A-level Religious Studies

What you will learn

1. Unit 1 - Ancient Philosophy
   • Plato
   • Aristotle
   • The Prime Mover
   • Comparisons
   • Mind, Body and Soul
   • Descartes and dualism

2. Unit 2 - Arguments for the Existence of God
   • Teleological argument
   • The cosmological argument for the existence of God
   • The ontological argument for the existence of God
   • Religious experience

3. Unit 3 - Religious Language
   • The nature and attributes of God
   • Religious language: negative, analogical, symbolic
   • Twentieth Century perspectives

4. Unit 4 - Christian Normative Ethics
   • Natural moral law
   • Situation ethics
   • The Six Propositions
   • The Four Working Principles

5. Unit 5 - Secular Normative Ethics
   • Kantian Ethics
   • The Categorical Imperative vs. Hypothetical Imperatives
   • Utilitarianism

6. Unit 6 - Applied Ethics
   • Business ethics
   • Profit vs Ethics
   • Euthanasia

7. Unit 7 - Meta Ethics and Conscience
   • Meta Ethics
   • Cognitivism and non-cognitivism
   • Conscience
   • Aquinas’ Theological Approach to Conscience
   • Freud’s Psychological Approach to Conscience
   • Sexual ethics

8. Unit 8 - Beliefs and Foundations in Christian Thought

   Augustine’s teaching on human nature

   Death and the Afterlife

   Knowledge of God’s existence

   The person of Jesus Christ

9. Unit 9 - Christian Practices and Development
   • Christian moral principles
   • Christian moral actions
   • Religious pluralism

10. Unit 10 - Christianity in Society
    • Gender and society
    • Gender and theology
    • The challenge of secularism
    • Liberation Theology and Marx

11. Unit 11 - Preparation for the Exam
    • Practice Paper 01: Philosophy of Religion
    • Practice Paper 02: Religion and Ethics
    • Practice Paper 03: Developments in Christian Thought

Awarding Body

OCR is a leading UK awarding body. Providing qualifications that engage people of all ages and abilities. The general and vocational qualifications equip learners with the knowledge and skills they need for their future, helping them achieve their full potential. OCR provide GCSE courses and A-Level courses in over 40 subjects.

Recognised through UCAS

This course carries UCAS points. This means that it can be used to gain direct access to University courses and other Higher Education, through the UCAS system.

Course Outcome

Upon successful completion of this home learning course, you will receive the qualification: A-level Religious Studies, issued by OCR. Your certificate is identical to those issued to students at any other school, college, or university.

Oxbridge has chosen this A-level RS syllabus (H573) because it is the best suited to online learning and we believe it provides the best chance of success.

How is this course assessed or examined?

You will be required to complete three standard OCR A-level Religious Studies written exams:

• Paper 1: 2 hours, 33.3% of A-level, 120 marks.
• Paper 2: 2 hours, 33.3% of A-level, 120 marks.
• Paper 3: 2 hours, 33.3% of A-level, 120 marks.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course, but it is strongly recommended that you can read and write English effectively. A general education up to GCSE level or equivalent is recommended for this course. This OCR A-level Religious Studies syllabus is a difficulty level three: an A-level or BTEC equivalent difficulty, usually suitable for most learners of all ages.

Past Papers

You can access past papers for this course. They are free to access and cover a range of exam boards.