife (Who goes to heaven and what do people need to do to find salvation?) 

 

In year 2, students deepen their knowledge of Christianity by exploring how it has developed over time, particularly over the past 150 years including: 

• 20th Century changes (How has the church responded to societal changes including, secularisation, immigration and how the different Christian denominations relate to each other?) 

• Feminism (Should we think of God as Male? Is Christianity sexist?  Should women have leadership roles in the church?)  

• The relationship between science and religion, (Are they opposed to each other, or are asking (and answering) different questions?)  

• Liberation Theology (How has Christianity responded to poverty in South American countries and does the church do enough to help the poor?) 

 

Across both years, students will consider how Christians practice their faith today: 

• Eucharist (What do different Christians believe happens in the Eucharist and how is it practised today?) 

• Baptism (Why do some Christians choose to baptise infants whilst others only baptise adults? What are the theological reasons behind these different practices?)                                                                                                                         

• Festivals (How do different groups of Christians celebrate key Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter? How does it reflect different theological beliefs about these times?) 

• Attitudes towards wealth (How do different Christian’s approach wealth? Is it something that should be seen as a distraction or a sign of God’s blessing?) 

You do not need to have studied GCSE religious studies to be able to take this A level. The philosophy and ethics modules are quite different from GCSE, and so most of the content covered in these topics will be new to all students - whether they have studied GCSE or not. 

The Christianity topic does assume some prior knowledge about Christianity, so if you have not taken GCSE  Religious Studies, it would be worth doing some of the Christianity background reading in the Flying Start summer task to ensure you're up to speed for the A level. However, the Buddhism pathway assumes that the module is new to all students, and so no prior knowledge is needed. 

Both pathways explore the same topics: A study of the founder and holy books, core beliefs, how the religion is practised and how the religion has changed over the past 100 years or so. However, due to the nature of the two religions Christianity is much more focussed on God, and contains a detailed study of the Bible. In contrast, Buddhism does not really have a God figure, so this religion focuses much more on the nature of reality and the problem of suffering. Another key difference is the language used. Christianity uses mostly Latin terms, and so some students find this easier to understand, whereas Buddhist terms come from Pali and Sanskrit, so there can be a lot of key terms to learn. 

Within the first few weeks, we'll remind you once more of the differences between the two pathways. Ultimately, you'll sit exactly the same exam. The philosophy and ethics topics are exactly the same on both pathways. The one & only difference is the religion that you study - either Buddhism or Christianity.

We will need you to be on the correct pathway within the first few weeks of Yr1 though.  If you're still unsure, a member of staff will be happy to chat to you about the different pathways at enrolment.

Philosophy and religion provides direct preparation for a wide range of degress: philosophy, theology, divinity and religious studies, amongst others. There are more that have some overlap such as anthropology, oriental studies and liberal arts degrees, However, with an emphasis on developing critical thinking, evaluative skills and close analysis of texts, the course provides a good foundation for a wide range of humanities degrees. In fact, the most popular degree course most Cirencester College students progress on to is Law. However, if university is not for you, then you will develop a number of transferable skills such as the ability to discuss and debate, to consider the viewpoints of others and to be able to present your ideas in a coherent manner. 

Whilst this course is A level Religious Studies, it is very different to GCSE. At GCSE, you are mostly studying general Christian beliefs about different ideas and concepts, whereas at A level, you will be expected to undertake an in-depth study of different scholar’s ideas. For example, at GCSE you are expected to  understand why evil might pose a problem for a loving God whereas at A level, you would be expected to know three scholar’s challenges to the existence of God, and the responses of Augustine, Aquinas, Irenaeus and Hick before evaluating whether any scholar successfully solves the problem of evil.  

As part of the college’s 50:50 approach, students are expected to complete one hour of independent study for every hour spent in lessons. For Philosophy and Religion, this means that students are expected to complete 90 mins of independent study per component per week. Typically, students are expected to complete their pre-reading tasks before lessons (around 30 mins) and creating revision materials after lessons (around 45 mins) and then completing extension tasks or occasionally revising for assessments / writing research essays.