Religious Education RE is part of the Humanities Department at Idsall. We help students to find their way through the world of people by

studying:

people through time (History)

people in places (Geography)

people and their beliefs ( RE)

Students are set according to their ability in Humanities subjects. All students, regardless of their ability, follow the same

basic courses in each subject although the speed and depth of the work will vary.

We expect every student to try their best all of the time but as individual students develop at different times we shall

regularly review their progress. If necessary, students will be moved to another set where the style and pace of the work

is more suited to the particular individual.

Some of our work involves drawing graphs, diagrams and other illustrations. We have found the best work is done with

coloured pencil crayons rather than felt tip pens. All students should have important basic equipment such as a set of

coloured pencils, a ruler, a pen and a pencil.

We all believe in the value of homework and it will be set regularly for all students. The range of tasks will vary from

answering questions, to research and project tasks and surveys, and your support is needed and welcomed.

Humanities has eight specialist rooms, one of which has fifteen networked computers, which can be booked by the

subject teachers for specific tasks and topics. All these are available to students to support and develop their work.

Where students have access to computers at home, we encourage them to make full use of them in their Humanities

work.

Assessment is conducted at the end of topics or modules and might include a variety of methods, such as an essay

project, test or role-play. The work is assessed using National Curriculum KS3 levels.

In Year 7, students will have five hours of Humanities per week, with five hours in Years 8 and 9, shared between

History, Geography and R.E. At Key Stage 4 each students will be able to opt to study one or more of the subjects at

GCSE and later at AS and A2 Levels.

We look forward to meeting you and your child and helping her or him to unravel and understand some of the mysteries

of the world and its people.

The following is an outline of the topics covered throughout KS3:

Year 7

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

RQ1: Who am I? And RQ3: Who is my neighbour. Content: Religious rules KSQ3.1 How do religious and secular beliefs give purpose and direction to life? And KSQ 3.3 What do religious teachings teach about helping others? Does such teaching apply in a secular world?

AT2: Identity, diversity and belonging.

RQ4: How should I lead my life? Content: Showing how people belong to religious communities. KSQ3.4 Are religious teachings about behaviour relevant to modern life? Important religious leaders AT2: Values and commitments

Spring 1 Spring 2

RQ13 Where do people’s beliefs come from? Content: Important places (pilgrimage). KSQ3.13 How does the religious believer demonstrate their commitment to a belief? AT1: Beliefs, teaching and sources

RQ10: How is belief expressed through symbols and action? Content: Symbols. KSQ3.10 Why is symbolism used in religion? AT1 : Expressing meaning

(Forms of Expression)

Summer 1 Summer 2

RQ10: How is belief expressed through symbols and action? Content: Places of worship KSQ3.10 Why is symbolism used in religion? AT1 : Expressing meaning (Forms of Expression)

RQ5 Where do I belong? Content: Acts of worship (to include prayer, holy communion, etc) KSQ3.5 What is the value of belonging?

AT2: Identity, diversity and belonging.

Year 8

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

RQ9: What do people believe about God? Content: Paley’s design theory, Christian, Jewish and other creation theories, KSQ 3.9 What are the main arguments for and against the existence of god? AT1: Beliefs, teaching and sources

RQ9: What do people believe about God? Content: Look at the idea of god in different religions. 3.9 What are the main arguments for and against the existence of god? AT1: Beliefs, teaching and sources

Spring 1 Spring 2

RQ14: Why do people’s belief and practice differ? Content: Celebrations (festivals) 3.14 What is the purpose of celebration and what effects does it have on believers?

AT1: Practices and ways of life

RQ5 Where do I belong? Content: Birth and initiation ceremonies. KSQ3.5 What is the value of belonging?

AT2: Identity, diversity and belonging.

Summer 1 Summer 2

RQ2: How do people express their beliefs through worship and celebration? Content: Marriage Ceremonies KSQ3.2 What is the value of marking special occasions?

