The AS course has two units:

• AS 1 An Introduction to the Gospel of Luke

• AS 6 Religious Ethics

AS 1 - An Introduction to the Gospel of Luke – worth 50% of AS

This unit explores the content of the Gospel beginning with its background and tracing the ministry and journey of Jesus and its main characters through selective narratives and the words and deeds of Jesus.

Students sit an examination lasting one hour and twenty minutes. They write two essay style answers out of a choice of four with one of the questions assessing the wider human experience element of the assessment objectives.

AS6 - Religious Ethics – worth 50% of AS

This unit explores the foundation of Christian ethics through a study of Old Testament ethics, Jesus’ teaching on the Sermon on the Mount and Pauline ethics. Ethical theories such as the Natural Law theory and Situation Ethics are also studied. Bio-ethics, sexual ethics and life and death issues are also explored.

The examination format is comparable to that for AS1.

Students who have an interest in religious or philosophical issues, and who have good literary and evaluative skills should enjoy this subject.

The A2 course has two units:

• A2 1 The Theology of the Gospel of Luke

• A2 6 Ethics and Society

A2 1 The Theology of the Gospel of Luke – worth 25% of A2

This unit explores the theology of the Gospel of Luke beginning with Biblical criticism and a study of the religious and political background at the time as well as an understanding of salvation history. The unit focuses on the main themes and the theological understanding of the words and deeds of Jesus. In addition, at A2 Level candidates are required to explore the relationship of the theology of the Gospel of Luke with the content of their Ethics course and with other aspects of human experience.

Students sit an examination lasting two hours. There are two sections to the examination. Section A comprises four structured essay style questions from which the students must select two. Section B consists of a compulsory synoptic assessment essay question on a given theme. In this question students are required to identify links between their two areas of study (Luke and Ethics) and wider aspects of human experience.

A2 6 Ethics and Society – worth 25% of A2

This unit explores the contrasts and similarities between religious and non-religious ethics across a range of issues: human rights, environmental ethics, war and peace issues and the ethics of punishment. In addition, candidates are required to explore the connections in this unit with their study of Luke and other aspects of human experience. The examination format is comparable to that for A2 1.

Entry Requirements

Students studying Religious Studies to A-level would normally be expected to have gained at least a ‘B’ grade at Full or Short Course Level GCSE Religious Studies.

In some instances, however, students who have not previously studied the subject but who enjoy reading widely and have obtained good results in Arts subjects, particularly English Language and Literature, may successfully pursue the course.