Religious Studies

Hatch End High School

02084284330

Headstone Lane, Harrow, HA3 6NR

Course summary

Year 12 and 13 RE, Philosophy and Ethics follows the OCR A Level syllabus and fully prepares students for undergraduate study across Religion, Philosophy and Ethics. The course focuses on three core components: Philosophy of Religion, Religion and Ethics and Developments in Christian Thought. In Year 12, students focus on normative ethical theories of Natural Moral Law, Situation Ethics, Kantian Ethics and Utilitarianism, they apply their knowledge of this broad range of theories to applied ethics topics of Business Ethics and Euthanasia. Students study key ancient philosophers, focusing on Aristotle and Plato, this allows students a sense of the roots of philosophical thinking. Students build on their knowledge and understanding, focusing on topics relating to the existence of God and various arguments for God’s existence, alongside this, students will study the problem of evil and key theodicies. Within the component Developments in Christian thought student consider key thinkers such as Augustine and their teaching on Christianity. They study death and the afterlife and how this theme develops in Christian eschatological teaching. Alongside this, students will consider the broad range of Jesus’ significance in Christianity. In Year 13, students study meta-ethics, allowing them to look ‘beyond’ normative ethical theories and focus on the broader issue of what terms such as ‘good’ mean and whether we can make ethical statements with any certainty. They will study the topic ‘conscience’ and consider what a conscience is from both a psychological and theological perspective. Next, students broaden their understanding of applied ethics by considering sexual ethics and key Christian teachings within this topic, such as the range of Christian views on homosexuality. Within Philosophy of Religion, Year 13 students will consider the nature and attributes of God, studying a range of philosophical viewpoints, a significant part of the course focuses on religious language and how this has developed over time. Within Developments in Christian thought, students will study a range of prevalent contemporary issues and debates, such as gender and theology and will consider a range of feminist theologies. Further, they will study liberation theology and consider whether orthopraxy (our actions) should come before orthodoxy. Unit Overview Philosophy of Religion • Plato • Aristotle • Religious experience • Soul, Mind and Body • Arguments based on observations • Arguments based on reason • The nature or attributes of God • The Problem of evil • Religious language, negative, analogical or symbolic Religion and Ethics • Introduction to Ethics • Natural Law • Situation Ethics • Kantian Ethics • Utilitarianism • Euthanasia • Business Ethics • Meta-ethical theories • Conscience • Sexual Ethics Developments in Christian thought: • Augustines teaching on human nature • Death and the afterlife • Knowledge of God’s existence • The person of Jesus Christ • Christian moral principles • Christian moral action • Religious pluralism and theology • Religious pluralism and society • Gender and society • Gender and theology • The challenge of secularism • Liberation theology and Marx

Entry Requirements

Checked against your grades — every rule traces to the school's published source.

Published entry requirements compared with your results
Requirement	Rule	You
GCSE qualifications	6 gcse qualifications at grade 4.0 or above	—
Sociology	Grade 5 in Sociology	—
Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics) Alternative route	Grade 5 in Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)	—
History Alternative route	Grade 5 in History	—
Geography Alternative route	Grade 5 in Geography	—
Mathematics	Grade 4 in Mathematics	—
English Language	Grade 5 in English Language	—

Source not yet verified

As published by the school

six GCSEs at Grade 5 or above, (including GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics at Grade 4 or above). 5 in English Language 5 in at least 1 Humanity or Social Science