Faculty of Humanities

Religious Education

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Guide to A Level Religious Education (Edexcel)

Minimum recommended entry requirements:
Grade B in GCSE English and a grade B in GCSE Religious Studies.

You will study three units in each of the two years.

Advanced Subsidiary (AS)

St John: including the authorship and date of the fourth Gospel, the nature of discipleship and Jesus’ teaching on women, the ‘I am’ sayings, Jesus public ministry and the Holy Spirit. Assessed by examination.
Philosophy of Religion: including a study of the philosophical arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil and suffering and the philosophical debate about miracles. Assessed by examination.
Coursework: (2000-2500 words). The choice of topic is very wide and includes ethics, world religions, theology, anthropology and topics connected with other subjects that you are studying.

The successful completion of this part of the course will give you an AS Level qualification.

Advanced Level (A2)

St John: including the purpose and characteristics of the fourth Gospel, the Prologue, the person of Jesus and His teachings including salvation and eternal life. Assessed by examination.
Philosophy of Religion: including a study of the philosophical arguments for the existence of God including religious experience and concepts of proof, beliefs about after death and religious language. Assessed by examination.
A Controlled Task: After a period of research you will be assessed on a synoptic topic in a one hour and thirty minute exam. This unit is compulsory.

Both A2 and AS Level Religious Studies are highly valued by Universities and other Higher Education establishments as they demonstrate the ability to study and gain insight into areas of thought which are relevant to the understanding of human life and behaviour. Religious Studies also provides much material which is valuable background knowledge to the study of English Literature, Art and Sociology.

The most important skill for this course is a high standard of English. There is a lot of reading and writing involved. There are plenty of opportunities to discuss issues that are raised by the course. Group work and individual presentations are encouraged. The main emphasis for Key Skills is communication.

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