AQA A-Level Religious Studies sample questions and answers (7062)

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190 sample questions and answers

Taken from every topic of AQA A-Level Religious Studies, specification 7062. The full guide has 3,683.

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Component 1

Arguments for the Existence of God

65 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Paley's Watch and the Design Argument

    What conclusion does Paley draw from the watch's arrangement of parts?

    Show the answer
    Such purposeful arrangement implies an intelligent designer, a watchmaker.

  2. Paley's Watch and the Design Argument

    What conclusion does Paley reach by comparing natural organisms to the watch?

    Show the answer
    By analogy with the watch requiring a watchmaker, organisms must also have a designer.

  3. Hume's Criticisms of Design

    What alternative explanations does Hume offer for the apparent order in nature?

    Show the answer
    Hume suggests order could result from chance or from matter's own inherent organising principles rather than external design.

Component 1

Evil and Suffering

33 questions in the guide, across 3 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Problem of Evil

    What does the logical problem of evil claim about the relationship between evil and God's existence?

    Show the answer
    It argues that the existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God.

  2. The Problem of Evil

    What does God's omnibenevolence entail regarding evil in the logical problem?

    Show the answer
    God wants to prevent evil.

  3. Hick's Soul-Making and the Free Will Defence

    Why does Hick argue that a world without suffering would prevent genuine moral development?

    Show the answer
    Such a world would be a hedonistic paradise with no challenges to overcome, making authentic moral growth impossible.

Component 1

Religious Language

35 questions in the guide, across 3 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Verification, Falsification and Language Games

    What is Flew's falsification principle?

    Show the answer
    A statement is only meaningful if there is something that could count against it or prove it false.

  2. Verification, Falsification and Language Games

    Why does Hare argue that the falsification challenge does not apply to religious language?

    Show the answer
    Because religious language expresses a blik rather than making factual claims, so it is not the kind of statement that needs to be falsifiable.

  3. Tillich's Symbols, Analogy and the Via Negativa

    What is Tillich's concept of God as the 'ground of being'?

    Show the answer
    God is ultimate reality, and religious symbols participate in the power of this ultimate reality they point to.

Component 1

Self and Life After Death

23 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Descartes, the Soul and Radical Doubt

    What famous conclusion does Descartes reach through his method of radical doubt?

    Show the answer
    'I think, therefore I am' (cogito ergo sum), the certainty that he exists as a thinking thing.

  2. Descartes, the Soul and Radical Doubt

    What central issue does the body/soul relationship concern?

    Show the answer
    How an immaterial soul and a material body can interact and influence each other.

  3. Personal Identity and Survival

    What implication does materialism have for personal survival after death?

    Show the answer
    Personal survival appears impossible unless the body is resurrected or reconstituted, since there is no separate soul to survive.

Component 1

Religious Experience

65 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Visions and Otto's Numinous Experience

    Why is the intellectual vision considered the highest form in the hierarchy of visions?

    Show the answer
    Because it is the most certain and spiritually significant, involving direct intuitive awareness without reliance on sensory imagery.

  2. Visions and Otto's Numinous Experience

    Why might someone experiencing the 'tremendum' feel a sense of their own insignificance?

    Show the answer
    Because they are confronted with an overwhelming power that inspires awe and dread, making them acutely aware of their smallness in comparison.

  3. The Marks of Mystical Experience

    Define 'noetic quality' as a characteristic of mystical experience.

    Show the answer
    Mystical experiences carry a sense of insight or knowledge, states of illumination that feel deeply significant and authoritative to the experiencer.

Component 1

Miracles

34 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Realist and Anti-Realist Views of Miracle

    What does the natural event understanding of miracles claim?

    Show the answer
    That miracles are not violations of natural law but are ordinary events interpreted as having special religious or spiritual significance.

  2. Realist and Anti-Realist Views of Miracle

    What argument do critics make against the violation concept of miracles regarding natural laws?

    Show the answer
    That if natural laws are merely descriptions of what normally happens, they cannot truly be violated, only shown to be incomplete.

  3. Hume and Wiles on Miracles

    Both Hume and Wiles conclude that miracle claims should not be accepted. What different reasons do they give for this shared conclusion?

    Show the answer
    Hume argues that evidence can never be strong enough to justify belief in a miracle. Wiles argues that an interventionist God would be morally problematic.

Component 1

Ethical Theories

57 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Natural Moral Law and Its Precepts

    What is the primary precept of living in society in Aquinas's natural moral law?

    Show the answer
    It is one of the fundamental goods towards which human nature is inclined, directing humans to live harmoniously with others in community.

  2. Natural Moral Law and Its Precepts

    State the condition of the principle of double effect concerning proportionality.

    Show the answer
    There must be proportionate reason for permitting the bad effect.

  3. Fletcher's Situation Ethics and Aristotle's Virtue Ethics

    State Fletcher's proposition about what is intrinsically good.

    Show the answer
    Only love is intrinsically good.

Component 1

Issues of Human Life and Death

109 questions in the guide, across 8 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Embryo Research, Cloning and Designer Babies

    Why does natural moral law oppose the creation of designer babies?

    Show the answer
    Because selecting genetic traits treats children as commodities and violates the precept to reproduce according to natural processes.

  2. Animal Ethics and the Three Theories

    How does situation ethics evaluate animal experimentation?

    Show the answer
    By considering whether the benefits to humans represent the most loving outcome and whether alternatives exist.

  3. Evaluating the Three Theories on Life and Death

    What is a key weakness of situation ethics in applied ethics?

