Religious Studies Syllabus
Religious Studies Syllabus
OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
Religious Studies
0186
1.0 Introduction
LGSCE Religious Studies Syllabus focuses on the teachings of the Christian religion as contained
in the Luke’s Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles while at the same time exposing students to
the phenomenon of religion and its diversity. As it introduces students to the life and teachings of
Jesus Christ and the life of the early Christian Church, the new syllabus also promotes application
of these teachings to such important contemporary issues such as respect for life, prejudice
and discrimination, issues of equality, HIV/AIDS, human and substance abuse, divorce, poverty,
unemployment, corruption and environmental issues.
The syllabus helps learners to develop an enquiring and critical approach to the study of the
Biblical texts and enables them to identify religious virtues and values promoted by such texts. It
also helps learners to apply this approach to assess religious and personal responses to moral and
ethical issues. It further challenges and equips them with the necessary skills to be able to lead
constructive lives in the modern world.
2.0 Aims
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3.0 Assessment Objectives
The syllabus is assessed by two written examination papers. All candidates will take both papers.
Questions on both papers are drawn from the whole syllabus.
The paper consists of three sections. The questions will be drawn from the whole syllabus.
Section B: Luke’s Gospel and Acts of the Apostles (1-21:15). (Questions may contain
quotations from the set texts).
8 questions, 5 marks each question.
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Paper 2: Essay questions 2 hours
Candidates answer two questions from section A and two questions from section B and one other
from either section A or section B.
The paper will assess Assessment Objective 1 and Assessment Objective 2.
Total Marks 90.
There are eight essay questions. Candidates answer five questions. Questions will be drawn from
Topics 2 and 3 of the Syllabus.
Paper 1
Assessment Objective Marks Weighting
AO1 – Describe and explain using knowledge and understanding. 60 40%
AO2 – Use evidence and reasoned argument to express and – –
evaluate personal responses, informed insights and different
viewpoints on religious and contemporary issues.
Total marks 60 40%
Paper 2
Assessment Objective Marks Weighting
AO1 – Describe and explain using knowledge and understanding. 30 20%
AO2 – Use evidence and reasoned argument to express and 60 40%
evaluate personal responses, informed insights and different
viewpoints on religious and contemporary issues.
Total marks 90 60%
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4.0 Content
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2.2 The Early Church through the Study of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1–21:15)
● Command and Ascension – universalism
● Appointment of another Apostle – efficient and effective administration; scriptural
authority; apostleship; leadership requirements; outcome acceptance; prayer.
● The Pentecost – the miracle of Pentecost; the feast of Pentecost; “glossolalia”;
universalism
● The role of the Holy Spirit;
● Nature of the early Christian Church – characteristics of the early Christian church;
ministers and roles in the early Christian church
● Mission in Jewish Territories: the risen Jesus is the Messiah; the authority of scripture;
miracles; the principle of God first man last (courage); Jerusalem temple; persecution
of the Church; the Conversion of Saul
● Mission in Gentile Territories: universal salvation; grace; the risen Jesus is universal
Messiah; acceptance; “from known to the unknown”; miracles;
The teacher must make use of the texts from Luke and Acts to address pressing issues of
concern like respect for life, prejudice and discrimination, issues of equality, HIV/AIDS, human
and substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, divorce, poverty, unemployment, corruption, crime and
punishment and environmental issues. The issues and values mentioned here are not exhaustive.
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Religious virtues and values
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5.0 Notes on teaching
5.1 An examination is not the sole intention of the educational process; however,
achievement in an examination is a natural outcome of successful teaching processes.
Teachers should use a variety of educational practices and techniques to enable
candidates to enjoy learning, to think and draw conclusions themselves.
5.2 Teachers can use any modern scholarly translation of the Bible. The Revised Standard
Version (RSV) and New International Version (NIV) are used for quotations included in
question papers.
5.3 In the AO2 assessment objective, the reference to the use of evidence in candidates’
responses indicates that candidates must be encouraged to support their arguments with
evidence and examples from the text and from their own experience.
