VCE Religion and Society Unit 3: Outcome 1

2019
School Assessed Coursework

Lord, during this Lenten Season, nourish me with Your Word of life and make me one with You in love and prayer. Amen

Reading Time 3:20-3:30pm

Writing Time 3:30-5:10pm

This booklet consists of two sections

Section A is made up of 6 short answer questions worth 18 marks.
Section B is made up of 3 extended response questions worth 30 marks.
Marks allocated are noted on the question.
You must attempt all questions.
If you need extra space for your responses you must write on the reverse of the sheet of paper that the question is
printed on.

Student SAC Number:

PRAYER
Lord, I give you today my prayers, thoughts, works, and actions, that they may be for your
glory and for the good of the world. Amen
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SECTION A (18 MARKS)

1. Define the following aspects of religion and provide a general example of each. (4 marks)

Rituals

Texts

The definition of rituals must include comment that they are ceremonies as well as that they have set words and actions

and an order to them. The definition of texts must include both oral and written literature and explain that texts

communicate the beliefs and history of the tradition. Examples drawn from the Catholic tradition or any other religion

are not awarded a mark.

2. Other than beliefs, rituals, and texts, define another aspect of religion and provide an example of it from a

religious tradition you have studied. (2 marks)

An appropriate definition must be employed and the example from the tradition must state the religion and clearly

describe the expression.

3. Define ‘religion.’ (1 mark)

Must say something about it being a community of people centered on belief in Ultimate Reality and the consequent

principles or practices

4. What role do religious traditions have in society? (3 marks)

Students could discuss amongst others;

 Hospitals, schools, charities etc

 Ethical positions and guidelines underpinning the legal system

 Defining and protecting the sacred

 Providing communities of support

 Marking major life moments.

Students need to avoid talking about adherents. When students talk about adherents in a question about society, no

mark is awarded for the sentence.

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5. What is meant by the term “existential questions”?

Give an example of how religious beliefs help to provide answers to existential questions. (2 marks)

Students can either talk about how the beliefs answer things that are not provable by science

Students could give an example of a specific question and its answer, such as the belief in an afterlife directly responding

to the question of what happens to me after I die.

6. Outline the nature and purpose of beliefs in religious traditions. (4 marks)

Any spilt of responses in nature/purpose other than a 4/0 or 0/4 split is appropriate. Each of nature and purpose has to

be dealt with at least once. Students should use common phrases such as “beliefs are” to describe nature points, and

“beliefs provide” to describe purpose points.

7. Define the term ‘ultimate reality’ and explain why it is used. 2 marks)

Definition will include some reference to personal god, creator force. etc

The main reason most students will use is to be able to talk about all religious traditions in general and not exclude any

since not all religions have a ‘god’.

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SECTION B (30 MARKS)

Question 1 (10 marks)

For a religious tradition you have studied;

a. Outline a religious belief in that tradition (4 marks)

Students should use four full sentences to describe the belief in God in the Catholic Church, with each sentence having

new information. The focus of this question will likely be who God. High quality evidence should be shown in the

responses to these three questions with some reference to resources such as catechism and scripture quotes, or quotes

from other texts.

b. Explain how this belief provides adherents with an understanding of the relationship between humans. (3 marks)

In discussing this question students need to use three full sentences and explain a new idea in each of them around how

a belief in God explains how we should treat other people. Every sentence must make implicit or explicit statements

about how we see other people or how we treat them. Common ideas will include John 15:12, forgiving others, treating

others with dignity (Gen 1:27) etc.

c. Explain how this belief helps adherents understand the meaning of suffering. (3 marks)

It is important that each sentence includes the word “suffer” or “suffering”. Many students will use quotes relating to evil

but the link to suffering must be explicit. Suffering and evil are not the same but suffering often flows from evil. Students

cannot directly or indirectly infer that God is the cause of suffering, such theological errors must be penalized.
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Question 2 (10 marks)

‘Religious beliefs are vague ideas about an imaginary world of fairytales, meant to comfort children, which have no

bearing on ordinary life.’

Discuss this comment with reference to a religious tradition you have studied.

Students should deal with at least three ideas in the prompt which may include;

 Whether or not religious beliefs are vague

 Whether the things they describe are imaginary

 Whether they are fairytales or made up

 If they are meant to provide comfort to children or if they are sophisticated

 What bearing they have on ordinary life.

As the question is about a religious tradition they would be allowed to discuss all aspects and any number of beliefs

specifically or implicitly.
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Question 3 (6 marks)

SOURCE: https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1993/11/13/

a. Describe what this cartoon is saying about the human search for meaning. (3 marks)

Possible ideas include: search for meaning is troublesome or worrying (expression on face), we do ask existential

questions (“Why me”), the search is a lonely search (alone in image, “I ask”), the search for meaning is empty (darkness),

there is an ultimate reality that answers (“a voice answers”), the ultimate reality is impersonal (“nothing personal”), the

search for meaning is covered in suffering (“why me”)

All of these listed or other ideas must have a specifically identified link to the image. Each sentence must contain some

direct evidence from the image, e.g. “as shown by the character’s worried look on their face in the image on the right”

b. To what extent would a religious tradition you have studied agree with the ideas presented in this cartoon?

(3 marks)

Possible responses from the tradition include; we do ask existential questions and answer them with beliefs, such as is

there a God, Catholics don’t search along but in communities, God is a personal God who knows each personal

individually, God is a God who loves us and doesn’t want to see us suffer. Etc.

The student should be responding to the ideas they have presented in part a. Other ideas drawn on may not be awarded

marks as the question specifically asked them to agree or disagree with these ideas presented.
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Question 4 (4 marks)

Describe the connections between beliefs in a religious tradition you have studied regarding the ‘nature and purpose of

humanity’ and ‘death and the afterlife’. (4 marks)

Students need to describe four connections between the beliefs. A lower threshold of evidence is required in this question

as the description of the connection needs to be the focus of the response. Responses which list the beliefs without

connected them should be limited to 1/4. Each sentence should include something about who humans are or their

purpose as well as something about death or heaven/hell. Students need to be explicit in naming death/heaven and

humanity in each sentence.