England · AQAQ&A

Religious StudiesQ&A by dot point

A short Q&A bank for every England Religious Studies syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.

3.4 Study of religion and dialogues: Dialogues

The dialogue between ethical studies and the studied religion, including how ethical theories relate to and challenge religious moral teaching and practice.
2Q&A pairs
The dialogue between philosophy of religion and the studied religion, including how philosophical arguments about God, evil and the afterlife relate to and challenge religious belief.
0Q&A pairs

3.2 Philosophy of religion and ethics: Ethics and religion

Utilitarianism (Bentham and Mill) and Kantian deontological ethics, including the hedonic calculus, higher and lower pleasures, the categorical imperative and the good will.
0Q&A pairs
The nature and role of conscience, including the religious views of Aquinas and Newman and the psychological views of Freud, and whether conscience is innate or learned.
0Q&A pairs
Meta-ethics: the meaning of ethical language, including naturalism, intuitionism (Moore's naturalistic fallacy), and non-cognitivist theories of emotivism (Ayer) and prescriptivism (Hare).
0Q&A pairs
Free will and moral responsibility, including hard determinism, libertarianism and compatibilism (soft determinism), and the religious idea of predestination.
0Q&A pairs
The three main normative ethical theories: natural moral law (Aquinas), situation ethics (Fletcher) and virtue ethics (Aristotle), including their key principles and applications.
0Q&A pairs
The application of ethical theories to issues of human life and death and non-human life and death, including theft, lying, deception, war and the use of computer-generated or virtual life.
0Q&A pairs

3.1 Philosophy of religion and ethics: Philosophy of religion

The ontological, cosmological and teleological (design) arguments for the existence of God, including the forms given by Anselm, Aquinas and Paley, and the main criticisms of each.
1Q&A pairs
The logical and evidential problems of evil, the distinction between moral and natural evil, and theodicies including the Augustinian (free will and the Fall) and Irenaean (soul-making) responses.
1Q&A pairs
The concept of miracle, including Hume's definition and critique, Aquinas's account, the contributions of Swinburne and Wiles, and the implications of miracles for the nature of God.
0Q&A pairs
The nature and types of religious experience, including mystical and conversion experience, James's characteristics, Otto's numinous, Swinburne's principles of credulity and testimony, and naturalistic challenges.
0Q&A pairs
The problem of religious language, including the verification and falsification challenges, the via negativa, analogy (Aquinas), symbol (Tillich) and language games (Wittgenstein).
0Q&A pairs
The body and soul distinction, dualism (Plato and Descartes) and materialism (Dawkins), and the possibility of disembodied existence, reincarnation, rebirth and resurrection.
1Q&A pairs

3.3 Study of religion and dialogues: Christianity

Expressions of religious identity in Christianity, including the impact of migration and diaspora, responses to social and political issues, and the ecumenical movement.
0Q&A pairs
The Christian understanding of the nature of God, including the Trinity, omnipotence, omniscience and benevolence, and Christian teaching on human nature, sin and grace.
0Q&A pairs
Christian teaching on life after death, including resurrection, heaven, hell, purgatory, judgement, and the differences between literal and symbolic interpretations.
0Q&A pairs
The relationship between Christianity and society, including responses to secularisation, gender and feminism, religious pluralism, and the challenges of a multi-faith and scientific age.
2Q&A pairs
Sources of wisdom and authority in Christianity, including the Bible, the role of tradition and the Church, and debates about how scripture should be interpreted.
2Q&A pairs
The nature and purpose of the Christian Church as a community, its forms of worship and sacraments, its leadership and authority, and the diversity between Christian denominations.
0Q&A pairs