GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION REVISION GUIDE

Unit 1: The Existence of God An understanding of the terms atheist, theist and agnostic The difficulties in proving the existence of God The First Cause (cosmological) argument The Design (teleological) argument Religious Experiences Proof and faith Unit 2: The Characteristics of God God in one or many forms Language used about God e.g. truth father king God as all powerful, all loving, all knowing, all compassionate, all merciful God as transcendent and immanent, personal and impersonal

Unit 3: Revelation & Enlightenment An exploration into how God can be known General revelation: through nature and other people Specific revelation: through sacred texts, prayer, worship, visions, dreams and enlightenment How valid these revelations are and how they can be interpreted Reality and illusion

Unit 4: The Problem of Evil The contradiction between God and evil and suffering Different forms of evil The origin of evil Free will Karma How a believer responds to suffering

Unit 5: The Compatibility of Religion & Science The origins of the world and universe Religious stories of creation The big bang Darwins theory of evolution Fundamentalist views on evolution

Unit 6: The Afterlife Evidence for and against the afterlife The idea of eternal life and arguments for and against this Reincarnation and rebirth Out of body and near death experiences How different beliefs in the afterlife affect the way believers live in this life