Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict | AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062)
Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict
- 96 questions
- 7 subtopics
- Paper 2
- Paper 2
Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict is examined in Paper 2, Thematic studies — one of the four themes chosen, marked out of 24.
It covers peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation, violence, violent protest and terrorism, reasons for war: greed, self-defence and retaliation, the just war theory, holy war and religion as a cause of conflict, nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction and pacifism, peace-making and the victims of war.
Sample questions from Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
-
Peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation
Which teaching of Jesus blesses peacemakers?
Show the answer
Matthew 5:9 records Jesus calling peacemakers blessed and children of God. Christians treat peace-making as a duty rather than an option. -
Peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation
Why is justice important to religious believers?
Show the answer
God is described as just, so believers try to reflect that character. Injustice such as poverty or oppression is treated as an offence against God. -
Violence, violent protest and terrorism
Which incident is used to argue that Jesus accepted some use of force?
Show the answer
Mark 11:15-17 describes Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers in the Temple. Scholars point out that Jesus damaged property rather than harming people. -
Violence, violent protest and terrorism
Give one non-violent alternative to violent protest.
Show the answer
Peaceful marches, petitions, strikes and boycotts change opinion without harming anyone. Religious groups often organise vigils and prayer as well. -
Reasons for war: greed, self-defence and retaliation
Why is self-defence usually accepted by religious believers?
Show the answer
Protecting the innocent is treated as a duty rather than an act of aggression. A ruler who allows an invasion fails those in his care. -
Reasons for war: greed, self-defence and retaliation
Name two reasons for war other than greed, self-defence and retaliation.
Show the answer
Defence of an ally and humanitarian intervention to stop a massacre are two reasons. Disputes over borders and national identity also lead to war. -
The just war theory
What is meant by lawful authority?
Show the answer
Lawful authority means that only a proper government or ruler can declare war. A private group cannot start a just war. -
The just war theory
Why do some say that modern weapons make a just war impossible?
Show the answer
Missiles and bombs cannot always separate soldiers from civilians. Proportionality and discrimination then fail from the start.
The 7 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation | Students learn the meaning of peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation, the beatitude on peacemakers and Micah 6:8, forgiving seventy-seven times, the Qur'an on making peace and pardoning injury, and a non-religious case for forgiveness. | 14 |
| Violence, violent protest and terrorism | The subtopic covers violence and violent protest, Christian teaching including turning the other cheek, the Qur'an on fighting, terrorism and why religious leaders condemn it, non-violent alternatives, and the humanist view. | 14 |
| Reasons for war: greed, self-defence and retaliation | These questions explain greed, self-defence and retaliation as reasons for war, biblical and Muslim teaching on revenge, other causes of war, war as a last resort, and non-religious arguments against war. | 12 |
| The just war theory | Students learn just war theory and the thinkers who developed it, its six conditions, criticisms of it and the challenge of modern weapons, Islamic conditions for war and who must not be harmed, and how it differs from pacifism. | 14 |
| Holy war and religion as a cause of conflict | The subtopic covers holy war and Christian examples, greater and lesser jihad and their conditions, why most Christians reject holy war, religion as a cause of conflict including Northern Ireland, and interfaith dialogue. | 14 |
| Nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction | These questions explain weapons of mass destruction and nuclear deterrence, when nuclear weapons were used, the UK's Trident system, arguments for and against deterrence, Christian and Muslim teaching, and chemical and biological weapons. | 14 |
| Pacifism, peace-making and the victims of war | Students learn absolute and relative pacifism, Quakers and conscientious objectors, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu and Gandhi as peacemakers, and how religious organisations such as Christian Aid help victims of war. | 14 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
-
Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
-
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
-
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA GCSE Religious Studies A Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,734 questions with their answers.