    Show the answer
    It provides no clear guidance and may be used to justify almost any action.

Component 1

Meta Ethics

55 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Divine Command Theory

    What strength does Divine Command Theory offer regarding the foundation of morality?

    Show the answer
    It provides an absolute and objective foundation for morality.

  2. Divine Command Theory

    Why does the Euthyphro dilemma pose a problem for Divine Command Theory?

    Show the answer
    If something is good because God commands it, morality seems arbitrary; if God commands it because it is good, then goodness exists independently of God.

  3. Naturalism, Non-Naturalism and Intuitionism

    Explain G.E. Moore's open question argument against naturalism.

    Show the answer
    For any natural property X, it remains an open question whether X is good, suggesting that 'good' cannot simply be defined as any natural property.

Component 1

Free Will and Moral Responsibility

56 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Moral Responsibility, Determinism and Punishment

    Why does hard determinism conclude that moral responsibility is impossible?

    Show the answer
    Because if all human actions are causally determined by prior causes, agents could not have acted otherwise, making free will an illusion and removing the basis for moral responsibility.

  2. Moral Responsibility, Determinism and Punishment

    Under what conditions is punishment morally justified according to the concept of moral responsibility?

    Show the answer
    Punishment is only justified if the agent freely chose to perform a wrong action and understood its moral significance.

  3. Free Will as a Condition of Responsibility

    What does it mean for an agent to understand the difference between right and wrong in the context of moral responsibility?

    Show the answer
    It means the agent must have the cognitive and moral capacity to recognise that their action is morally significant and to judge its moral status.

Component 1

Conscience

73 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Theories of Conscience and Their Evaluation

    In Freud's psychological account, how does the superego develop?

    Show the answer
    The superego develops through internalisation of parental and societal rules during childhood, formed from external authority figures.

  2. Theories of Conscience and Their Evaluation

    What is a key strength of conscience as a moral guide in terms of its accessibility?

    Show the answer
    It provides immediate, personal moral direction that motivates action and is always accessible to the individual.

  3. Aquinas, Butler and Newman on Conscience

    How does Aquinas distinguish between synderesis and conscientia in terms of their capacity for error?

    Show the answer
    Synderesis is the innate orientation toward good that cannot err, while conscientia is the fallible process of applying this orientation to specific actions and can make mistakes.

Component 1

Bentham and Kant

45 questions in the guide, across 3 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Bentham's Principle of Utility

    In the hedonic calculus, what does 'certainty' assess?

    Show the answer
    How likely or probable it is that the pleasure will occur.

  2. Bentham's Principle of Utility

    What does 'purity' refer to in the hedonic calculus?

    Show the answer
    The likelihood that the pleasure will not be followed by pain.

  3. Kant's Categorical Imperative and Religious Ethics

    According to Kant, what gives an action moral worth?

    Show the answer
    Acting out of duty rather than inclination or self-interest.

Component 1

Issues of Animal Life and Death

38 questions in the guide, across 3 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Natural Moral Law and Animals

    In the double effect analysis of intensive farming, what is identified as the bad effect?

    Show the answer
    Animal suffering.

  2. Natural Moral Law and Animals

    Explain why natural moral law might permit intensive farming despite animal suffering.

    Show the answer
    If the suffering is merely foreseen rather than intended, the action of food production is not intrinsically wrong, and the good of feeding humans is proportionate to the harm, then double effect may justify the practice.

  3. Applying the Three Theories to Animal Issues

    How does natural moral law examine the use of animals in scientific procedures?

    Show the answer
    It examines whether experimentation accords with the natural purposes of animals and whether the principle of double effect can justify harm for medical benefit.

Component 2

Buddhism: Sources of Wisdom and Authority

19 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Buddha, Skilful Means and Dukkha

    In the Lotus Sutra, how does the burning house story illustrate skilful means?

    Show the answer
    A father uses different promises to lure his children from a burning house, showing how the Buddha uses various teachings suited to different people to lead all beings to enlightenment.

  2. The Buddha, Skilful Means and Dukkha

    What is the central issue in the debate about whether Buddhism is pessimistic?

    Show the answer
    Whether recognising Dukkha as a fundamental characteristic of existence constitutes a negative worldview or a realistic diagnosis leading to liberation.

  3. The Pali Canon

    What does the Abhidhamma Pitaka contain?

    Show the answer
    Systematic philosophical analysis.

Component 2

Buddhism: Good Conduct and Key Moral Principles

61 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Moral Conduct, Intention and Free Will

    What karmic consequences arise from an action performed with unwholesome intention, even if the external outcome appears beneficial?

    Show the answer
    Negative karmic results, because the intention was unwholesome.

  2. Moral Conduct, Intention and Free Will

    What does it mean to say that the Buddhist concept of free will is conditioned rather than absolute?

    Show the answer
    Choices are influenced by past karma, mental habits, and circumstances rather than being completely unconstrained.

  3. The Five Precepts

    What does the second precept require Buddhists to abstain from?

    Show the answer
    The second precept requires abstaining from taking what is not given (stealing).

Component 2

Buddhism: Religion, Gender and Sexuality

15 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Buddhism, Gender and Sexuality in Thailand

    In Theravada Buddhism, who is a leading voice in ongoing arguments over whether women may be ordained and what part they should play?

    Show the answer
    Dhammananda.

  2. Buddhism, Gender and Sexuality in Thailand

    How do Buddhist views about homosexuality vary across traditions?

    Show the answer
    Some traditions are accepting while others maintain traditional prohibitions.

