A-Level Religious Studies — Religion, Philosophy & Ethics

Studying a religion

• Eduqas Component 1 is an in-depth study of a religion (e.g. Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism) - its historical development, key figures, beliefs and sources of wisdom and authority.

Foundations (Christianity example)

• Religious figures: Jesus (his life, teaching, death and resurrection) and other foundational figures; their authority and significance.
• Key beliefs: God (Trinity, creator), human nature (the image of God, sin, the Fall), and salvation; the afterlife (heaven, hell, judgement).
• Sources of wisdom and authority: scripture, tradition and reason; approaches to sacred texts (literal vs liberal) and how authority is exercised in the community.

Development and context

• How the religion developed historically and responded to its context; the influence of key figures and texts.

Evaluation

• Weigh interpretations within the tradition (e.g. literal vs liberal readings) for coherence and impact.

Learn the religion's key figures, beliefs and sources of authority, and evaluate the internal debates over their interpretation and authority.

Diagram