AT1: Practices and ways of life

RQ12: How do people make sense of life and death? Content: Death ceremonies and the belief in the afterlife. KSQ 3.12 How do religions explain death? AT2: Meaning, purpose and truth

Year 9

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

RQ8: Has science got all of the answers? Content: Proof and evidence. Evolution and creation KSQ 3.8 Are religious and scientific views about the origin of the world compatible? AT1: Beliefs, teaching and sources

RQ7: How do people make sense of hardship and suffering? Content: Look at different types of suffering and why religions think suffering happens KSQ 3.7 How can an all loving God allow suffering? AT2: Meaning, purpose and truth

Spring 1 Spring 2

RQ7: How do people make sense of hardship and suffering? Content: Look at examples of suffering in the world, focus on religious responses KSQ 3.7 How can an all loving God allow suffering? AT2: Meaning, purpose and truth

RQ6: How should we relate to others and to the natural world? Content: stewardship, environmental concerns, animal rights. KSQ3.6 Is life sacred and what implications does this have? AT2: Values and commitments

Summer 1 Summer 2

RQ6: How should we relate to others and to the natural world? Content: sanctity of human life, focusing on issues of abortion, suicide and euthanasia. KSQ 3.6 Is life sacred and what implications does this have? AT2: Values and commitments

RQ11: How do people express their beliefs about truth? Content: Looking at the differences between truth and belief. KSQ 3.11 What form of truth is conveyed in religious writing? What implications does this have? AT2: Meaning, purpose and truth

RE AT KEY STAGE 4

Interest in religion and the effect it has upon our culture is one of the fastest growing subjects. The GCSE course in

Religious Studies reflects the changing role and importance of religion in today’s society including Ethics and

Philosophy in the Modern World.

The course addresses issues primarily in Christianity and Islam but also allows for other religious beliefs to be

studied. It allows students to reflect upon their own views and gives them opportunities to personally respond to

the topics studied.

The two year course, taught over five periods a fortnight, covers a range of issues including:

the problem of evil for religious believers; the questions the existence of evil raise about God’s creation and

power

differing responses to situations when abortion is advocated

religious attitudes towards sex, marriage and divorce including responses to parental involvement and race in

the choice of marriage partner

religious attitudes towards drugs and the debate about the classification and legal status of different drugs

different responses to war including reasons for pacifism and ways in which a ‘just war’ and ‘holy war’ have

been justified

attitudes towards crime and punishment including the debate on capital punishment

issues in medical ethics, such as the debates about fertility treatment, cloning, transplant surgery and genetic

engineering

…..and much, much more!

Religious Studies at GCSE is suitable for anyone who has an interest in the issues and debates that affect people’s

lives today. You do not have to become a vicar or a priest! You do, though, need an open mind and an ability to

see all sides of an argument.

This course follows the two components of AQA specification A.

Year 10

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Key Beliefs and Teachings in Christianity – component

1

(The nature of God; Different Christian beliefs about creation; Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife; Jesus Christ and salvation).

Key Beliefs and Teachings in Islam– component

1

(The six articles of faith; The Oneness of God; The nature of God; Angels; Predestination; Life after death (Akhirah); Prophethood (Risalah); The Holy Books).

Spring 1 Spring 2

Crime and punishment – component 2 E Religion, Crime and Punishment (Corporal Punishment; The Death Penalty; Forgiveness).

Religion and Life – component 2 B

Religion and Life (Abortion; Euthanasia; Animal

Experimentation).

Summer 1 Summer 2

Christian Practices (Worship and Festivals) – Christian Practices (Worship and Festivals) –

NB. Year 11 2016-17 follow AQA Specification B

Year 11

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Religion and animal rights

Religious beliefs about the status of animals;

The extent to which animals are different from humans and their relative value;

Religious views on animal rights and the means of protecting those rights;

Religious responses to the preservation of species from extinction;

The contemporary use and abuse of animals including:

companionship, e.g. pets, guide dogs, animals in sport,

transport and work, animal experiments, farming of animals (including free

range and factory farming),

zoos, hunting,

bull fighting, the fur and ivory trade,

genetic modification and cloning of animals, treatment of wildlife;

Issues concerning the slaughter of animals, meat, vegetarian and vegan diets.

Religion and early life

Within this topic pupils should be familiar with the key teachings from the religion(s) studied and should be aware of how religious leaders and other faith members have interpreted these teachings and applied them to life in society today.