Component 2

Buddhism: Religion and Science

20 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Buddhism and Science

    What are the different Buddhist responses to the challenge science poses to miracles?

    Show the answer
    Responses vary from reinterpreting miracles symbolically to maintaining their literal truth as operating beyond scientific laws.

  2. Buddhism and Science

    In which scientific fields has the 14th Dalai Lama particularly engaged in dialogue with scientists?

    Show the answer
    Neuroscience and physics.

Component 2

Buddhism: Religion and Secularisation

17 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Buddhism and Secularisation

    What three elements does the Forest Tradition emphasise as a response to secularisation?

    Show the answer
    Monastic discipline, meditation practice, and simple living.

  2. Buddhism and Secularisation

    What position does Stephen Batchelor advocate regarding Buddhism?

    Show the answer
    A secular interpretation of Buddhism that strips away metaphysical and supernatural elements.

Component 2

Buddhism: Religion and Religious Pluralism

28 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Buddhism, Migration and Pluralism

    What role does religious pluralism play in modern secular states?

    Show the answer
    Religious pluralism is a defining feature of modern secular states.

  2. Buddhism, Migration and Pluralism

    In terms of Buddhist attitudes to religious pluralism, what does diversity within Buddhist traditions refer to?

    Show the answer
    It refers to the variety of different Buddhist schools, practices, and interpretations that exist within Buddhism itself.

  3. Contrasting Forms of Buddhism, Ashoka and Nichiren

    Why do some argue that Buddhism is a collection of traditions with little in common?

    Show the answer
    Forms such as Theravada and Pure Land differ over whether liberation comes by effort or by faith, which scriptures are authoritative and whether monks are needed, so they can look like separate religions sharing a founder.

Component 2

Buddhism: Dialogue with Philosophy

28 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Buddhism and Philosophy: Reality and the Self

    Why has the Buddhist doctrine of anatta attracted significant philosophical attention?

    Show the answer
    Because it challenges Western assumptions about personal identity and the soul, prompting philosophical debates about the nature of the self, personal continuity, and what persists through death and rebirth.

  2. Buddhism and Philosophy: Reality and the Self

    Why have Buddhist meditation practices been significant for philosophical discussions of religious experience?

    Show the answer
    They provide detailed phenomenological accounts of altered states of consciousness and claims to direct insight into reality, which philosophers have used to examine the nature, validity, and interpretation of religious experiences.

  3. Other Religions, Miracles and the Nature of Faith

    What must be evaluated regarding the meaningfulness of Buddhist statements of faith?

    Show the answer
    How meaningful Buddhist statements of faith are and for whom they hold meaning.

Component 2

Buddhism: Dialogue with Ethics

69 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Buddhist Ethics Compared with Western Theories

    What arguments challenge the view that Buddhist ethics are purely deontological?

    Show the answer
    The flexibility of precepts as training rules rather than absolute commands, and the consideration of intention and context in moral evaluation.

  2. Buddhist Ethics Compared with Western Theories

    What is one argument against classifying Buddhist ethics as purely consequentialist, relating to the role of intention?

    Show the answer
    Buddhist ethics places primary importance on intention (cetana) rather than outcome; the moral quality of an action is determined by the mental state behind it, not just its consequences.

  3. Buddhist Responses to Ethical Issues

    How does Buddhism apply ahimsa to questions about animal treatment, vegetarianism and animal experimentation?

    Show the answer
    The principle of non-harm is applied to animal life and death, though interpretations vary across different Buddhist traditions.

Component 2

Buddhism: God and Ultimate Reality

65 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Theravada and Mahayana Views of the Buddha

    According to Theravada Buddhism, how many Buddhas exist in the current age and what is the status of other Buddhas?

    Show the answer
    Theravada Buddhism emphasises the historical Buddha as the only Buddha of this current age; previous and future Buddhas exist but are not currently accessible.

  2. Theravada and Mahayana Views of the Buddha

    What doctrinal development in Mahayana Buddhism arose from the concept that the Buddha manifests through different bodies or aspects?

    Show the answer
    Mahayana Buddhism developed the concept that the Buddha has different bodies or aspects through which he manifests, leading to the Trikaya doctrine.

  3. The Trikaya Doctrine

    What does the name 'Dharmakaya' mean?

    Show the answer
    Truth body or dharma body.

Component 2

Buddhism: Self, Death and the Afterlife

67 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Nirvana in This Life and After Death

    How does Nagasena approach the challenge of describing nirvana in the 80th dilemma?

    Show the answer
    He uses analogies to describe nirvana indirectly, comparing its qualities to things that can be experienced rather than defining it directly.

  2. Nirvana in This Life and After Death

    What is the apophatic approach to describing nirvana?

    Show the answer
    Describing nirvana through negation, stating what it is not, such as the cessation of suffering, craving and rebirth.

  3. Better Rebirth, the Arhat and the Bodhisattva Ideal

    Which ideal does Theravada Buddhism emphasise, and what does this path involve?

    Show the answer
    Theravada Buddhism emphasises the arhat ideal, viewing the path to personal Nirvana through following the Buddha's teachings as the primary goal of practice.

Component 2

Buddhism: Expression of Religious Identity

96 questions in the guide, across 7 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Sangha Today and Wat Phra Dhammakaya

    In the Vijja Dhammakaya meditation technique, where does the practitioner focus their attention?

    Show the answer
    On the centre of the body.

  2. The Sangha Today and Wat Phra Dhammakaya

    Why has the Dhammakaya movement attracted criticism regarding its approach to merit-making?