5.4 Teachers are expected to encourage learners to appreciate how both for the Individual
and within the community, religious virtues and values can be applied in daily life.
As they learn about the virtues that are displayed by some stories and parables in the
Bible learners ought to be aware of the vices as well.
5.5 In Religious Studies tolerance of others and their views is fundamental.
Candidates should be encouraged to look at the teachings of Jesus and how they applied
to His life context then, and how they apply to issues and life in the modern world now.
5.6 For Topics 3, teachers should encourage learners to increase their awareness of the
pressing issues in society, using their own research and resources e.g. media.
Blasphemy: An act of claiming for oneself that which can only be said of God.
Ethical Code: Ethical guide on what is morally good or evil.
Faith: Belief in God, and in the truth of His revelation as well as obedience to Him.
Glossolalia: Speaking in tongues – the utterance of unintelligible speech or, more rarely, a
language with which the speaker is unfamiliar through the empowerment of a divinity/spirit.
Hope: Expectation of and desire of receiving; repairing from despair and capability of not giving up.
Liturgy: A set standard way of conducting a religious service.
Love/charity: selfless, unconditional and voluntary loving kindness of one’s neighbours.
Monotheism: Belief that there is only one God.
Non-theistic: Those in which the holy is conceived of as an impersonal power, a process, a state
of being, or an eternal truth capable of transforming human existence.
Pantheism: The belief that the holy or divine is immanent in all things or is all things.
Polytheism: Belief in the existence of more than one deity.
Rites of Passage: Rituals that mark the major turning points in the human life cycle and other
changes of status.
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Ritual: A formalized mode of religious action entailing words, gestures, and objects; a repetitive
and social form of doing intended to commemorate sacred occasions or to invoke a sacred
presence.
Sacrament: A religious ceremony or act of the Christian Church that is regarded as an outward
and visible sign that points to something sacred.
Sacred: That which is regarded as holy and is used for religious purposes.
Sacrilege: An act of making fun of something holy or sacred. Something is said to be sacrilegious
when it does not show proper reverence toward what is held to be sacred.
Salvation: To be made whole in the sense of physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being or to
be delivered from sickness, death, sin, or misfortune.
Scripture: An authoritative and timeless body of literature, oral or written, regarded as a sacred
revelation of Transcendence or the Holy.
Symbol: A word, gesture, or object that stands for or makes present the thing symbolized.
The Holy: That which is considered as the ultimate object of worship in a religion.
Theism: Belief in the existence of God.
Theistic Religions: Those in which the holy is conceived of as a God or group of gods or spirits
personally involved in the life of human beings.
Ultimate: That which is primary, complete, perfect, unconditional and is regarded as the eternal
and enduring ground of all things.
Values: Moral and professional standards of behaviour; principles; cultural/social.
Vice: The habitual inclination to do evil or bad.
Virtues: A habit of good behaviour that enables one to do what is considered as right with ease,
pleasure and consistency. The opposite of this is ‘vice’.
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7.0 Grade Descriptors
The following grade descriptions are intended to give a general indication of the standards of
attainment likely to have been achieved by candidates awarded grades A, C and F.
● Demonstrate a wide knowledge of the syllabus content and the ability to select
appropriate features of the information required showing some ability in organising and
presenting the information.
● Demonstrate a reasonable understanding of the area concerned with the study of religion,
including some understanding of religious language and basic concepts; characteristics
of religion; some understanding of the influence of particular individuals, writings etc. on
religious communities, an understanding of principal beliefs and the ability to show the
relationship between belief and practice.
● Demonstrate the ability to see the significance of a specific issue and to express informed
insights and different viewpoints.
● Demonstrate some knowledge of the syllabus content and the ability to select some
features of the information required; attempt some organisation of the information.
● Demonstrate some understanding of the areas concerned with the study of religion
including: a limited understanding of religious language and characteristics of religion; a
simple characteristic and understanding of the influence of particular individuals, writings
etc. on religious communities; a limited understanding of some principal beliefs and the
relationship between those beliefs and practice.
● Express clearly a personal opinion supported by limited argument.
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Appendix 1: Command Words
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