This essay covers unit 5 of the Edexcel Religious Studies specification - Works of Scholars. It is used in Section C of Paper 1 (Question 4), includes a synoptic link, and can be tailored to earlier questions of the paper. The essay begins with contextual information of critiques of religion, including ideas from Westphal, a key scholar. The essay then moves on to different popularist criticisms of religion such as criticisms from New Atheism, psychology and sociology, as well as evaluations of ...

These notes helped me to achieve an A* and summarises the following: - what religious belief is - the enlightenment - Freud and Marx (psychology and sociology) - Darwkin's (science) - postmodernism -criticisms and strengths

Summary of Philosophy Unit 5 - works of scholars specification, including: 5.1 - Context to Critiques of Religious Belief and Points for Discussion Respective strengths and weaknesses of religious beliefs; Alternative explanations, issues of probability and postmodern interpretations of religion; Key terms, types of atheism and agnosticism 5.2 - A Comparison between a Critic of Religion, Bertrand Russell, and a Religious Believer, Frederick Copleston The context of the writings of R...