    Show the answer
    Because it places strong emphasis on merit-making through financial donations, which critics argue commercialises Buddhism.

  3. The Sangha in Thailand and Its Changing Roles

    Why do many young Thai men ordain as monks temporarily?

    Show the answer
    A rains retreat spent as a monk makes merit for the family, especially the mother, who cannot ordain herself, and was traditionally a mark of maturity before marriage.

Component 2

Christianity: God and Ultimate Reality

63 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Monotheism, Transcendence and the Trinity

    What does it mean to say that God is transcendent?

    Show the answer
    God is transcendent, meaning God exists beyond and independent of the physical universe and human experience.

  2. Monotheism, Transcendence and the Trinity

    Who is the third person of the Trinity?

    Show the answer
    God the Holy Spirit.

  3. Jesus as the Son of God

    Why does Jesus being the Son of God give him unique authority?

    Show the answer
    It establishes his authority to forgive sins, teach with divine authority, and offer salvation.

Component 2

Christianity: Self, Death and the Afterlife

76 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Glorifying God and Being Born Again

    What do evangelical Christians mean by a personal relationship with God?

    Show the answer
    A conscious individual friendship with God through Christ, sustained by prayer, scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit.

  2. Glorifying God and Being Born Again

    Explain the belief that this life is a preparation for judgement.

    Show the answer
    Christians hold they will answer to God for how they have lived, so the present life is the time for repentance, faith and faithful conduct.

  3. The Kingdom of God and Eschatology

    How does liberation theology understand the purpose of Christian life?

    Show the answer
    As working with God for the liberation of the poor and oppressed, taking a preferential option for the poor.

Component 2

Christianity: Good Conduct and Key Moral Principles

83 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Justification and the Fruits of the Spirit

    What are the fruits of the Spirit?

    Show the answer
    The qualities Paul says God's Spirit produces in a believer, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

  2. Justification and the Fruits of the Spirit

    What did Pelagius teach, and why was it rejected?

    Show the answer
    He held that human beings can choose the good and take the first steps towards salvation unaided, which the Church condemned as denying the necessity of grace.

  3. Imputed Righteousness and Predestination

    Define predestination.

    Show the answer
    The belief that God has eternally determined who will be saved.

Component 2

Christianity: Religion, Gender and Sexuality

32 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Biblical Criticism and Gender Roles

    What external factor relating to secular governments has shaped Christian views on gender and sexuality?

    Show the answer
    Rights given to women by secular governments have influenced developments in Christian thinking.

  2. Biblical Criticism and Gender Roles

    How do Hampson and Ruether differ in their feminist approaches to Christianity's patriarchal nature?

    Show the answer
    Hampson sees Christianity as irreformable, while Ruether believes it can be reformed from within.

  3. Female Ordination in the Church of England

    Which biblical arguments do conservative evangelicals use against the ordination of women?

    Show the answer
    Jesus chose only men as the twelve apostles, and passages such as 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 11:3 are read as teaching male headship, so a woman should not hold teaching authority over a congregation.

Component 2

Christianity: Religion and Science

21 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Christianity and Science

    What is meant by the 'God of the gaps' argument?

    Show the answer
    The 'God of the gaps' refers to using God to explain phenomena that science cannot yet account for, with the problem that God's explanatory role diminishes as scientific knowledge expands.

  2. Christianity and Science

    What specific Christian beliefs did Darwin's theory of evolution challenge in the 19th century?

    Show the answer
    Darwin's theory challenged the literal interpretation of the Genesis creation accounts and the belief in the special creation of species by God.

  3. The Big Bang, Polkinghorne and Genetic Engineering

    What position do creationists take on evolutionary theory and the age of the earth?

    Show the answer
    Creationists reject evolutionary theory and often advocate for a young earth based on biblical chronology.

Component 2

Christianity: Religion and Secularisation

16 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Christianity and Secularisation

    How do Christians typically respond to materialistic secular values?

    Show the answer
    By critiquing the prioritisation of wealth and possessions.

  2. Christianity and Secularisation

    What do liberationist approaches to Christianity emphasise?

    Show the answer
    The social relevance of Christianity through supporting the poor and defending the oppressed.

Component 2

Christianity: Religion and Religious Pluralism

24 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Plural Society, Exclusivism and Inclusivism

    How has the multicultural and religiously plural context of modern societies affected Christianity?

    Show the answer
    It has influenced Christian thought and theological development.

  2. Plural Society, Exclusivism and Inclusivism

    Why does John 14:6 support the exclusivist position?

    Show the answer
    Because Jesus states that no one comes to the Father except through him, implying explicit faith in Christ is necessary for salvation.

  3. Anonymous Christians, Pluralism and Religious Freedom

    Which position would argue that a devout Hindu could be saved through their own religious tradition?

    Show the answer
    Pluralism

Component 2

Christianity: Dialogue with Philosophy

19 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Christianity and Philosophy: The Dialogue

    What does the philosophical dialogue with Christianity address regarding science and religion?

    Show the answer
    The relationship between scientific and religious discourses, including questions of compatibility and conflict.

  2. Christianity and Philosophy: The Dialogue

    What key philosophical issue concerns the relationship between philosophy and religious faith?

    Show the answer
    The relevance of philosophical enquiry for religious faith itself.

Component 2

Christianity: Dialogue with Ethics

145 questions in the guide, across 12 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Kant, Bentham, Virtue Ethics and Christian Ethics

    Explain the principle of 'the greatest happiness for the greatest number'.

    Show the answer
    The utilitarian standard that the morally correct action is the one that produces the maximum total happiness across all those affected.

