The Religion, Philosophy & Ethics course gives you the opportunity to explore the three key strands of religion, philosophy and ethics in depth. You will undertake a detailed study of Islam and engage in debate with Islamic scholars.
Subject Information
Religious Studies explores philosophical and ethical issues as well as the study of religion (with a focus on Islam). It is completely different to GCSE as you start to consider some of the deeper questions about God, ethics and the meaning of life. You’ll need an open mind and you must be prepared to ask more questions than you’ll find answers for.
You will learn both through on-site classroom teaching and off-site visits to the mosques in Cambridge and further afield where you will take part in discussion and debate with Islamic scholars. You will also visit the Islamic Gallery at The British Museum and the Islamic Art and Design Gallery at The Victoria and Albert Museum.
Religious Studies is not just about academic theory – it is also about understanding the lived experience of Muslims in the UK. You’ll have the opportunity to observe Muslims praying in the mosque and will be able to share iftar with a local Muslim family during Ramadan.
Course Details
This course is thought-provoking and it will help you to develop your powers of analysis as well as teaching you how to structure an argument and refine your spoken and written communication skills. You will engage in plenty of classroom discussion and debate to help you refine your ideas about a wide range of religious issues, philosophical theories and ethical dilemmas.
You will study three modules:
- Study of Islam – religious figures and sacred texts, religious concepts and religious life, significant social and historical developments in Islamic thought, religious practices and religious identity
- Philosophy of Religion – arguments for the existence of God, challenges to religious belief, religious experience and religious language
- Religion and Ethics – ethical thought, deontological ethics, teleological ethics, determinism and free will
Each topic is examined through responses to questions in a final written exam. All of these questions are high tariff with either 20 or 30 marks available. Extended answers are therefore required.
Students of Religious Studies will have the opportunity to visit local mosques and to work alongside Islamic scholars.
Subject Specific Entry Requirements
- Grade 6 in GCSE English.
- Grade 6 in GCSE Religious Studies (if taken).
Where could Religion, Philosophy & Ethics take me?
Religion, Philosophy & Ethics provides you with a wide range of transferable skills including essay writing, confidence in debating and the ability to appreciate other viewpoints. These skills can be extremely helpful in a range of university degrees that involve critical thinking and discussion, such as the Humanities, English, Psychology, PPE.
Religious Studies can lead to a range of challenging and rewarding jobs using either direct subject knowledge or the skills developed by studying the course. Many RS students choose to follow careers in lecturing or teaching, as advice workers, lawyers or working within ‘third sector’ organisations.
Reading List
Recommended supplementary resources- websites, blogs, journals:
Novels:
Sophie’s World
The Sage Train
Sophie’s Choice
A Man for all Seasons
The Brothers Karamazov
Poker
Books – thematic:
Ethics
General Books on Ethics
The Puzzle of Ethics by Peter Vardy
- Ethics Matters – Peter and Charlotte Vardy
Ethical Studies by Richard Dawkins
Ethics Matters by Charlotte Vardy and Peter Vardy
A very short introduction to Ethics by Simon Blackburn
Teach Yourself Ethics by Mel Thompson
Recommended books by OCR
Catechism of the Catholic Church by Geoffrey Chapman
Situation Ethics – The New Morality by Joseph Fletcher
Causing Death and Saving Lives (Penguin) by John Glover
Practical Ethics by Peter Singer
Business Ethics by Andrew Crane
Utilarianism by John Stuart Mill
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by The Catholic Church
Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong by Louis Pojman
The Four Loves by C.S Lewis
Physics (Oxford World’s Classics) by Aristotle
Other Sources of Information
http://www.ftse.com/products/downloads/F4G-Index-Inclusion-Rules.pdf
www.peped.org
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aquinas-moral-political/
Philosophy
General Books on Philosophy
The Puzzle of God by Peter Vardy
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
God Matters by Charlotte Vardy and Peter Vardy
Philosophy A Graphic Guide by Dave Johnson and Judy Groves
50 Philosophy Ideas by Ben Dupre
Recommended books by OCR
The autobiography of Saint Teresa by Saint Teresa
Consciousness; an introduction by Susan Blackmore
The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins
Principles of Philosophy by Rene Descartes
Idea of the Holy by Rudolf Otto
An Introduction to Plato’s Republic by Julia Annas
The Concept of the Mind (Penguin) by Ryle Gilbert
God, Freedom and Evil by Alvin Plantinga
Intro. to the Philosophy of Religion by Brian Davies
The Question of God by Michael Palmer
Other Sources of Information
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ancient-soul/
www.teachphilosophy101.org
www.reddit.com/r/philosophy
www.philosophybites.com
Christianity
Christianity reading list
General Books on Developments in Christian Thought
The Shack by William Young
The Story of the Book by Terence Copley
Christianity – A Very Short Introduction by Linda Woodhead
Teach Yourself Christianity by John Young
History of Christianity by Nick Page
- Bible Matters – Peter and Charlotte Vardy
- The Puzzle of Christianity – Peter Vardy
- Justice – Michael Sandel
- Christian Theology – Michael Wilcockson
McGrath, A. – Christianity: An Introduction, Blackwell Publishing.
Recommended books by OCR
Confessions by Saint Augustine
Catechism of the Catholic Church by Catholic Church
Christian Theology by Alistair McGrath
Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen
City of God by St. Augustine
A Theology, The Basics by Alistair McGrath
SCM Study Guide to Ethics by Neil Messer
Death and Eternal Life by John Hick
Other Sources of Information
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aquinas-moral-political/
http://www.ftse.com/products/downloads/F4G-Index-Inclusion-Rules.pdf
www.sacred-texts.com/chr/barmen.htm
www.religioustolerance.org
