Unit 1&2 Religion & Society

Examination Revision

The Unit 1&2 Religion and Society Examination mirrors the time and experience of the Unit 3&4 examination.

The examination time is 120 minutes with 15 minutes reading time.

There are two Sections, Part A with short answers worth 30 marks and Part B with extended responses worth 45 marks. The paper is worth a total of 75
marks, 38 Marks from Unit 1 and 37 marks from Unit 2.

Over the next two weeks revision time will be given. Below is the Key knowledge of the study design and a guide to the number of questions and marks.
Some suggested guide questions are also given. Check your notes and text to assist with your revision. If you have a good understanding of these questions
you will be well prepared for the examination.

Area of Study Key Knowledge Questions/ Guide Questions

Marks
Unit 1 AOS 1 • the nature and purpose of religion, past 2 Questions 1. There are nine aspects that help describe religious
and present, considering: traditions. These are
– the questions and life experiences which 20 Marks  Beliefs
shape religion and religious identity  Rituals
– other needs to which religion responds  Stories/Myths
– the extent to which religion can satisfy  Texts
these needs  Ethics
• the role of religion generally in shaping  Sacred Places, times and artifacts
and giving expression to spiritual  Symbols
experiences through the aspects of religion  Social Structure
• the relationship of the aspects to each  Religious Experience.
other Define each of these and give examples from different traditions.
• the varying importance of the aspects
across different religious traditions. 2. Three different groups of traditions were studied. These
were Ancient, Abrahamic and Eastern. What are the
examples of each? Summarise the key ideas and beliefs of

Unit 1 AOS2 • how spiritual and religious ideas in
Prehistory and religion have played a major
role in some key events in history
• how developments in technology,
philosophy and science from both within
and outside religious traditions have
affected the roles of religion in society
• other ideas and movements that have
influenced and are influencing the roles of
religion in society
• the reasons, when considering prehistoric
and ancient religious traditions, why ideas
or the religious tradition in its entirety
ceased to exist
• the reasons why some ideas from one
religious tradition become part of other
religious traditions.
Unit 1 AOS3 • the distribution of and adherence to
major religious traditions in Australia, past
and present
• the influences of recent religious and
non-religious trends on Australian religious
composition
• the influences of government policies on
the religious composition of Australian
society over time
• the way collective identity is expressed
by religious traditions in Australia through
relevant aspects of religion
the groups you studied in how they allow adherents find
meaning in their lives.
1 Question 3. List the key events that have occurred in human history
that have led to the development of humanities
8 Marks understanding of spirituality and religion.
4. Explain the developments that occurred during each of
these times that led to these changes. Include the
technological and philosophical changes that contributed
to these developments.
2 Questions 5. How has the distribution of an adherence of religious
traditions changed during the entire history of Australia?
10 Marks
6. What have been the influences that have led to these
changes?
7. What have been the significant events that have occurred
during the last 250 years that have led to these changes?
8. What challenges have happened in Australia as a result of
these changes?
9. Australia is said to be a pluralist society. What does this
 • the personal meaning and identity that is mean?
found and further developed through
engagement with relevant aspects of 10. Secularism is said to be on the rise in Australia. What does
religion, in particular, spiritual experience this mean? What evidence would there be for this? What
• tensions that can occur between factors would have led to this?
members of a religious tradition over
issues of authority, freedom, interpretation
of beliefs and teachings, and behaviour
• interactions between different religious
traditions and within the wider Australian
society and reasons for these, in particular:
– the role of religion in providing social
infrastructure in Australian society – the
role of interfaith and ecumenical
interaction in Australia.

Unit 2 AOS 1 • concepts used in ethical decision-making 2 Questions 11. List the different approaches to ethical decision making.
• how the aspects of religion relate to Give the definitions for each.
ethical decision-making 14 Marks
• a variety of methods of ethical decision- 12. How would these different approaches affect the way an
making and the theories that support them ethical issue be resolved? Give an appropriate example for
• a variety of principles derived from each.
concepts and theories found in ethical
methods 13. Describe the role of the different influences that are
• the role of various influences involved in involved in forming practical moral judgements.
the process of forming practical moral
judgments, including ethical methods of
decision-making and other factors, such as
reasoning, conscience, intuition, common
sense, assumptions, authorities,
worldviews, values, codes of behaviour and
the competing rights and responsibilities of
individuals, groups and society.
Unit 2 AOS 2 • the authorities, principles, values, norms
and ideas informing ethical perspectives of
at least two religious traditions in societies
in which multiple worldviews coexist
• the ethical decision-making methods,
including the philosophical traditions that
have influenced the understanding of
ethical perspectives of the religious
traditions
• how the ethical perspectives of religious
traditions inform the moral judgments of
their religious communities
• the aspects of religion related to ethical
decision-making processes in religious
traditions.
Unit 2 AOS 3 • the ethical perspectives and moral
judgments presented in the arguments by
those participating in the debates,
including the authorities, norms, values
and ideas on which the various ethical
perspectives and moral judgments rest
• the ethical decision-making methods
involved in the debate process and their
strengths and weaknesses
• the influence of the various participants’
contributions to the debates.
Total
2 Questions 14. What role do different religious traditions play in ethical
debate? Upon what ethical principles do they base their
13 Marks appropriate response?
15. What is the Golden rule? How is this expressed in a
number of different traditions? What basic principle does
it help inform followers of a religious tradition?
16. How would the principles of at least two religious
traditions (hint Abrahamic or Eastern) help in the
tradition’s response to an ethical issue?
1 Question 17. Consider an ethical issue studied in class.
 What is the issue?
10 Marks  Why is it an issue?
 Who are the authorities within the debate?
 Give the perspective of the Catholic church and
one other group, religious or secular, to the issue.
 What are the ethical decision making methods
involved in the debate?
 What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
10 Questions
75 marks