Religion as ritual - 60 Second Adventures in Religion (2/4)

Religion as social control - 60 Second Adventures in Religion (1/4)

REVELATION

Key aspects of this Unit: 

This topic looks at the idea of God’s self revelation to humanity. 

It explores the reasonableness of the evidence of revelation, and why revelation is questioned as a real experience. 

• General revelation. Candidates will be expected to understand God’s revelation through scripture, nature and conscience; 

• Special revelation. Candidates will be expected to understand God’s revelation through a direct meeting, vision or dream, including examples from scripture, worship and prayer; 

• the power of any type of revelation, and its impact on those receiving the revelation; 

• what is learnt of God – qualities of God such as supremacy, immanence, transcendence, personal nature, impersonal nature, omnipotence,omniscience and benevolence; 

• the comparative strengths and weaknesses of general versus special revelation; 

• the issue of reality or illusion in terms of any revelation; 

• alternative explanations for claims of revelation; the question of whether accepting the reality of revelation leads to problems for the believer, such as why believers have different ideas about God.

Revision for mock exams

EGS mock exams are coming soon.
RE mock exam is on 10th of December. For this exam you need to revise only two topics: Existence of God and Revelation.
You can download booklets here (click in) Existence of God and Revelation  available soon!).
Remember there are revision sessions available after school: Always on Thursdays in room 28, Mrs Silva-Clark, and on Mondays, room 29, with Mr Hampson. However, if you need help, please contact us at anytime!
Have a good revision !

REVISION FOR STUDY SESSIONS

Past Paper questions: Open here
Feedback :

• Common spelling mistakes: revelation, argument, theories
• Remember to read questions. Do not give your opinion when objective knowledge is expected ! Check command of words here
• 
  
• When you answer, remember: Always show  Point - Explain - Evaluation (if requested !)- Link  ! 

Morality : Good without Gods

Assessments after half-term - Existence of God only !!!

Please revise the Unit Existence of God. Use a learning log available here and good revision ! 

You can improve revision trying past paper questions here, remember: choose unit 4 !

What is the Argument from religious experience for the existence of God?

Aim: To explain what it is this argument and its problems

Key words: supernatural – experience – miraculous – Pentecostal – sacramental – Holy Communion – Eucharist – St Paul

To do List:
Create a power point or word doc with the following:

A fact file from the research about Religious Experiences. Include definition, types of religious experience and explain in detail (see main points).
Research and create a fact file about St Paul’s religious experience AND from the list below*
Write down the problems of this argument.
Simple Definition: The Argument from religious experience for the existence of God is the argument which proves the existence of God experiencing personally God.
It can occur to either an individual or a group of people.

     Types of religious experiences

• Communicating with God through prayer and meditation
• Feeling God’s presence in worship
• Feeling the presence of God in nature
• Experiencing a conversion 
• Involvement in a miraculous event

Main points:

Explain how people can communicate with God through prayer and meditation
Explain how people can feel God’s presence in worship

Explain what “Pentecostal worship” is

Explain what “sacramental worship” is

Explain what Holy Communion is

Explain what is "feeling the presence of God in nature". 

Explain what is "experiencing a conversion".
Read the account of the conversion of St Paul in Acts 9:1-22

*Research about the religious experience of :The Buddha - Guru Nanak - Mahatma Ghandi - Prophet Muhammad

Try past paper question 2012 Q3 and Q4 here

Websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions 

Revision booklets and help

SOS REVISION AVAILABLE! Room 28 after 13:00 ! 

Revision booklets available - please revise only 4 units - It is a short course GCSE, you need only four units!: 

Get here (Existence of God) - Get here (Revelation) - Get here (Evil and Suffering) and Get here (Miracles)

Any problems please contact me ASAP (only for urgent questions related to revision). Email me or contact me on Twitter: #EGSRE  

REvision. Past papers

You can download past papers here: 2013, 2012, 2011. For Philosophy and Ultimate Questions press Unit 4 and for Life Issues press Unit 2.

Have a look here in the "guide to command words" to better understand what kind of questions are going to appear in your paper and how should you answer

GCSE bitesize as well for you here.

Kerboodle (online book) here.

Have a good re-vision!
PS Revision in Easter will be 10/04 from 9:00 to 17:00 in room 28. 

Religious experience

Acess here RS Review grade booster

Schumacher needs a miracle

Read this report here about the famous Formula 1 pilot Schumacher and find out why science is expecting a miracle to save him.

Is it really the case? Do Miracles exist? What is a "miracle"? Is it possible?

Do your part, try your best and keep revising! Don't expect that miracle in your GCSE result.

This time revise the unit Miracles !

You can have an overview of the Unit opening here.
You can watch clips with examples of Miracles - Ganesh drinking milk,  Joshua the Conqueror, 9/11 Stairwell B, The Birth of Krishna , Moses and the Partition of the Red Sea, Virgin Mary crying blood.

Read and learn about a famous atheist, very relevant for this unit, called David Hume who developed a whole set of ideas against miracles.
You can also watch clips about David Hume and a Philosophical movement he represents called empiricism here - Andrew Marr presents Hume's theory of Knowledge and here he presents Hume as a man "who challenged the Church".  Many thanks to BBC!

Vision of Jacob's Ladder by Joseph Turner

Religious responses to Evil

Another excellent contribution of a top student and collaborator, Touhidul Islam, read here

Read more about Pol Pot Genocide, related issues: Vietnam War, Cambodia War and Khmer Rouge

The Problems of Evil and Suffering

Read about "The problems of Evil and Suffering" opening here. Find out more about this topic using the search tool

Picture is "Book of Job" by William Blake

Is God Necessary for Morality? William Lane Craig vs Shelly Kagan Debate

Mock exam (Mark Schemes)

Hello, please click here to access the mark scheme of your mock exam (at the moment only units Existence of God & Revelation). Please note your mock exam questions were based on past papers 2013 and 2012.

After studying the new units: Evil and Suffering & Miracles you are going to have a new mock exam based on these two units. 

Welcome to school and I wish you all a successful 2014!