Religion, peace and conflict overview - Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A

This theme, Religion, peace and conflict, applies the beliefs of Christianity and Islam to questions about peace, war and violence. Both faiths value peace and justice, yet accept that a war may sometimes be just, and this tension makes the theme rich in moral debate, assessed in the same way as the rest of Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A (1RA0).

What the theme covers

The theme moves from peace and the just war to pacifism, peacemaking and weapons.

• Peace, justice and just war: religious teachings on peace and justice, the causes of war, and the conditions of a just war and holy war (linked to lesser Jihad).
• Pacifism and peacemaking: religious attitudes to pacifism and non-violence, and the work of believers in peacemaking and reconciliation.
• Weapons and responses to conflict: attitudes to weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons, the effects of war, and helping its victims.

How it is assessed

This ethics theme uses the same (a) to (d) pattern as the rest of the course: Outline three (3 marks), Explain two (4 marks), Explain two and refer to a source of wisdom and authority (5 marks), and Evaluate a statement (12 marks plus, on Paper 1, 3 for spelling, punctuation and grammar).

How to study it

For each issue, learn the religious teaching, a source for part (c), and the contrasting views (pacifist and just war, religious and non-religious). Learn the just war conditions so you can list and apply them, define Jihad and pacifism carefully and respectfully, and rehearse the Evaluate structure with arguments on both sides and a justified conclusion.

For the official specification

Pearson publishes the full specification (1RA0), past papers and mark schemes at qualifications.pearson.com. Always revise from the current specification and Edexcel past papers.