  2. Agape, Consequences and Christian Character

    Why is the imitation of Christ relevant to character-based ethics?

    Show the answer
    Christians are called to model their character on Christ's example, developing virtues through following his pattern of life.

  3. Euthanasia, Capital Punishment and Cloning in Christianity

    What position have Church of England bishops generally taken on legalising assisted dying?

    Show the answer
    They have generally opposed it, arguing that no safeguards can fully protect vulnerable people and that the law should affirm the value of every life.

Component 2

Christianity: Sources of Wisdom and Authority

77 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Bible as the Word of God

    What does 2 Timothy 3:16 claim about scripture, and how is it used in debates about authority?

    Show the answer
    It says all scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, and conservative Christians cite it as scripture's own claim to a divine origin.

  2. The Bible as the Word of God

    Define biblical inerrancy.

    Show the answer
    The belief that the Bible contains no errors of any kind, including in history and science, because God cannot deceive.

  3. Liberal Views, Biblical Criticism and the Bible in Worship

    Which books appear in Catholic Bibles but are placed in the Apocrypha or omitted in most Protestant ones?

    Show the answer
    The deuterocanonical books, such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach and the books of Maccabees.

Component 2

Christianity: Expression of Religious Identity

87 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Infant Baptism and Original Sin

    Define original sin.

    Show the answer
    The fallen condition inherited by all human beings from the first human sin, which separates them from God from the beginning of life.

  2. Infant Baptism and Original Sin

    What does the white garment signify?

    Show the answer
    That the child has been clothed in Christ and made clean.

  3. Godparents, Limbo and Believers' Baptism

    What does baptism by immersion symbolise?

    Show the answer
    Dying and being buried with Christ and rising with him to new life.

Component 2

Hinduism: Sources of Wisdom and Authority

101 questions in the guide, across 8 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Devas of the Rig Veda

    Explain what is meant by describing the Rig Veda as henotheistic.

    Show the answer
    Each hymn addresses its own deity as though that god were supreme, without denying that the other gods exist.

  2. Shruti and the Four Vedas

    Name the four Vedas.

    Show the answer
    The Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda.

  3. Preserving and Using the Vedas

    Give one way Vedic material is still used in worship today.

    Show the answer
    Vedic mantras are chanted over the sacred fire in the havan ritual performed at homes and temples.

Component 2

Hinduism: Good Conduct and Key Moral Principles

75 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Karma and Moral Intention

    Why does intention matter as much as the outward act?

    Show the answer
    The karmic weight of an action depends on the desire and attitude behind it, so the same deed may bind one person and free another.

  2. Karma and Moral Intention

    Define nishkama karma.

    Show the answer
    It is action performed without any craving for personal benefit from the result.

  3. Karma Yoga and Seva

    Define seva.

    Show the answer
    Seva is selfless service given to others or to God without expectation of payment or praise.

Component 2

Hinduism: Religion, Gender and Sexuality

21 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Hindu Reform and the Status of Women

    Which Hindu reformer contributed significantly to arguments over women's status and place within Hinduism?

    Show the answer
    Ram Mohan Roy.

  2. Hindu Reform and the Status of Women

    What is Manushi?

    Show the answer
    Manushi is an organisation working in modern India that addresses issues of gender, women's rights and feminist concerns within Hindu society.

  3. Brahmacharya, Marriage, Sexuality and the Texts on Women

    What is the modern legal position on divorce in India?

    Show the answer
    Modern Hindu law in India permits divorce.

Component 2

Hinduism: Religion and Science

16 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Hinduism and Science

    What is ISKCON's response to evolution and the Big Bang theory?

    Show the answer
    ISKCON defends traditional Vedic accounts of creation and argues that modern science is limited compared to Vedic knowledge.

  2. Hinduism and Science

    Why might interference with karma be considered problematic in relation to genetic engineering?

    Show the answer
    Genetic engineering could disrupt the natural consequences of past actions that individuals are meant to experience, interfering with their spiritual progress.

Component 2

Hinduism: Religion and Secularisation

21 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Brahmo Samaj and the Arya Samaj

    Which movement did Ram Mohan Roy found?

    Show the answer
    The Brahmo Samaj movement.

  2. The Brahmo Samaj and the Arya Samaj

    What practices did Dayananda Saraswati reject as deviations from original Vedic religion?

    Show the answer
    Later texts, idol worship and the caste system.

  3. Practical Vedanta and Hinduism in Secular Britain

    Who founded the Ramakrishna Mission and whose teachings did it continue?

    Show the answer
    Vivekananda founded it to continue the teachings of his guru Ramakrishna.

Component 2

Hinduism: Religion and Religious Pluralism

17 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Hinduism, Migration and Pluralism

    Define 'Vedanta as religion' as a theological position.

    Show the answer
    The view that every religion, along with each Hindu tradition, expresses only part of Vedanta.

  2. Hinduism, Migration and Pluralism

    How does personal law create issues in India's secular context?

    Show the answer
    Personal law applies differently to non-Hindu communities, creating tensions within the secular framework.

Component 2

Hinduism: Dialogue with Philosophy

17 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Hinduism and Philosophy: The Dialogue

    When philosophically evaluating Hindu religious experience, what two aspects must be assessed?

    Show the answer
    Its reasonableness and its coherence with other beliefs within Hinduism.

  2. Hinduism and Philosophy: The Dialogue

    What does assessing the internal coherence of a Hindu belief involve?

    Show the answer
    Examining whether the belief is logically consistent within itself and free from internal contradictions.

