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Philosophy and Religious Studies are distinct subjects within the School timetable, but the name of the Department is a reminder that a rigorous philosophical approach can be combined with sensitivity to those dimensions of religion which cannot be understood in purely intellectual terms.
Religious Studies can transform students' assessments of themselves, and their understanding of the world in which we live. It creates an atmosphere in which challenging questions can be raised and discussed openly, and it gives the students a chance to grapple with difficult ideas and issues, discovering their own sense of values through this process.
Programmes of study: Religious Studies 
Programme of Study: Philosophy
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| Shell (Year 9) An introductory course taken by the whole year group, with a core curriculum based on study of the Old Testament, Judaism and Islam. |
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| Remove and Hundred (Years 10 and 11): All students take the Marlborough Certificate course. This covers similar material to the GCSE on the Gospels and on Ethics, and it is regarded as equivalent to a GCSE qualification. The coursework topic is chosen by the student in the area of religion, philosophy or ethics, in consultation with their teacher.
A Level (Years 12 and 13): This subject gives candidates the opportunity to combine rigorous academic study of a religious text with wide-ranging philosophical reflection on religious questions. We follow the OCR syllabus.
AS: Philosophy of Religion. students will consider the arguments for and against the existence of God, taking account of religious views as represented by Anselm, Aquinas and Swinburne, as well as the criticisms raised by Hume, Russell and Dawkins. They will also study the topic of religious experience, relating it to psychology and sociology as represented by William James, Freud and Marx.
New Testament: The Early Church. Candidates will make a detailed study of a section from the Acts of the Apostles, which describes a particularly formative period in the story of Christianity, including the decision to allow St Paul to open the Church to Gentiles. It is a relatively short section, only Chapters 13-19, and thus there will be plenty of time both to gain the required knowledge and to understand how these chapters relate to their historical context.
A2: The candidates will do three papers in June of their Upper Sixth year. There is the option of doing an extended essay on either Philosophy of Religion or New Testament, to be submitted in January: a high mark will remove the need to do that particular paper in June. If the exam is done, the higher mark counts, whether it be in the exam or the essay.
Philosophy of Religion: Topics include the distinction between body and soul in the thinking of Plato, John Hick and Richard Dawkins, the difference between the Western concept of resurrection and the Eastern concept of reincarnation, and the concepts of heaven and hell. There will also be study of the concepts of miracle, revelation, the authority of sacred texts, the meaningfulness of religious language and the use of symbol and myth to express human understanding of religious truth.
New Testament : The Early Church: This involves using what has been learned about the early Church in the AS year to understand the writings and beliefs of St Paul, the most complex, influential and controversial of early Christians. Candidates will study a section from the most important and intriguing of his writings, the Letter to the Romans, as well as shorter sections from 1 Corinthians, Galatians and Ephesians. This will train the candidates in the textual study which is still an important part of many University courses as well as being an intellectual training for any career which involves attention to detail. They will also have to deal with the interesting questions of interpretation and relevance which such documents raise.
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Pupils may opt to study Philosophy as an AS Level subject (AQA), either in the Lower Sixth or the Upper Sixth.
This is an intellectually demanding subject, but an exciting one. It requires a capacity for abstract thought, as well as an interest in understanding the ideas of the major philosophers. Candidates should be willing to think critically about ideas, including their own. They will find the course more rewarding if they enjoy taking part in debate. Those contemplating the course are advised to read some philosophy before making up their minds to attempt the course.It will not be possible to go on to A2 in this subject, but AS will be available as an option both in the Lower and Upper Sixth.
Unit 1: Theory of Knowledge. This involves considering the beliefs we have about the world, how we acquire them and whether we can be certain that they are true.
Unit 2: Philosophy of Religion. Topics include discussion of the concept of God, arguments for and against the existence of God, the problem of evil, miracles and the relation of faith and reason.
Unit 3: Set Text: We study Descartes’ ‘Meditations’. Candidates will be expected to show a knowledge of this massively influential philosophical text, and to demonstrate an understanding of the issues it raises. |