The concept of the sanctity of life in relation to its preservation;

Children being seen as a blessing and gift and the miracle of life;

The issues surrounding when life begins, including at conception, development of backbone, when heart starts beating, at viability, when the baby is born;

The issues concerning the quality of life, including severe handicaps, unwanted children, poverty and suffering;

Reasons used by religious believers for and against abortion;

The Law and abortion, including the 1967 and 1990 Acts;

The rights of those involved, e.g. mother, father and unborn child;

Alternatives to abortion, e.g. keeping the child; adoption and fostering;

Pro-Life and Pro-Choice arguments and pressure groups.

component 1

(Different forms of worship and their significance; The role and meaning of the sacraments; The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations; The role of the church in the local and worldwide community).

component 1

Different forms of worship and their significance; The role and meaning of the sacraments; The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations; The role of the church in the local and worldwide community).

Revision of all of year ten topics

Spring 1 Spring 2

Religion and war and peace

The concepts of peace and justice and the sanctity of life in relation to war and peace;

The causes of war;

Conflict, including examples of recent wars;

The reasons why religious believers might go to war, including the criteria for ‘Just War’ and ‘Holy War’;

Religious believers and pacifism;

Victims of war, including refugees, those maimed;

Organisations which help victims of war, e.g. The Red Cross, The Red Crescent;

The work of a religious believer who has worked for peace;

Peacekeeping forces, e.g. United Nations, NATO;

Issues such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and nuclear proliferation;

Arguments for and against nuclear weapons, including proliferation.

Religious beliefs and teachings and modern statements about war and peace.

Religion and prejudice

Types of prejudice, including religion, race, colour, gender, age, disability, class, lifestyle, looks;

The causes and origins of prejudice, including ignorance, stereotyping, scapegoating, influence of parents or media, victims of prejudice, experience;

Concepts of tolerance, justice, harmony and the value of the individual;

Religious attitudes to prejudice and discrimination;

Effects of prejudice and discrimination (including the idea of positive discrimination);

Religious responses to prejudice and discrimination by individuals, groups, society and the law;

Religious believers who have fought against prejudice, e.g. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu.

Summer 1 Summer 2

Revision of all of Year 11 topics and Year 10 Topics Revision of all of Year 11 topics and Year 10

Topics

R.E. AT KEY STAGE 5

Religious Studies - Philosophy & Ethics And The Study Of Religion and Dialogues

We follow the AQA Religious Studies Course.

What will I study?

There are two exam papers (components) for this course.

Component 1: Philosophy of religion and ethics Section A: Philosophy of religion

• Arguments for the existence of God.

• Evil and suffering.

• Religious experience. • Religious language.

• Miracles. • Self and life after death.

Section B: Ethics and religion

• Ethical theories.

• Issues of human life and death. • Issues of animal life and death. • Introduction to meta ethics.

• Free will and moral responsibility.

• Conscience.

• Bentham and Kant.

Component 2: Study of religion and dialogues

In Component 2 you will be assessed on:

1. Your knowledge, understanding and ability to analyse and evaluate a single religion (Section A). 2. Issues related to the dialogue between philosophy of religion and the chosen religion (Section B).

3. Issues related to the dialogue between ethical studies and the chosen religion (Section C).

RE students at Idsall will study option 2B (Christianity).

Year 12

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Component 2 God • Christian Monotheism: one God, omnipotent creator and controller of all things; transcendent and unknowable; the doctrine of the Trinity and its importance; the meaning and significance of the belief that Jesus is the son of God; the significance of John 10:30; 1 Corinthians 8:6 • God as Personal, God as Father and God as Love: the challenge of understanding anthropomorphic and gender specific language about God: God as Father and King, including Christian feminist perspectives. • The concept of God in process theology: God as neither omnipotent nor creator.

Component 1 Phil Of Religion Arguments for The Existence of God Design • Presentation: Paley’s analogical argument. • Criticisms: Hume Ontological • Presentation: Anselm’s a priori argument. • Criticisms: Gaunilo and Kant. Cosmological • Presentation: Aquinas' Way 3. The argument from contingency and necessity. • Criticisms: Hume and Russell Students should study the basis of each argument in observation or in thought, the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments, their status as ‘proofs’, their value for religious faith and the relationship between reason and faith.