Component 2

Hinduism: Dialogue with Ethics

60 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Hindu Ethics beside Kant and Bentham

    How does Bentham's principle of maximising pleasure compare with Hindu approaches to suffering and happiness?

    Show the answer
    Both aim to reduce suffering, but Hinduism values spiritual liberation (moksha) over material happiness, whereas Bentham's utilitarianism focuses on worldly pleasure and pain.

  2. Hindu Ethics beside Kant and Bentham

    Why might Hindu ethics be classified as teleological?

    Show the answer
    Actions are evaluated by their karmic consequences and their contribution toward achieving moksha (liberation), making the ultimate goal central to moral assessment.

  3. Hindu Ethical Issues, Free Will and Evaluation

    What considerations inform Hindu responses to genetic engineering?

    Show the answer
    Hindus weigh potential benefits against concerns about interfering with karma and disrupting the natural order established by divine creation.

Component 2

Hinduism: God and Ultimate Reality

49 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Trimurti

    What does the image of Shiva as lord of the dance express?

    Show the answer
    It shows creation, preservation, destruction, concealment and grace held together in a single figure whose dance is the rhythm of the universe.

  2. The Trimurti

    How do Shaivas and Vaishnavas treat the Trimurti differently?

    Show the answer
    Each raises its own deity to the status of supreme Brahman and treats the other members of the Trimurti as subordinate powers.

  3. Vishnu and the Avatars

    Name three of the animal or part-animal avatars.

    Show the answer
    The fish, the tortoise and the boar, with the man-lion as a fourth.

Component 2

Hinduism: Self, Death and the Afterlife

77 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Four Aims of Life

    Define moksha.

    Show the answer
    Moksha is liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

  2. The Four Aims of Life

    How do the four aims map onto the stages of life?

    Show the answer
    The student learns dharma, the householder pursues wealth and pleasure within it, and the last two stages turn towards moksha.

  3. Moksha in the Different Traditions

    How does Samkhya describe the goal?

    Show the answer
    It calls it kaivalya, the complete isolation of pure consciousness once it no longer identifies with matter.

Component 2

Hinduism: Expression of Religious Identity

78 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Four Paths of Yoga

    Which kind of person is jnana yoga said to suit?

    Show the answer
    Someone of a reflective and philosophical temperament who is drawn to analysis rather than to ritual or emotion.

  2. The Four Paths of Yoga

    How does the Bhagavad Gita link the paths?

    Show the answer
    It presents action, knowledge and devotion as valid routes to the same goal and commends performing one's duty with knowledge and in a spirit of devotion.

  3. Raja Yoga and the Eight Limbs

    Name the eight limbs of raja yoga.

    Show the answer
    The restraints, the observances, posture, breath control, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and absorption.

Component 2

Islam: God and Ultimate Reality

106 questions in the guide, across 8 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Tawhid and Shirk

    Explain what is meant by calling God transcendent.

    Show the answer
    He is wholly beyond and unlike His creation, and is not limited by time, space or matter.

  2. The Throne Verse

    What does the Throne verse teach about intercession?

    Show the answer
    No one can intercede with God except by His permission, so no being has independent power to influence Him.

  3. The Ninety-Nine Names of God

    From what root do both those names come, and what does it suggest?

    Show the answer
    Both come from a root also connected with the womb, suggesting a protective and nurturing mercy.

Component 2

Islam: Good Conduct and Key Moral Principles

90 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Taqwa, Obedience and the Sources of Law

    What does the Qur’an command alongside obedience to God?

    Show the answer
    Obedience to the Messenger, and to those placed in authority among the believers.

  2. Taqwa, Obedience and the Sources of Law

    How does Shi’a jurisprudence differ in its fourth source?

    Show the answer
    It uses reason in place of reasoning by analogy.

  3. Shari'ah and Its Five Categories

    Explain the recommended category and give an example.

    Show the answer
    These acts bring reward when done but no blame when left, as with voluntary night prayer or charity beyond zakat.

Component 2

Islam: Religion, Gender and Sexuality

17 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Islam, Gender and Sexuality

    What diverse views exist among Muslims regarding the veil beyond Qasim Amin's position?

    Show the answer
    Some Muslims see the veil as religiously mandated, others view it as culturally important, and others consider it a matter of personal choice.

  2. Islam, Gender and Sexuality

    What is the status of marriage in Islam?

    Show the answer
    Marriage is considered a religious duty and social contract that provides the legitimate context for sexual relations and family life.

Component 2

Islam: Religion and Science

15 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Islam and Science

    How has the Big Bang theory both challenged and been reconciled with Muslim belief?

    Show the answer
    It has challenged traditional understandings of creation, but some Muslims see it as compatible with Quranic cosmology.

  2. Islam and Science

    What was Maurice Bucaille's central argument about the Quran and science?

    Show the answer
    He argued that the Quran contains scientific knowledge that could not have been known in the seventh century and was later confirmed by modern science.

Component 2

Islam: Religion and Secularisation

17 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Islam and Secularisation

    Which Muslim scholar, alongside Tariq Ramadan, is studied for his views on capital punishment?

    Show the answer
    Sheikh Ahmad Ash-Sharabasi.

  2. Islam and Secularisation

    Do all Muslims share the same attitude towards democracy as a response to secularisation?

    Show the answer
    No, Muslims hold different attitudes to democracy, ranging from full acceptance to rejection.

Component 2

Islam: Religion and Religious Pluralism

19 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Islam, Migration and Pluralism

    How has living in multicultural, pluralist societies with established human rights frameworks affected Muslim theological development?

