← Northern Ireland Religious Studies
Northern Ireland · CCEASyllabus
Religious Studies syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Northern Ireland Religious Studiessyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Unit 3: The Revelation of God and the Christian Church
Module overview →- How do Christians worship, mark the festivals and use the sacraments?The Christian Church: forms of worship, the festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, and the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion.14 min answer →
- What happened at the death of Jesus and why is it central to Christian belief?The death of Jesus: the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the crucifixion, and Christian beliefs about salvation and sacrifice.14 min answer →
- What do Jesus' encounters with others reveal about his attitude and mission?The encounters of Jesus with others: Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage, the rich young man, and Zacchaeus, and what they reveal about faith, wealth and repentance.14 min answer →
- How do the gospels reveal the identity of Jesus as both human and divine?The identity of Jesus: his baptism, the temptations, the titles Son of God, Son of Man and Messiah, Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and the Transfiguration.14 min answer →
- What do Christians believe happened at the resurrection of Jesus and why does it matter?The resurrection of Jesus: the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Jesus, the ascension, and Christian beliefs about life after death and the significance of the resurrection.13 min answer →
- What did Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God and how people should live?The teaching of Jesus: the Kingdom of God in parables such as the Sower and the Mustard Seed, and teaching on forgiveness through the parables of the Lost Son and the Unforgiving Servant.14 min answer →
Unit 6: An Introduction to Christian Ethics
Module overview →- How do Christians respond to new developments in bioethics such as fertility treatment and genetic research?Developments in bioethics: Christian responses to fertility treatment (IVF), genetic engineering and cloning, and embryo and stem cell research, and the ethical principles such as stewardship and 'playing God' that shape them.14 min answer →
- How do Christians apply the sanctity of life to abortion and euthanasia?Matters of life and death: the Christian belief in the sanctity of life, Christian attitudes to abortion, Christian attitudes to euthanasia, and beliefs about life after death and how they shape these views.14 min answer →
- What do Christians teach about marriage, divorce, sexual relationships and family life?Personal and family issues: Christian teaching on the purpose of marriage, attitudes to sexual relationships including sex before marriage, Christian responses to divorce and remarriage, and the importance of the family and the upbringing of children.14 min answer →
- What do Christians teach about prejudice, equality and the duty to care for those in need?Prejudice and equality: Christian teaching against prejudice and discrimination, beliefs about the equality of all people, attitudes to wealth, poverty and the duty to help those in need, and the work of Christians for justice.14 min answer →
- When, if ever, do Christians believe war can be justified, and what is pacifism?War and peace: Christian attitudes to war, the Just War theory, Christian pacifism and the example of peacemakers, attitudes to nuclear weapons, and teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation.14 min answer →
Unit 7: An Introduction to Philosophy of Religion
Module overview →- What arguments do believers give for the existence of God, and how strong are they?Arguments for the existence of God: the design (teleological) argument, the cause (cosmological) argument, the argument from religious experience and miracles, and the main objections to each.14 min answer →
- What do Christians believe happens after death, and what reasons are given for and against life after death?Life after death: Christian beliefs about the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul, beliefs about heaven, hell and judgement, arguments used to support belief in life after death, and the main objections.14 min answer →
- How do believers say they experience God, and can such experiences be trusted?Experiencing God: ways believers claim to experience God, including prayer, worship, the numinous, conversion and miracles, what these experiences mean to believers, and the main reasons people question them.14 min answer →
- What do believers mean when they describe the nature of God, and do these qualities fit together?The nature of God in philosophy: belief in God as omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent, as transcendent and immanent, and as personal, and the questions these qualities raise.14 min answer →
- If God is all powerful and all loving, why is there evil and suffering?The problem of evil and suffering: the difference between moral and natural evil, the challenge it poses to belief in an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God, and Christian responses including free will, soul-making and the example of Jesus.14 min answer →
Unit 8: Islam
Module overview →- How do Muslims worship in the mosque, and what do the festivals of Id celebrate?Worship and festivals in Islam: the mosque as a place of worship and community, its main features, Friday prayer (Jumu'ah), and the festivals of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha and what they celebrate.14 min answer →
- What are the Five Pillars of Islam, and how do they shape a Muslim's life?The Five Pillars of Islam: Shahadah (declaration of faith), Salah (prayer), Zakah (giving to charity), Sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), their meaning and how they shape Muslim life.15 min answer →
- What do Muslims believe about the nature of God, and why is Tawhid so important?The nature of God in Islam: Tawhid (the oneness of God), the belief that God is the creator and sustainer, the rejection of shirk, the meaning of the ninety-nine names of God, and Muslim belief in angels (malaikah).14 min answer →
- Why are the prophets, and above all the Prophet Muhammad, so important to Muslims?The prophets in Islam: the belief that God sent prophets (including Adam, Ibrahim, Musa and Isa), the special place of the Prophet Muhammad as the final messenger or Seal of the Prophets, the night of revelation, the Hijrah, and his role as a model for Muslim life.14 min answer →
- Why is the Qur'an so important to Muslims, and how is it treated and used?The Qur'an and sacred writings in Islam: the belief that the Qur'an is the word of God revealed to Muhammad, its structure and language, the respect shown to it, its use in worship and daily life, and the place of the Hadith and Sunnah.14 min answer →