Summary FULL ESSAY TOPIC TRACKER - AQA A Level Religious Studies - all papers tracked

Topic Tracker – Paper 1 – Philosophy and
Ethics of Religion


Section Topic Subtopic / Details Exam Questions
(Year & Marks)

SECTION A: Arguments for Design: Paley’s analogical 2021 Q1.2 - 15
PHILOSOPHY OF the existence of argument; Criticisms: Hume
RELIGION God 2022 Q1.1 - 10

Ontological: Anselm’s a priori 2024 Q1.1 - 10
argument; Criticisms: Gaunilo,
Kant 2024 Q1.1 - 15

Cosmological: Aquinas’ Way 3, 2020 Q1.1 - 10
argument from contingency
and necessity; Criticisms:
Hume, Russell

Evil and suffering Problem of evil: natural and 2018 Q1.1 – 10
moral evil; logical and
evidential problems; responses 2018 Q1.2 - 15
including Hick’s soul-making, 2019 Q2.2 - 15
free will defence, Griffin’s
process theodicy 2020 Q1.2 - 15

2021 Q1.1 - 10

2023 Q1.1 - 10

Religious Nature of religious experience: 2019 Q2.1 - 10
experience visions (corporeal, imaginative,
intellectual), numinous (Otto), 2021 Q2.1 - 10
mystical (James, Stace)

Verifying religious experience: 2022 Q1.2 - 15
challenges, Swinburne’s
principles of credulity and 2023 Q1.2 - 15
testimony

Miracles Miracles: differing 2019 Q1.1 - 10
understandings, realist/anti-
realist views, violation of 2022 Q2.1 - 10
natural law, Hume and Wiles 2023 Q2.2 - 15
views