    Show the answer
    These contexts have influenced how Muslims engage with questions of religious diversity, coexistence, and the relationship between faith and law.

  2. Islam, Migration and Pluralism

    What theological debate exists within Islam regarding good deeds performed by non-Muslims?

    Show the answer
    There is debate about whether God rewards good deeds done by those who lack faith in Him or in Islam.

Component 2

Islam: Dialogue with Philosophy

14 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Islam and Philosophy: The Dialogue

    What aspects of Muslim beliefs about religious experience are subject to philosophical examination?

    Show the answer
    Their reasonableness, meaningfulness, and coherence.

  2. Islam and Philosophy: The Dialogue

    With particular reference to what debate is the relevance of philosophical enquiry for religious faith examined?

    Show the answer
    Argument over what faith actually is.

Component 2

Islam: Dialogue with Ethics

61 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Deontological and Teleological Ethics beside Islam

    What is the central concern of virtue ethics?

    Show the answer
    Developing good character traits rather than following rules or calculating consequences.

  2. Deontological and Teleological Ethics beside Islam

    What does mubah refer to in the Shari'ah classification of actions?

    Show the answer
    Permitted actions that are morally neutral.

  3. Muslim Responses to Ethical Issues

    What deontological and teleological elements are present in Muslim ethics on marriage?

    Show the answer
    Deontological elements include following Qur'anic commands; teleological considerations include family welfare and social stability.

Component 2

Islam: Sources of Wisdom and Authority

77 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Revelation of the Qur'an

    State how the Qur’an is divided.

    Show the answer
    It contains 114 surahs, each made up of verses called ayat.

  2. The Revelation of the Qur'an

    Who is traditionally said to have carried out that first collection, and under which caliph?

    Show the answer
    Zayd ibn Thabit, working under the first caliph Abu Bakr.

  3. Arabic, Translation and the Hafiz

    What condition is normally required before touching the Arabic text?

    Show the answer
    The reader should be in a state of ritual purity, having performed wudu.

Component 2

Islam: Self, Death and the Afterlife

51 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Ibadah and Niyyah

    Why is worship not something God needs?

    Show the answer
    God is entirely self-sufficient, so worship benefits the worshipper by ordering their whole life towards Him.

  2. Ibadah and Niyyah

    Define fitrah.

    Show the answer
    It is the innate disposition God places in every person, inclining them to recognise and worship Him.

  3. Dunya and Akhirah

    Give two arguments that this life has value in itself.

    Show the answer
    The Qur’an presents the world as a gift and a sign of God to be enjoyed lawfully, and Muslims are told not to forget their share of this world while seeking the next.

Component 2

Islam: Expression of Religious Identity

109 questions in the guide, across 8 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. What Makes a Person a Muslim

    What single act makes a person a Muslim?

    Show the answer
    Sincerely declaring that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His messenger.

  2. The Sunni and Shi'a Division

    What happened at Karbala, and why does it shape Shi’a identity?

    Show the answer
    Husayn and his companions were killed there resisting an unjust ruler, and his martyrdom became the central symbol of suffering for justice.

  3. The Five Pillars and Zakat

    State what zakat is and the rate at which it is normally paid.

    Show the answer
    It is an obligatory annual payment from qualifying savings and wealth, normally at one fortieth, that is two and a half per cent.

Component 2

Judaism: God and Ultimate Reality

76 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. God as Personal and Anthropomorphism

    Why is Genesis 3:8 a difficulty for Jewish theology?

    Show the answer
    It pictures God walking and being avoided, which implies a body and a limited location and so conflicts with God's incorporeality.

  2. God as Personal and Anthropomorphism

    Give one argument in favour of retaining anthropomorphic language.

    Show the answer
    It makes God approachable and expresses relationship in a way that abstract description cannot.

  3. God as King, Father and Gendered Language

    Why do some Jews object to exclusively male language about God?

    Show the answer
    They argue that it implies God is male, which Judaism denies, and that it leaves women's experience marginal in worship.

Component 2

Judaism: Dialogue with Philosophy

49 questions in the guide, across 3 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Jewish Thinking on Gender Roles

    What position does Conservative Judaism take on Halakah and gender issues?

    Show the answer
    Conservative Judaism accepts the binding nature of Jewish law while permitting its reinterpretation through the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards to address changing circumstances.

  2. Jewish Thinking on Gender Roles

    What is Reform Judaism's general position on same-sex relationships?

    Show the answer
    Reform Judaism generally accepts same-sex relationships.

  3. Judaism and Philosophy: The Dialogue

    What must be examined regarding Jewish sources of wisdom and authority in the dialogue with philosophy?

    Show the answer
    How Jewish beliefs about sources of wisdom and authority have been influenced by and have influenced philosophical studies of religion.

Component 2

Judaism: Religion and Science

19 questions in the guide, across 1 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Judaism and Science

    How do some Jewish thinkers accept Darwin's theory while maintaining their faith?

    Show the answer
    Some Jewish responses accept evolution as the mechanism through which God created life, seeing no conflict between the scientific process and divine creation.

  2. Judaism and Science

    What does Schroeder claim about the order of events described in Genesis compared to scientific findings?

    Show the answer
    Schroeder maintains that the sequence of events in Genesis corresponds to the scientific sequence of cosmic and biological development.

Component 2

Judaism: Religion and Secularisation

25 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Judaism and Secularisation

    What does the relegation of religion to the personal sphere mean?

