How is Eduqas A-Level Religious Studies Component 2 structured?

Component 2 is Philosophy of Religion, a two-hour written paper worth 100 marks and a third of the A-level. It has four themes: arguments for the existence of God (cosmological, teleological, ontological), challenges to religious belief (the problem of evil and the theodicies, and religion as a product of the human mind), religious experience, and religious language. You answer one question from Section A (a choice of two) and one from Section B (a choice of three); each question is in two parts, (a) for 20 AO1 marks and (b) for 30 AO2 marks.

What are the assessment objectives in Component 2?

The same two as the whole qualification. AO1 (40 per cent overall) is knowledge and understanding of the arguments, scholars and challenges, examined in part (a). AO2 (60 per cent overall) is analysis and evaluation, examined in the larger part (b). Each part is marked by levels of response bands, with band 5 (17 to 20 marks) on part (a) rewarding extensive, accurate knowledge. Because part (b) carries the larger tariff, evaluation is the main lever.

Which scholars does Component 2 require?

Arguments for God: Aquinas, Copleston, Hume and Russell (cosmological), Aquinas, Paley and Tennant (teleological), Anselm, Gaunilo and Kant (ontological). Problem of evil: Augustine, Irenaeus and Hick, and Whitehead and Griffin (process). Religion and the mind: Freud and Jung. Religious experience: William James, Rudolf Otto, Teresa of Avila and Swinburne. Religious language: Ayer, Flew, Hare, Mitchell, Hick, Aquinas, Ramsey, Tillich and Wittgenstein.

Which topics does this overview cover?

It ties together the seven Component 2 dot points on this site: the cosmological, teleological and ontological arguments, the problem of evil and the theodicies, religion as a product of the human mind (Freud and Jung), religious experience, and religious language. Each has its own page with the named scholars, the key moves and the evaluation the exam rewards.

How should I revise Component 2 Philosophy of Religion?

Build an argument bank per theme: for each argument learn its premises, its leading scholar and its sharpest objection. Then practise AO2 by writing the 30-mark part (b) as a case that sets one view against another and concludes, while keeping the 20-mark part (a) as accurate exposition. Because the paper is two questions in two hours, rehearse planning and writing both halves under timed conditions with Eduqas past papers and mark schemes, since the bands reward developed, supported argument over coverage.

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Eduqas A-Level Religious Studies Component 2 Philosophy of Religion: a complete overview

A complete overview of Eduqas A-Level Religious Studies Component 2, Philosophy of Religion. Explains the part (a) 20-mark and part (b) 30-mark question structure, the named scholars, and ties together the arguments for God, the problem of evil, religion as a product of the human mind, religious experience and religious language.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.814 min readA120QS/2Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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How Component 2 works
Theme 1: arguments for the existence of God
Theme 2: challenges to religious belief
Themes 3 and 4: experience and language
How Component 2 is examined

Eduqas A-Level Religious Studies Component 2 is Philosophy of Religion. It asks whether there is good reason to believe in God: the classic arguments for God's existence, the challenges of evil and of psychological debunking, the evidential value of religious experience, and whether talk about God is even meaningful. This overview ties together the topic pages and explains how the paper is examined.

How Component 2 works

Component 2 is a two-hour written exam worth 100 marks. It has four themes and two sections: in Section A you answer one question from a choice of two, and in Section B one from a choice of three. Every question is in two parts: part (a) is worth 20 marks for AO1 (knowledge and understanding) and part (b) is worth 30 marks for AO2 (analysis and evaluation), so the larger part (b) carries more weight.

Theme 1: arguments for the existence of God

The cosmological argument (Aquinas's Third Way, the Copleston-Russell debate, Hume) argues from the contingency of the universe to a necessary being. The teleological argument (Aquinas's Fifth Way, Paley, Tennant) argues from order and fine-tuning to a designer, and faces Hume, Mill and Darwin. The ontological argument (Anselm, Gaunilo, Kant) argues a priori from the concept of God, and faces the charge that existence is not a predicate.

Theme 2: challenges to religious belief

The problem of evil sets the inconsistent triad against three theodicies: the Augustinian (Fall and privation), the Irenaean (Hick's soul-making), and the process theodicy (Whitehead, Griffin). Religion as a product of the human mind sets Freud (wish-fulfilment, the Oedipus complex) against Jung (the collective unconscious and archetypes).

Themes 3 and 4: experience and language

Religious experience covers James's four marks of mysticism, Otto's numinous, Teresa of Avila, and Swinburne's principles of credulity and testimony, against naturalistic and conflicting-claims challenges. Religious language covers the via negativa, the verification (Ayer) and falsification (Flew, Hare, Mitchell, Hick) debate, analogy (Aquinas, Ramsey), symbol (Tillich), and Wittgenstein's language games.

How Component 2 is examined

Two parts per question. Part (a) is accurate, organised exposition (AO1); part (b) is a sustained, balanced argument that reaches a justified conclusion (AO2).
Evaluation is the lever. Because part (b) is worth 30 to part (a)'s 20, the arguments must be weighed and judged, not only described.

Sources & how we know this

Eduqas A Level Religious Studies specification (A120QS) — WJEC Eduqas (2016)