Component 1 Ethics and Religion Normative ethical theories • Deontological: natural moral law and the principle of double effect with reference to Aquinas; proportionalism. • Teleological: situation ethics with reference to Fletcher. • Character based: virtue ethics with reference to Aristotle. • The differing approaches taken to moral decision making by these ethical theories. • Their application to the issues of theft and lying. • The strengths and weaknesses of these ways of making moral decisions.

Component 1 Phil Of Religion Arguments for the existence of God Design • Presentation: Paley’s analogical argument. • Criticisms: Hume Ontological • Presentation: Anselm’s a priori argument. • Criticisms: Gaunilo and Kant. Cosmological • Presentation: Aquinas' Way 3. The argument from contingency and necessity. • Criticisms: Hume and Russell Students should study the basis of each argument in observation or in thought, the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments, their status as ‘proofs’, their value for religious faith and the relationship between reason and faith.

Component 1 Ethics and Religion The application of natural moral law, situation ethics and virtue ethics to: • Issues of human life and death: • embryo research; cloning; ‘designer’ babies; • abortion; • voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide; • capital punishment; • Issues of non-human life and death: • use of animals as food; intensive farming; • use of animals in scientific procedures such as cloning; • blood sports; • animals as a source of organs for transplants.

Spring 1 Spring 2

Component 1 Phil Of Religion Evil and suffering The problem of evil and suffering. • The concepts of natural and moral evil. • The logical and evidential problem of evil. • Responses to the problem of evil and suffering. • Hick’s soul making theodicy. • The free will defence. • Process theodicy as presented by Griffin. • The strengths and weaknesses of each response.

Component 2 Sources of wisdom and authority • The Bible: different Christian beliefs about the nature and authority of the Bible and their impact on its use as a source of beliefs and teachings, including the Bible as inspired by God but written by human beings. • The Church: the different perspectives of the Protestant and Catholic traditions on the relative authority of the Bible and the Church • The authority of Jesus: different Christian understandings of Jesus’ authority, including Jesus’ authority as God’s authority and Jesus’ authority as only human; implications of these beliefs for Christian responses to Jesus’ teaching and his value as a role model with reference to his teaching on retaliation and love for enemies in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:38-48.

Component 1 Phil Of Religion Religious experience The nature of religious experience: • Visions: corporeal, imaginative and intellectual. • Numinous experiences: Otto, an apprehension of the wholly other. • Mystical experiences: William James; non sensuous and non-intellectual union with the divine as presented by William Stace. Verifying religious experiences: • The challenges of verifying religious experiences. • The challenges to religious experience from science.

Religious responses to those challenges. • Swinburne’s principles of credulity and testimony. The influence of religious experiences and their value for religious faith. Component 2

Good conduct and key moral principles • Good conduct: the importance of good moral conduct in the Christian way of life, including reference to teaching about justification by works, justification by faith and predestination. • Sanctity of life: the concept of sanctity of life; different views about its application to issues concerning the embryo and the unborn child; the just war theory and its application to the use of weapons of mass destruction. • Dominion and stewardship: the belief that Christians have dominion over animals; beliefs about the role of Christians as stewards of animals and the natural environment and how changing understandings of the effects of human activities on the environment have affected that role.

Summer 1 Summer 2

Component 2

Self, death and afterlife • The meaning and purpose of life: the following purposes and their relative importance: to glorify God and have a personal relationship with him; to prepare for judgement; to bring about God’s kingdom on earth. • Resurrection: the concept of soul; resurrection of the flesh as expressed in the writings of Augustine; spiritual resurrection; the significance of 1 Corinthians 15: 42-44 and 50-54. • Different interpretations of judgement, heaven, hell and

Component 1 Phil Of Religion

Religious language • The issue of whether religious language should be viewed cognitively or non-cognitively. • The challenges of the verification and falsification principles to the meaningfulness of religious language. • Responses to these challenges: • eschatological verification with reference to Hick • language as an expression of a Blik with reference to R.M.Hare • religious language as a language game with

A Level (Year 13)

NB: Year 13 will follow Edexcel Exam Board Philosophy and Ethics

Philosophy:

Arguments for the Existence of God (Experience and ontological);

What is ‘proof’?;

Life After Death;

Religious language and how it is criticised/defended.