    Show the answer
    Religious belief and practice become private matters rather than public or communal concerns that shape society.

  2. Judaism and Secularisation

    What distinguishes militant atheism from simply lacking religious belief?

    Show the answer
    Militant atheism actively opposes religion and advocates for its elimination from both public and private life, rather than merely lacking belief.

  3. Jewish Responses to Materialism

    Why does Judaism reject asceticism as an answer to materialism?

    Show the answer
    The Jerusalem Talmud teaches that a person will give account for every permitted pleasure they saw and did not enjoy, so God's gifts are to be used with gratitude rather than refused.

Component 2

Judaism: Religion and Religious Pluralism

18 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Judaism, Migration and Pluralism

    What factors in contemporary society have influenced Jewish thought?

    Show the answer
    The context of multicultural societies, freedom of religion, and religious pluralism has influenced Jewish thought.

  2. Judaism, Migration and Pluralism

    How do Jews understand their relationship with God in terms of their status among peoples?

    Show the answer
    Jews understand themselves as the chosen people, selected by God for a special covenant relationship.

  3. Maybaum and Rubenstein on the Holocaust

    Which biblical concept does Maybaum apply to understand Jewish suffering in the Holocaust?

    Show the answer
    Maybaum's post-Holocaust theology includes the concept of the suffering servant.

Component 2

Judaism: Dialogue with Ethics

151 questions in the guide, across 10 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Kant, Bentham and Jewish Ethics

    What is the key difference between the source of moral duties in Kantian deontology and Jewish ethics?

    Show the answer
    Jewish moral duties derive from divine command, whereas Kantian duties derive from autonomous human reason.

  2. Consequences, Character and Jewish Ethics

    What central question does virtue ethics ask about moral life?

    Show the answer
    Virtue ethics asks what kind of person one should become rather than what specific actions one should perform.

  3. The Mitzvot and Tikkun Olam

    Which principle demonstrates consequentialist elements in Jewish ethics by allowing life-saving to override other commandments?

    Show the answer
    Pikuach nefesh.

Component 2

Judaism: Religion, Gender and Sexuality

59 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Ordination of Women as Rabbis

    Who was the first female rabbi ordained in the Conservative movement?

    Show the answer
    Amy Eilberg, ordained in 1985.

  2. The Ordination of Women as Rabbis

    How did Conservative Judaism justify its decision to ordain women within a halakhic framework?

    Show the answer
    By reinterpreting halakha to argue that historical restrictions were based on social conditions that no longer apply, rather than immutable divine law.

  3. Open Orthodoxy and the Title Rabba

    How did mainstream Orthodox authorities respond to Sara Hurwitz's ordination as Rabba?

    Show the answer
    They rejected the validity of her ordination.

Component 2

Judaism: Expression of Religious Identity

131 questions in the guide, across 11 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Ghettoism and Nehemiah 10

    Why is Nehemiah 10:28–31 significant as a scriptural foundation for ghettoism?

    Show the answer
    It provides a scriptural basis for ghettoism as a strategy to maintain Jewish distinctiveness against external cultural pressures.

  2. Political and Religious Zionism

    How do Religious Zionists interpret the return of Jews to the Land of Israel?

    Show the answer
    As the beginning of divine redemption and the fulfilment of biblical prophecy.

  3. Liberationist Judaism and Social Justice

    What sources do liberationist approaches in Judaism draw upon to demand justice for the marginalised?

    Show the answer
    Jewish ethical principles and prophetic traditions.

Component 2

Judaism: Sources of Wisdom and Authority

71 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The Tenakh and the Torah

    Which section of the Tenakh carries the highest authority, and why?

    Show the answer
    The Torah, because it is held to record God's own revelation to Moses at Sinai and it contains the mitzvot.

  2. The Tenakh and the Torah

    Which Jewish groups typically treat the Tenakh as the absolute Word of God, and which as divinely inspired human writing?

    Show the answer
    Orthodox Jews generally treat the Tenakh as the absolute Word of God, while Reform and Liberal Jews generally treat it as divinely inspired human writing.

  3. The Tenakh in Worship and as Authority

    What is celebrated at Simchat Torah?

    Show the answer
    The completion of the annual cycle of Torah readings and its immediate restart from the beginning of Genesis.

Component 2

Judaism: Self, Death and the Afterlife

77 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. Kiddush Hashem and the Purpose of Life

    Explain the term kiddush Hashem.

    Show the answer
    The sanctification of God's name through conduct that brings honour to God, and in the extreme case through martyrdom.

  2. Kiddush Hashem and the Purpose of Life

    Where does tikkun olam acquire its mystical sense?

    Show the answer
    In kabbalistic teaching, where each mitzvah gathers up the divine sparks scattered at creation and so restores the world.

  3. The Messiah and the Messianic Age

    Will the Messianic Age involve a change in the natural order?

    Show the answer
    Views differ, some expecting a transformed world and others, following Maimonides, expecting the world to continue as it is but freed from oppression and war.

Component 2

Judaism: Good Conduct and Key Moral Principles

83 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic

  1. The 613 Mitzvot

    Which work of Maimonides lists and classifies the commandments?

    Show the answer
    The Sefer HaMitzvot, his Book of Commandments.

  2. The 613 Mitzvot

    Give an example of a chok.

    Show the answer
    The dietary laws, which are followed without any stated reason.

  3. Free Will, Responsibility and Pikuach Nephesh

    How is complete teshuvah traditionally tested?

    Show the answer
    A person is judged to have repented fully when they meet the same temptation again in the same circumstances and refuse it.

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