Religious Studies: OCR A Level

A Level Courses

1

Philosophy of Religion

1.1

Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.1.1Plato's Understanding of Reality 1.1.2Plato's Theory of Forms 1.1.3Plato's Analogy of the Cave 1.1.4The Purpose of Plato's Analogy of the Cave 1.1.5Evaluation of Plato's Theories

1.2

Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.2.1Aristotle's Understanding of Reality 1.2.2Aristotle's Four Causes 1.2.3Aristotle's Prime Mover

1.3

Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.3.1Plato & Aristotle's Views of the Soul 1.3.2Metaphysics of Consciousness 1.3.3Materialism - Ryle’s Philosophical Behaviourism 1.3.4Materialism - Identity Theory

1.4

The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.4.1The Teleological Argument - Aquinas' Fifth Way 1.4.2The Teleological Argument - Paley & Evolution 1.4.3The Cosmological Argument 1.4.4Hume's Criticisms: Teleological & Cosmological

1.5

The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.5.1The Ontological Argument 1.5.2Criticisms of the Ontological Argument

1.6

Religious Experience

1.6.1Introduction to Religious Experience 1.6.2Mystical Experience 1.6.3Conversion Experience 1.6.4Understanding Religious Experience 1.6.5Issues Relating to Religious Experience - Validity 1.6.6Issues Relating to Religious Experiences - People

1.7

The Problem of Evil

1.7.1Presentations of the Problems of Evil 1.7.2Discussion Points -

1.8

The Nature & Attributes of God

1.8.1Omnipotence 1.8.2Omniscience 1.8.3Boethius - Divine Knowledge, Free Will & Eternity 1.8.4(Omni)benevolence 1.8.5Eternity & Free Will

1.9

Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.9.1Apophatic & Cataphatic Way 1.9.2Symbol 1.9.3Discussion Points: Religious Language

1.10

Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

1.10.1Logical Positivism & Verification Principle 1.10.2Wittgenstein 1.10.3Falsification Symposium: Flew & Hare 1.10.4Falsification Symposium: Mitchell 1.10.5Discussion Points: Verification & Falsification 1.10.6Discussion Points: Aquinas vs Wittgenstein

2

Religion & Ethics

2.1

Natural Law

2.1.1St Thomas Aquinas - Telos & Four Tiers of Law 2.1.2St Thomas Aquinas - Precepts 2.1.3St Thomas Aquinas - Real & Apparent Goods 2.1.4Discussion Points - Natural Law & Doing Good 2.1.5Discussion Points - Telos & Double Effect Doctrine

2.2

Situation Ethics

2.2.1Fletcher's Situation Ethics 2.2.2Fletcher's Concept of Conscience 2.2.3Discussion Points: Moral Decision-Making 2.2.4Discussion Points - Agape

2.3

Kantian Ethics

2.3.1Introduction to Kantian Ethics & Duty 2.3.2Hypothetical & Categorical Imperative 2.3.3Summum Bonum & Three Postulates 2.3.4Discussion Points: Kantian Ethics

2.4

Utilitarianism

2.4.1The Utility Principle 2.4.2Act & Rule Utilitarianism 2.4.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism

2.5

Euthanasia

2.5.1Key Concepts for Euthanasia Debates 2.5.2Discussion Points: Natural Law & Situation Ethics 2.5.3Discussion Points: Sanctity of Life 2.5.4Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention

2.6

Business Ethics

2.6.1Corporate Social Responsibility & Whistle-Blowing 2.6.2Good Ethics & Globalisation 2.6.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism & Kantian Ethics 2.6.4Discussion Points: CSR, Globalisation & Capitalism

2.7

Meta-Ethical Theories

2.7.1Naturalism 2.7.2Intuitionism 2.7.3Emotivism 2.7.4Meta-Ethics

2.8

Conscience

2.8.1Aquinas' Theological Approach 2.8.2Freud's Psychological Approach 2.8.3Comparing Aquinas & Freud

2.9

Sexual Ethics

2.9.1Sexual Ethics 2.9.2Development of Religious Beliefs on Sexual Ethics 2.9.3Application of Sexual Ethics 2.9.4Examining Sexual Ethics

3

Developments in Christian Thought

3.1

Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.1.1Human Nature 3.1.2Original Sin & God's Grace

3.2

Death & the Afterlife

3.2.1Heaven, Hell, & Purgatory 3.2.2Different Interpretations of the Afterlife 3.2.3Election 3.2.4The Final Judgement 3.2.5Discussion Points: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

3.3

Knowledge of God's Existence

3.3.1Natural Knowledge 3.3.2Revealed Knowledge in Faith, Grace, & Jesus Christ 3.3.3Revealed Knowledge in the Bible & Church 3.3.4Discussion Points: Reason & Belief in God 3.3.5Discussion Points: The Fall & Trust in God

3.4

The Person of Jesus Christ

3.4.1Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God 3.4.2Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Teacher of Wisdom 3.4.3Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Liberator

3.5

Christian Moral Principles

3.5.1The Bible & Love 3.5.2Bible, Church & Reason 3.5.3Discussion Points: Christian Ethics 3.5.4Discussion Points: Love & the Bible

3.6

Christian Moral Action

3.6.1Dietrich Bonhoeffer & the Confessing Church 3.6.2Bonhoeffer & Civil Disobedience 3.6.3Bonhoeffer's Teaching on Ethics as Action 3.6.4Discussion Points: Civil Disobedience & Bonhoeffer

3.7

Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.7.1Pluralism & Theology: Exclusivism & Inclusivism 3.7.2Pluralism & Theology: Pluralism 3.7.3Discussion Points: Salvation 3.7.4Discussion Points: Pluralism Undermining Beliefs

3.8

Development - Pluralism & Society

3.8.1Development of Multi-Faith Societies 3.8.2Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue 3.8.3The Scriptural Reasoning Movement 3.8.4Discussion Points: Social Cohesion & Scripture 3.8.5Discussion Points: Conversion

3.9

Gender & Society

3.9.1Waves of Feminism 3.9.2Traditional Christian Views on Gender Roles 3.9.3Christian Views on Gender Roles & Family 3.9.4Discussion Points: Secular Views of Gender 3.9.5Discussion Points: Motherhood & Family

3.10

Gender & Theology

3.10.1Rosemary Radford Ruether 3.10.2Mary Daly 3.10.3Discussion Points: Ruether & Daly 3.10.4Discussion Points: Male Saviour & Female God

3.11

Challenges

3.11.1Secularism - Sigmund Freud 3.11.2Secularism - Richard Dawkins 3.11.3Christianity & Public Life 3.11.4Discussion Points: Spiritual Values 3.11.5Discussion Points: Social Values & Opportunities 3.11.6Karl Marx 3.11.7Liberation Theology