Ethics:

Criticisms of God and Morality;

Ethical theories (deontology; virtue ethics; NML);

Ethical language: Objectivity; relativity; subjectivity;

What does ‘good’ mean?

Year 13

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

Deontology; Natural Moral Law and Virtue Ethics

Natural Moral Law Examine the theory of Natural Moral Law in terms of key points and strengths and weaknesses of the theory and how it is and can be applied. Repeat for Virtue Ethics. Deontology Examine this concept in terms of the cat. Imp., universability, of right action, prima facie duties, absolute, relative, teleological and deontological

Critiques of the links between Religion and Morality Examine the E. dilemma in more detail than at AS, with careful consideration of the nature of god, the relationship between Omnipotent god and external source of goodness, god as a moral law giver, and what it means for god to be good. Examine Nietzsche. To examine Atheism and Critiques of Religious Belief by looking at Sociological arguments on this topic, in terms of

purgatory as physical, spiritual or psychological realities; objective immortality in process thought.

Component 2

Expressions of religious identity • Baptism: the significance of infant baptism in Christianity with particular reference to the Catholic and Baptist traditions; arguments in favour of and against infant baptism. • Holy Communion: differing practices associated with Holy Communion, and differing understandings of Holy Communion and its importance, in the Catholic and Baptist Churches; different Christian understandings of the significance of Jesus’ actions at the last supper, Luke 22: 17-20. • The mission of the Church: developments in Christian ideas of ‘mission’ from the early 20th century to today. Revision of all Components and sub units.

reference to Wittgenstein. • Other views of the nature of religious language: • religious language as symbolic with reference to Tillich • religious language as analogical with reference to Aquinas • the Via Negativa. • The strengths and weaknesses of the differing understandings of religious language.

Component 1 Ethics and Religion

Introduction to meta ethics: the meaning of right and wrong • Divine Command Theory – right is what God commands, wrong is what God forbids. • Naturalism: Utilitarianism – right is what causes pleasure, wrong is what causes pain. • Non-naturalism: Intuitionism – moral values are self-evident. • The strengths and weaknesses of these ideas.

principles. Look at how this theory helps people make decisions and examine the religious and cultural influences on this (today and in the past). Evaluate the above in terms of strengths and weaknesses of each viewpoint

Religious Experience (in terms of meaning and types)

NB Topic linked to arguments about the existence of God.

1. Investigate the nature of religious experience. 2. Investigate the types of religious experience.

(link both to analogy, testimony and creduality).

3. To examine religious experience as an argument for the existence of God, understanding and evaluating key points, strengths and weaknesses and making informed judgements about these.

key points, strengths and weaknesses and making informed judgements about these and the theory’s validity. To examine Psychological and moral arguments on this topic, in terms of key points, strengths and weaknesses and making informed judgements about these and the theory’s validity To examine arguments of Richard Dawkins on this topic, in terms of key points, strengths and weaknesses and making informed judgements about these and the theory’s validity

The Ontological Argument

To understand the main principles of this argument

with reference to Descartes and Anselm.

Evaluate argument understanding and evaluating

key points, strengths and weaknesses and making

informed judgements about these and the theory’s

validity.

Spring 1 Spring 2

Ethical Language and what does Good mean

Examine the idea of emotivism, in terms of key points (relate to naturalisitic fallacy) and strengths and weaknesses-does this provide a satisfactory explanation for expression of ethical ideas? Examine what is meant by good, To examine as part of it different Ethical Concepts, such as the concepts of absolutism, subjectivism, objectivity and relativism in relation to other theories studied, such as situation ethics and utilitarianism etc, in terms of key points and strengths and weaknesses of each viewpoint. Religious language To investigate the problems of religious language as critiques of religious beliefs. To do this in terms of looking at the key points, strengths and weaknesses of Analogy, language games, myth and symbol, verification and falsification, all in terms of evidence etc and making informed judgements about these and the theory’s validity

Paper 4: Synoptic Paper on Ayer; Westphal and

Donovan

Summer 1 Summer 2

Paper 4: Synoptic Paper on Ayer; Westphal and

Donovan

Revision of Paper 3 and Paper 4

Revision of Paper 3 and Paper 4

For further advice or to find out more about the R.E. curriculum at Idsall School, please contact Mrs. N.

Parkinson.