Paper 2: Study of Religion and Dialogues

Paper 2 of AQA A-Level Religious Studies (7062) examines your in-depth knowledge of a chosen religion (Section A: Study of Religion) and your ability to engage with cross-disciplinary dialogues between philosophy, ethics, and the study of religion (Section B: Dialogues). Like Paper 1, it is worth 100 marks, lasts 3 hours, and accounts for 50% of your total grade. This lesson provides a detailed guide to answering each question type within Paper 2, with particular emphasis on the distinctive challenges that the Study of Religion and Dialogues sections present.

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Section A: Study of Religion

Section A focuses on the detailed study of one religion — either Christianity or Islam (your centre will have selected one). You are expected to demonstrate deep, textual knowledge of your chosen religion's beliefs, practices, sources of authority, and internal diversity.

Topics You May Be Examined On

For Christianity, topics include:

1. Sources of wisdom and authority — the Bible (different approaches to interpretation: literal, liberal, contextual), the role of tradition, the Magisterium (Catholic), conscience
2. God/Ultimate Reality — the Trinity, the nature of God (omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent), creation, the relationship between God and humanity
3. Self, death and the afterlife — the soul, resurrection (bodily vs. spiritual), heaven, hell, purgatory, judgement, universalism
4. Good conduct and key moral principles — the Sermon on the Mount, the Ten Commandments, love (agape), justice, the role of conscience
5. Expression of religious identity — worship, prayer, sacraments, pilgrimage, festivals, the role of the Church in society
6. Religion, gender and sexuality — the role of women in the Church, attitudes to homosexuality, marriage and divorce, celibacy

For Islam, equivalent topics are covered with reference to Islamic sources (Qur'an, Hadith, Sunnah, Ijma, Qiyas), the Five Pillars, Sunni and Shi'a perspectives, and key Islamic scholars and jurists.

The 3-Mark Question in Section A

This functions identically to Paper 1. You provide three accurate, distinct points.

Example question:

"Give three sources of authority in Christianity." (3 marks)

Model answer:

• The Bible, regarded as the inspired or revealed word of God.
• Church tradition, including the teachings of the Church Fathers and ecumenical councils.
• The Magisterium, the teaching authority of the Catholic Church exercised by the Pope and bishops.

Technique: Ensure your points are drawn from specific religious knowledge, not generic statements. The examiner is looking for evidence that you have studied the religion in depth. Use correct terminology — for example, "Magisterium" rather than "what the Pope says."

The 15-Mark Question in Section A

This question requires detailed knowledge of the religion (AO1: 9 marks) and some analysis and evaluation (AO2: 6 marks).

Example question:

"Examine different Christian beliefs about the afterlife." (15 marks)

Recommended structure:

1. Introduction: Define the scope — note that Christianity contains diverse beliefs about the afterlife across denominations and traditions.
2. Paragraph 1 (AO1): Explain the traditional view — bodily resurrection and the final judgement. Reference 1 Corinthians 15:42–44 ("It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body") and the Nicene Creed ("We look for the resurrection of the dead").
3. Paragraph 2 (AO1): Explain alternative views — the Catholic doctrine of purgatory (Catechism of the Catholic Church §1030–1032), the concept of soul sleep, and universalism (the belief that all will eventually be saved, as argued by theologians such as John Hick and Keith Ward).
4. Paragraph 3 (AO2): Analyse the diversity — why do Christians disagree? Consider the role of biblical interpretation, tradition, and theological reasoning. Evaluate whether the diversity strengthens or weakens Christian claims about the afterlife.
5. Brief conclusion.

Using textual references effectively:

The Study of Religion section rewards specific, accurate textual references. Generic statements like "the Bible says there is an afterlife" will not earn high marks. Instead, demonstrate precise knowledge:

Weak Reference	Strong Reference
"The Bible talks about resurrection"	"Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:44 that 'it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body'"
"Catholics believe in purgatory"	"The Catechism of the Catholic Church (§1030) states that those who die in God's grace but are imperfectly purified undergo purification to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven"
"Some Christians think everyone will be saved"	"Universalists such as John Hick argue that a loving God would not condemn anyone to eternal punishment, and that the purpose of the afterlife is the continued development of the soul towards God"

The 25-Mark Question in Section A

Example question:

"'The Bible should be the sole source of authority for Christians today.' Evaluate this claim." (25 marks)

Key considerations for 25-mark Study of Religion questions:

• You must demonstrate knowledge of internal diversity within the religion. For Christianity, this means acknowledging differences between Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox perspectives.
• Use specific textual evidence — scripture references, creedal statements, and the teachings of key thinkers.
• Engage with contemporary relevance — how do these debates play out in the modern Church? For example, debates over the ordination of women or attitudes to homosexuality often hinge on questions of biblical authority versus tradition or reason.
• Present multiple scholarly perspectives — for example, Karl Barth's neo-orthodoxy versus Rudolf Bultmann's demythologisation, or the difference between evangelical and liberal approaches to scripture.

AQA Mark Scheme — Level 5 descriptors for 25-mark questions (Study of Religion):

AO1 (9–10 marks): "A thorough, wide-ranging and accurate response... Very well-organised with excellent use of specialist terms and relevant sources of wisdom and authority including scripture and/or sacred texts."

AO2 (13–15 marks): "A very well-focused and thorough response. Critical analysis and evaluation are perceptive, fully sustained and well-evidenced, with a clear conclusion linked to the evidence and arguments presented."

Notice that the AO1 descriptor specifically mentions scripture and/or sacred texts. In the Study of Religion section, you must use direct scriptural or textual references to access the highest marks.

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Section B: Dialogues

Section B is the most distinctive part of the AQA Religious Studies specification. It tests your ability to make connections between the philosophy, ethics, and study of religion content. Questions in this section require you to integrate knowledge from across the course and demonstrate how different areas of study relate to one another.

Topics You May Be Examined On