THEME C: The Existence of God and Revelation
AQA GCSE SPECIFICATION CHECKLIST:
You must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main
religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and non-religious beliefs such as atheism and humanism:
Visions
Miracles
Nature as general revelation
Section A: Philosophical Arguments For & Against the Existence of God
The Design argument, including its strengths and weaknesses
The First Cause argument, including its strengths and weaknesses
The argument from miracles, including its strengths and weaknesses, and one example of a miracle
Evil and suffering as an argument against the existence of God
Arguments based on science against the existence of God
Section B: The Nature of the Divine and Revelation
Special revelation as a source of knowledge about the divine (God, gods or ultimate reality) including
visions and one example of a vision
Enlightenment as a source of knowledge about the divine
General revelation: nature and scripture as a way of understanding the divine
Different ideas about the divine that come from these sources:
Omnipotent and omniscient
Personal and impersonal
Immanent and transcendent
The value of general & special revelation & enlightenment as sources of knowledge about the divine:
The problems of different ideas about the divine arising from these experiences
Alternative explanations for the experiences, and the possibility that the people who claimed to
have them were lying or mistaken
KEY TERMS GLOSSARY
Agnostic A person who believes there are reasons for and against God’s existence, hence is unsure.
Atheist A person who believes God does not exist.
Big Bang Theory Accepted by science as describing how the world came into existence 13.7 billion years ago.
Design Argument For God’s existence based upon evidence of design in the world (William Paley/Newton).
Enlightenment Gaining true knowledge of God or the self and ultimate reality, discovered through prayer or meditation.
First Cause Argument for the existence of God, based on God as First Cause of the world (Aquinas).
Argument
General God makes himself known through indirect and ordinary common human experiences.
Revelation
Holy Books Texts, which can be believed to be either general or special revelation.
Illusion False belief.
Immanent God is presently involved with life on earth.
Impersonal God has no human qualities and is more like a force. This means that God's nature is more mysterious.
© 2024 Grades Express
AQA GCSE SPECIFICATION CHECKLIST:
You must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main
religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and non-religious beliefs such as atheism and humanism:
Visions
Miracles
Nature as general revelation
Section A: Philosophical Arguments For & Against the Existence of God
The Design argument, including its strengths and weaknesses
The First Cause argument, including its strengths and weaknesses
The argument from miracles, including its strengths and weaknesses, and one example of a miracle
Evil and suffering as an argument against the existence of God
Arguments based on science against the existence of God
Section B: The Nature of the Divine and Revelation
Special revelation as a source of knowledge about the divine (God, gods or ultimate reality) including
visions and one example of a vision
Enlightenment as a source of knowledge about the divine
General revelation: nature and scripture as a way of understanding the divine
Different ideas about the divine that come from these sources:
Omnipotent and omniscient
Personal and impersonal
Immanent and transcendent
The value of general & special revelation & enlightenment as sources of knowledge about the divine:
The problems of different ideas about the divine arising from these experiences
Alternative explanations for the experiences, and the possibility that the people who claimed to
have them were lying or mistaken
KEY TERMS GLOSSARY
Agnostic A person who believes there are reasons for and against God’s existence, hence is unsure.
Atheist A person who believes God does not exist.
Big Bang Theory Accepted by science as describing how the world came into existence 13.7 billion years ago.
Design Argument For God’s existence based upon evidence of design in the world (William Paley/Newton).
Enlightenment Gaining true knowledge of God or the self and ultimate reality, discovered through prayer or meditation.
First Cause Argument for the existence of God, based on God as First Cause of the world (Aquinas).
Argument
General God makes himself known through indirect and ordinary common human experiences.
Revelation
Holy Books Texts, which can be believed to be either general or special revelation.
Illusion False belief.
Immanent God is presently involved with life on earth.
Impersonal God has no human qualities and is more like a force. This means that God's nature is more mysterious.
© 2024 Grades Express
