Religious Studies - Christianity

Why study Religious Studies ?

All pupils who follow the Religious Studies short course in Years 10 and 11 have an important opportunity to explore and debate key aspects of Christian faith, and their influence on Christian lifestyle and behaviour in contemporary Britain.

You are encouraged to have an open and reflective mind, and to use different points of view to consider the challenges that Christian thinking and practice lay before us in our present time. However, in no sense is the GCSE dependent on a pupil’s own religious background or beliefs, and the course is successfully followed by pupils of all faith backgrounds.

Aims & Objectives:

The syllabus gives you the opportunity to acquire knowledge of and develop understanding of the beliefs, values and traditions of Christianity. You will consider Christian and other responses to moral issues and fundamental questions of the meaning of life raised by both religion and human experience.

You will study:

For the short course, you will study Christianity through the Gospels

You will learn:

In the Christianity through the Gospels module, you will have an opportunity to study aspects of Christian belief and practice with special reference to the life and person of Jesus, as presented in the Gospels. You will also study how current Christian lifestyles, worship, practices and celebrations have their roots in the events of Jesus’ life, his teachings and example.

For example, you will learn about:

• The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus and the celebrations associated with them – Christmas and Easter;
• The benefits and challenges of belonging to the Christian community;
• Christian concern for life, including death and the future life;
• The nature and purpose of commitment to others, such as within marriage;
• Christian concern for the sick, poor and hungry.

This course will also enable you to develop:

• A good understanding of the nature of Christian values in moral issues
• A good understanding of the significance of key Christian beliefs
• Critical thinking, developing confidence in your own conclusions, and to reflect on your own experiences and beliefs.

Assessment:

The GCSE Short Course is assessed by 1 written exam in the summer term of Year 11, the paper being weighted as 100% of the final grade. There is no coursework or controlled assessment to be completed.