Monday 19 January 2015

Existence of God

Key points for REvision :

Topic 1 The Existence of God

Candidates need only refer to one religious tradition in this section. 

Candidates will be expected to know the following terms: theist, atheist, agnostic.

Candidates may be asked questions on the following arguments for God’s existence: First Cause argument (cosmological argument); Design argument (teleological argument); argument from miracles; argument from religious experience; argument from morality; arguments against belief in the existence of God.Candidates will be expected to be able to outline arguments in any of the preceding areas: they will also be expected to be able to outline basic problems with the arguments; how plausible/strong are the arguments?; what faults lie within them?


Topic 2 Revelation

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

Tuesday 13 January 2015

History of Ideas

Open here a series of excellent videos from BBC Radio 4 about the arguments (ideas) for or against the Existence of God